A: Without knowing the size and health of the tree, I’m hesitant to ever recommend shaving or cutting roots that are above ground. This listener also mentioned that there was hard clay soil around the tree. The Georgia Gardener Walter Reeves weighed in with this: “If a young tree’s roots can’t penetrate hard clay soil, they creep along the surface nearby. As the tree matures, the roots grow bigger in diameter. The upper surface of major roots then slowly rises above the soil. Erosion washes soil away from the roots as well. Feeder roots at the end of the major roots, though, remain below the soil. You can prevent surface roots by thoroughly loosening a ten foot diameter circle of soil around the spot where you initially plant a tree.”
And once this has become a problem with larger and more established trees, I would have a certified arborist out to access the tree. You can find one by visiting https://georgiaarborist.org/