Soil Decompaction

What is Soil Compaction?

Soil Compaction is a concern because it can adversely affect plant growth. The compaction of soil macro and micro pores (air spaces) restricts root movement, water percolation, drainage and air circulation - often resulting in roots being unable to take up sufficient water or nutrients from the soil.  The result is a reduction in plant growth and viability, particularly during periods of drought.

A vast majority of tree health problems begin in the roots. So the challenge  is, the roots are the part of the tree that cannot be seen (in case you didn’t know that). What is an arborist to do?  If proper diagnosis necessitates a peek at a trees root system, and  unearthing the roots will cause unmerited damage to the trees roots.

Not to worry… Arbor Operations has just the thing to address this issue… The Air Spade. This tool has become such a benefit to our tree care operations here at Arbor Operations.

We were called in to care for a mature tree that was located within a new construction project. The soil around the root zone of the tree was severely compacted from heavy traffic and construction machinery. The trouble with some trees is their intolerance for soil compaction. No problem, right? Just aerate the soil… but how?

Of coarse the old fashioned rototiller would do the trick and fluff that soil up right away. The only problem is that this would chop the roots of this beautiful tree into a useless mess. This is where the Air Spade is invaluable.

With it’s non-invasive action, we were able to fluff up the soil and add some organic material into the topsoil without damaging even the smallest root hairs.