something weird about my broccoli roots

Evening all. I just uprooted my broccoli plants that over-wintered. There was something weird about one of the plants, and I'll try my best to describe it. The soil around the root was greyer than the surrounding area, which was a nice moist dark brown MM. It looked almost fuzzy, but I'm not sure I'd say it looked moldy. (Not sure I wouldn't either.) It was somehow more fluffy. ? I took a picture with my phone, and it's not great, but here it is anyway. Ideas?



There was another plant what had more red in the soil around the root, as though somehow the native clay soil had worked its way up into the mix.



Not altogether out of the question, as I found that a colony of ants had taken up residence in a corner, and there was indeed some red soil in that corner. Any other reason I might see that, or do you think the ants just got in and around those roots as well?



While I'm on that topic, what should I do about those stupid ants? Should I clean out that corner and lay new weed cloth? Or just leave it alone?

Thank y'all.
Tracy in SC