TREATING SOIL COMPACTION NEAR TREES

As well as caring for trees above ground, we also have a team of rooting environment specialists to deal with the the effects of compacted soil causing root suffocation and decreased water permeability.

The application to both private residential trees and lawns, and commercial sports surfaces such as golf courses, football pitches and bowling greens, offers a cost effective way of dealing with water-logging and ill-health in trees.

80% of all tree problems can be attributed to the surrounding soil

Tree roots need air too. For root growth, an ‘ideal’ soil should be as much as 50% air and water, present as many tiny ‘pores’ throughout the soil structure. When a soil becomes compacted, the pores of air and water naturally present are squeezed out.

Consequently, soil oxygen levels fall dramatically, root activity is quickly diminished and can lead to visible stress symptoms such as stunted leaves, crown die back and potential attack by pests and diseases due to weakened defences.

Most issues however, are present long before they are visible. This is where our Arborcheck system can be used to detect early signs of stress and dysfunction.

The root of the problem

Significant changes in soil structure can quickly lead to reduced nutrient availability and the loss of beneficial mycorrhizal fungi, which help trees to find water and uptake nutrients. Natural decompaction of soil can take many years, and severely compacted soil may never recover naturally.

Compaction is the most prevalent cause of soil related tree problems, and yet is easily overlooked and even more easily caused. In fact, a human walking across the ground exerts a similar pressure on a point of soil to a loaded 3-ton dumper truck! Occasionally soil can withstand this, but it doesn’t take much more to cause damage. When a soil is wet, compaction occurs even more readily.

Healthy soil means healthy trees

As well as effectively loosening compacted soil, the Vogt GeoTech Injector can also administer granular or liquid biostimulants such as phosphites, chitin and Biochar directly into the root system of the tree at the same time. This combined approach aims to kick-start long term soil health by providing vital nutrients as well as habitat for beneficial fungi and soil bacteria to thrive sustainably in a newly created environment.

Carbon Gold enriched Biochar is charcoal used as a soil amendment. Biochar is a stable solid, rich in carbon, and can endure in soil for thousands of years. Like most charcoal, biochar is made from biomass via pyrolysis. It is unique in that it is made from FSC® compliant, sustainably sourced, untreated woody biomass.

Every batch is subject to rigorous chemical analysis to meet International Biochar Institute standards and conforms to EU regulations for PCB, PAH and other toxicants, and the soil and substrate additives are certified for organic production by the UK's Soil Association, Skal and Demeter.

When you care for trees, they care for you

The results can usually be seen as early as the next growing season. Expect thicker, greener leaves, increased crown density and reduced incidence of pest attack due to a boosted defence system and improved air and nutrient availability. At the very least, before and after tests with our Arborcheck system can show a tangible decrease in stress levels and an increase in photosynthetic efficiency.

Healthy trees capture more sunlight, uptake and lock away more carbon, capture more pollutants due to an increased leaf area and can reduce reactive maintenance costs in the long run, and most importantly healthy trees can secure their own future and the many benefits they bring.

Whether you have a single specimen tree which is looking sickly, or a large collection threatened by compaction, contact our experts today to discuss your requirements.