Showing decline, this live oak tree had no root flare at its base. That can be a sign of trouble. A ‘root collar excavation’ revealed that the tree had been planted too deep. It might also have been further buried during construction activities. We found girdling roots, roots growing too high on the root collar, and trunk tissue swelling where it was growing over the “girdlers.” Remediation can address some of these issues, but planting correctly in the first place is even better!