Maple Tree Stem Root Concern - should tree be removed?

[batek]

Hello - I have a large silver maple between my house and a neighbor's house. Pictures attached. The maple tree's roots are now exposed to the point that I believe the tree should be removed - I need a professional's advice. I have asked a local landscaper that is an arborist and he said the tree is a silver maple. He does not plant silver maples, ever, due to this issue - in clay soils they tend to spread roots instead of pushing roots down and when they get big like this one, they wrap their roots around the truck and choke off the trunk. He advised to take it out with in a couple of years - it's now been that long. I have another maple on the other side of my house (does not appear to be the same type as this one) that has started to do the same thing. When we moved into our house about 9 years ago, both of these trees were flush with the ground and had nice flare shapes. Any advice is appreciated regarding these trees. - THX

 

[Jed1124]

What you are seeing is the result of mulch piled around the trunk of the tree for years, not the species or soil type.

 

[batek]

Ah, yes, the previous owner had a large ring of landscape blocks around the tree and had filled in with much and dirt. I removed it and left it natural, then this happened over the last 8-9 years. The roots that appear at the surface in the lawn were not visible when we moved in, again only in the last 5 years or so.

 

[Raintree]

Tree doesn't have to be removed.

 

[ATH]

Ah, yes, the previous owner had a large ring of landscape blocks around the tree and had filled in with much and dirt. I removed it and left it natural, then this happened over the last 8-9 years. The roots that appear at the surface in the lawn were not visible when we moved in, again only in the last 5 years or so.

That was my strong suspicion. Good that you removed those. Those are shallow roots, NOT stem girdling roots. This tree has a good flare (I think...those could be secondary roots, but I don't think they are).

If it were mine, I'd start mulch where the root mass ends coming out +/-4 or 5'. No more than 2-3" deep. Just put the mulch right on the grass. Much of the grass will die. Then you can pull out or use just a little glyphosate to spray the grass that pokes up through.