Question
I have a follow up question please sir.  When I apply the 10-10-10
fertilizer, and remember I have flower beds around two of my live
oaks that extend 8ft. out from the trunks, do I begin application
at the trunk and then go outward from it as far as I can go into the yard or as far as the branches extend out from the trunk?
Also, at closer examination, it appears that the larger roots I spoke of were actually grinded out completely right up to where
they go into the flower beds. At that point it looks like the root
was cut off but done unevenly because it was done with a grinder.
There are no half-grinded exposed roots left out in the yard.  Is that at all a better scenario as far as root rot & other diseases are concerned?  Also, what symptoms should I be on the lookout for if damage has occured to these trees?  Once more, we are in
south Mississippi.  Thank you.

Answer
Sounds like quite a bit of the root system was cut off. What the tree will show will be die back of foliage and branches next spring. The fertilizer will help a lot in encouraging root growth. The roots are located mainly within the area from the edge of the branch reach to about a couple of feet from the trunk. I would apply the fertilizer to the whole area under the branch spread--even the flower beds. This will increase the roots and help the overall health of the tree. Hopefully these are not annual flower beds so you will not need to dig in the soil to disturb additional roots for the tree.