There’s a nice tree right outside my door that had rather large roots, some poking up slightly from the ground. Normally, I mow right over them with no problem but I must have been at a strange angle as I hit, and subsequently mowed off, part of a big root.
Fortunately, it’s a new mower with a new blade so it was a pretty clean wound. I shaved off about a 10" x 4" area of root, only about a half inch deep or so. There’s plenty of the root still underground.
Should I attempt anything to seal or protect this exposed area (e.g. from fungus)? I’ve tried reading online but haven’t found a lot of useful info for this situation, just preventative tips.
I have done such to plenty of trees in my years of mowing. Never seen any issue from it, especially on/from larger-diameter roots. If this was a small, just-establishing tree, maybe a worry. But a mature otherwise-healthy tree…nothing to worry about as long as you give the wound a ‘healthy’ washing and let it be so it forms a callous (?) eventually.
You could get prophylactic-type of powders and/or sealants, but that is up to you as far as cost goes. Imho, not a problem for a ‘typical’ tree. Sentimental value can be worth the cost of such, so if desired, a wound-sealer may be good for peace-of-mind (if you are such a person, that is).
When I took some hort classes a few years back they were clear - leave it bare.