A root crown excavation is a process that is done to remove excess soil built up around the base of a tree in order to expose the root flare or buttress roots. Although excessive soil can occur naturally, it is generally the byproduct of human development.  When a house is being built they have a tendency to move massive amounts of soil to level the ground and such. Often enough this results with the left over trash being buried with the extra soil at the bases of trees.

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Girdling Roots

Girdling root properly exposed by root crown excavation

A girdling root is a smaller root that has grown around a larger buttress root and is choking off the vascular system. This can happen naturally, as well is a big problem for trees that come from containers. After a tree has spent too much time in a container the roots have nowhere to go and begin to circle around the inside of the container. As well this problem can occur when excessive soil is built up around the base of a tree and gives an environment for smaller roots to grow into this new area. In this process we remove all girdling roots smaller than two inches and an educated decision needs to be made about any girdling root larger than that.

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