A pic would help to give you specifics.

tj

The short answer is 'yes' but depending on the size of the root, I might wait until dormancy.

That's a bad one -- prb'ly caused by being raised in a pot. Be good to cut it if you or someone can.

yes it needs to be cut ... and im thinking.. you might already see the damage its causing.. that big gaping wound ... yikes ..

understand.. all you need do.. is make one cut thru ... once you do that.. the part past the cut will die .. and dry.. and shrink and rot ... you dont need to go after it all.. and end up digging up the root mass ...

if you have a sawzall .. it might help ... or a tree saw for sure ... lumber saws arent going to work ...

and i might even buy a new tree and plant it a few feet away ... as who knows how long this one might last .. because i highly doubt this is the whole root problems... it was probably severely pot bound at planting .. and there are probably now problems below ...

ken

ps: straight down pix are disorienting ... but add upside down.. and wow .. lol ...

I'd carefully dig a few inches around the trunk by hand, just to get an idea of what's going on a couple/three inches below grade. It also would make the cut easier to do.

Probably easiest to remove with a hammer and chisel. And with one that big, I'd definitely wait until the tree is dormant.

Thanks, all. The tree wasn't pot bound when planted 3 years ago. Just noticed the root this year.

what do you imagine the wound is from.. i presume that wasnt there 3 years ago either????

ken

No, it wasn't, Ken. Maybe a lawn mower although the mowers are usually careful. Today I noticed a second root, not circling but at ground level. Will dig a bit and see what I find.

Ha! Good job sleuthing.