Here's another pic, but still doesn't show the root very well. The root curves around clockwise from the back, you can see it clearly on the right, and then it goes lower in the bottom of the photo and then below the roots coming from the opposite direction. It sounds like a lot of work to remove the root and I don't think I will try anytime soon. Instead I will keep pruning the top trying to keep the tree under 25 ft or so. The part on the side with the girdling root is the part I want to reduce the most because it is the most vigorous and the branches aren't so well connected to the trunk. What's the worst that could happen? The tree dies and I have to take it out, the tree looks really ugly and I have to take it out, no big deal when the alternative is taking it out now. If it lasts another few years maybe my neighbors crabapple? tree will have grown nicely and so will anything else I plant. It's so dry in Colorado I think there's not much of a problem with invasive trees, at least not with most of the common shade trees that are planted like maples. We don't have forests or woods here on the plains. Even along the ditches and creeks I think I see mostly native cottonwoods. Siberian Elms and Russian Olives and maybe Trees of Heaven are slight problems in cities. This post was edited by olreader on Thu, Feb 27, 14 at 0:24

Trees and other plants are not an exact science or our jobs would be easy. We look at all research, make the best decision we can, and hope what we do works. Even a tree that is perfectly planted and cared for can; though rarely, develop girdling and nasty cross roots. OP said that most of the trees he was concerned about are young which gives them good chance of recovery with root treatment. Sure the OP may loose some trees to the root surgery but left alone with the problems he described they have little chance of growing up to be nice trees. I have worked with both scientists, businesses and the public and scientists do work in a different thinking zone. They present facts that in science are definitive to them, that is just the way they think. The research that they do has to be used and considered by us, but is not always practical to the real world in which they do not live.

If we took out one, we'd take out the other. The litter of pine cones from the loblollies beats out anything the sweet gum could produce. The pine cones have sharp little thorns that fall off and make walking in the grass with barefeet impossible. And it's not as though there's a shortage. If it was a more valuable tree, like an oak or a bald cypress, I'd be a lot quicker in getting rid of the sweet gum. These two will just stay there for the moment. Locked in mortal arborial combat. Now I just need to wait for the leaves to fall off the two poor crape myrtles out in the front to share the desecration that was inflicted on them.

well ... the root of your problem.. thats a pun ... is the size you are buying them at ... IMHO ... if you are insisting on immediate gratification.. and demanding a 4 to 6 foot plant.. well ... someone had to start with a small sprig.. in a 2 1/4 inch pot.. and then up-pot to a gal pot.. then to a 3 gal pot.. then into the ground or into a 5 gallons pot.... most of this stuff doesnt pop out of nowhere at 4 to 6 feet ... so if you really want to avoid a vast majority of this.. you start smaller ... and get this.. it will still be root bound in a 2 and 1/4 inch pot.. but that wont take you hours to fix ... besides.. after some instant gratification.. you ought to have more time for small stuff to get going ... and of course.. there's that whole thing about how many $25 plants you can get for the $150 you spend on the big one.. losing one occasionally doesnt hurt as bad ... as to field grown ... those are usually the ones that didnt sell in the 5 or 7 gallon pot.. and where stuck in mother earth.. already badly root bound.. or not ... but even these have inherent problems.. at 4 to 6 feet.. when 70 to 80% of their root mass is cut off in the BB process ... its actually quite amazing how many do survive when you think about it ... your learning curve is expanding greatly ... i have seen it in your posts ... and you are having to fix many of your original mistakes ... we have all been there.. done that ... but what you really need to do.. is strive for the knowledge.. without worrying about it all ... and i think that is really hard for you ... a lot of this stuff is really.. really hardy.. just do it .. do it fast.. get it over with.. and dont look back.. either you win or you lose.. but dont worry!!!! i have often wondered.. if it is better to do the process barbarically.. i mean really .. and forgive the term.. abusing the ball.. and getting the job done.. and the thing in the ground in say 15 minutes.. as compared to 2 or 3 hours of methodical surgery.. while the roots all dry out.. i take a hose.. with a pressure point on it.. and simply.. at full pressure.. blast off all the media or soil ... snip the roots at 90 degree angles.. backfill half way.. drown the thing ... adding soil to cover all the roots.. and come back a while later.. fill the hole to 90% .. drown it again.. settling and compacting the soil on the roots getting rid of air pockets .. let the water drain.. complete the fill .. add mulch.. and walk away ... and as to large mistakes.. start digging plant.. determine your ball size.. go dig new hole.. go back to plant.. finish ball.. literally drag to the new hole.. adjust for ball surface height and veticality .. backfill half so its stable.. drown it.. fill the rest of the way.. mulch .. prune off whatever broke in the dragging ... and be done with it ... it always falls back to the saying ... they are NOT children.. they dont need to be coddled ... just do what you have to do.. and be done with it.. there are other things in life that require precision ... so.. buy smaller.. invest less .. worry less.. get the job done .. and make it more enjoyable ... [see its just so simple.. lol] good luck ken ps: peeps who rely on large expensive stock.. are usually those relying on local places .. EVERYTHING is available.. cheaper.. smaller ... mail order ... and boy can you get the rare stuff this way ... Here is a link that might be useful: this thing with an off-er/on-er at hose end to adjust presssure ... will blast soil off anything