Here are three suggestions to keep this from happening to your Mesquite: 1. When planting your small tree from a pot be sure to unravel the roots and trim off any roots that appear to be strangling the tree. The roots take the shape of the pot. If left that way when planted into the ground they continue to grow like a closed fist not offering a wide support base. 2. As the tree matures move the drip system further and further away to prevent the tree’s base from becoming muddy. The ground at the base of the tree should be dry. The roots will extend to the drip line to get the moisture they need. 3. Keep the tree Thinned throughout the canopy leaving a top, middle, and bottom canopy all evenly spaced. A properly Thinned tree is less of a wind sail. The tree in this photo was planted from a pot without straightening the roots. The drip system was never moved away from the base and the canopy was too thick.