There's nothing around the base. I dug a hole twice as wide and the same depth as the rootball and planted it. Only root impact I could see is that my soil has a pretty but clay content. it was loose around the tree when planted but has firmed up pretty good in the last 6 months.Lay off the fertilizer. Don't prune the dead stuff until after Thanksgiving, or not at all. You might be out of the woods, or not. If tangled roots are an issue there's nothing you can do until the next stressful spell puts in back in decline. If the roots have taken hold and are NOT strangling each other you should have clear sailing. The picture doesn't show, but I'd prefer no sod within 3' of the trunk and no mulch touching the trunk.
any cure for tangled roots? I did give it a dose or two of root stimulator when I planted it ... should I try that again?