It's normal for the tree to look lop-sided or exposed when a barrier to light has been removed, but the lack of roots on one side is a bit troubling. If this tree falling over in a storm could damage anything I might worry.

That you cut back what roots it did have on the one side didn't help.

"Theres absolutely no signs of any disturbance or weakness in the tree, will it be ok?"

It runs on tree time, not human time. The stress/damage may not show up for quite some time. How about a photo of the tree and site?

Hi

Thanks for the response. I have attached a photo of the tree.

On the left of the tree we have a large oil tank for the heating supply to the house which is pretty close and as you see the side of the tree in the immediate foreground is where the garden shed was removed from. There are signs of small root structures to the right and beyond the tree there are many large roots running into the garden behind the tree. There are no signs of any instability in the tree, it is sound. The concrete flags in the forground have been there at least 20years and are still very much level, with no movement. Whats your verdict? Is the tree ok?

If you are removing one structure and replacing it with another with no additional soil compaction and no digging I bet the tree barely notices.

The closer you get to the tree, the more leveling and digging you do even under the area of the old shed, the more damage.

The time of your kinda stinks also. August itself can be stressful with the heat and possibility of dryness here.

Will it be ok? I dunno. Following is a terrible analogy but its what came to mind. Most people who get shot in the thigh end up ok. Maybe they get a limp, some unlucky soul gets hit right and bleeds out.

Be careful with it and try not to get much closer. I might even water the fella afterwards and if you go several days without rain. If you find big roots be careful for the obvious structural reason.

That you for your comments.

Today I lifted the row of concrete flags next to the tree. I built a small retaining wall then 2' away from the tree and back-filled the wall with a mountain of soil placing as much around the root base as possible. I take your point 'removing one structure and replacing it with another with no additional soil compaction and no digging I bet the tree barely notices' - well in my case I have given the tree base back a lot of soil which will allow much more water and drainage into the root system. As for watering the root, I'm in Ireland and its been raining all summer anyway! Thanks

Hold on..........this "mountain of soil" has been dumped around the base of the tree?? How much is a 'mountain'......2 inches? 4 inches? More?

If more than just a bare covering of the root zone, you want to remove immediately. Increasing the soil level around the base of the tree will effectively smother the root system and will typically lead to tree death. May not happen immediately but it will happen. If the backfilled soil only extends out from the trunk 3', then the rest of the root system should be OK but you still have a pile of soil up against the base of the tree and that's not good. It will cause rot.

You NEVER want to substantially change the soil level or grade around any established tree, either lowering it significantly or raising it more than what a layer of mulch might provide. And never let that actually touch the trunk.

It seemed like a mountain as I had to shovel it by hand. If you look closely at the second picture. The little wall is about 4 row of brick high which is about a foot. The soil was place behind that. The roots of the tree were initially under the flags I lifted.

Get rid of the added soil. You are not doing your tree any favors.

I have raked some of the soil away from the tree base to an adjacent portion of the garden where there is little growth of grass due to extending roots. Its a fine layer of note more than an inch. I can't for the life of me see what harm I am supposed to be doing. Prior to this the poor tree the root was buried below three concrete flags, which I have now moved.

I appreciate your consideration and concerns, I am very concerned which is why I am posting. The previous owner of the property has obviously cut back on the tree root at one side to position his concrete flags and shed. That was at least 20years ago. On the other sides of the tree, the roots are running slightly above my garden grass line. This doesn't bother me.

Worried about the tree, I got up this morning and removed all soil around the base of the tree pending further advice.

Can I put my original concrete flags down again where there were originally - over the roots?