Can I safely cut an invasive surface root from a mango tree?

Question

I have a beautiful 20 year old Mango tree that has a couple of surface roots which are lifting a walkway. I’d like to sever the two roots that are about 10’ from the base of the tree (3-4” in diameter) and repair the walkway, but not if it will kill the tree

Answer 1

This is potentially harmful, since these are anchor roots. The roots that extend into the ground are not this thick.

Cutting these will leave the tree unstable, and very prone to infection. I do not recommend doing this, or if you must do this, then the tree will likely suffer, or die completely.