 But if you do it yourself, just use a hard tool, a hoary knife or a trowel or something. Rough the soil up carefully and slowly so you don't injure the flare. Rough the soil up and then sweep it away with a broom or blow it away with a blower. Either one. You keep going down a little at a time until you have the flare nicely exposed all the way around. And then you do the rest of the sick tree treatment.