What To Do To Repair A Yard With Hard Compacted Soil And Tree Roots On The Surface

Soil compaction is a major cause of tree decline in urban areas. Compaction occurs when a force, such every bit feet, vehicles, and even water from some sprinkler systems, creates pressure on the soil surface and compresses the soil particles. This forcefulness causes the soil aggregates to break into smaller particles, reducing the amount of pore infinite in the soil and increasing the bulk density. The reduced pore space hinders aeration, water infiltration, and root penetration. A lack of soil oxygen and poor h2o drainage retard root growth, jeopardizing the health of the tree.

The post-obit are some common signs of compaction.

• Difficult soil — If information technology is difficult to penetrate with a shovel, the soil is probably compacted. Earlier cultivation may have produced a layer of difficult soil 10-12 inches beneath the surface.
• Standing water — H2o standing on elevation of soil for long time may indicate compaction.
• Excessive water runoff — This is a sign that the soil is saturated, there is low permeability or picayune movement of water through the soil.
• Loss of vegetation or poor institute growth — Compacted soil does not allow the necessary air circulation and water infiltration into the root zone. A lack of sufficient water, nutrients, and oxygen to the roots causes failing tree health or death.
• Majority density — A high soil bulk density usually indicates compaction. The reduced pore infinite limits water infiltration, aeration, and root growth.
• Surface crust — Development of a surface crust sometimes occurs with the compaction of fine-textured soils. This chaff limits the infiltration of air and h2o to the soil and increases runoff and erosion. Surface crusts are normally found on soils subject to heavy foot traffic, such as playgrounds and footpaths.

Prevention During Construction Activities

Photograph Credit: Ed Macie

• Avoid working with wet soils — Always work with dry or moist soils, never with moisture soils.
• Limit travel routes and parking areas — Limit travel by both people and vehicles to a few paths, and do not park vehicles under trees. For pedestrian traffic, a raised wooden path can prevent compaction. Vibrations from construction equipment can meaty the soil.
• Utilise barriers — Place barriers, such every bit fencing, around trees (minimum around the baste line) that you wish to maintain at the site.
• Use mulch — Spread a layer, 4-6 inches thick, of fibroid mulch, such as wood chips or bark, on soil surface in the area likely to exist compacted. The mulch should non bear on the tree body. A thicker layer of mulch (up to 12 inches) can be used temporarily during construction in areas effectually the root zone.
• Location of roads and driveways — Roads and driveways should exist located equally far from trees as possible.
• Employ lightweight vehicles — Attempt to employ but lightweight vehicles with large, smooth, low-pressure tires.
• Apply surface grading — Place grates or other artificial surfaces (plywood) over the planting site to preclude people from walking or driving on it.

Solving Compaction Issues

Compaction is difficult to right; however, there are several techniques that may help solve compaction problems. The best option depends upon the conditions at the site, whether this is a new planting or an existing tree, and the available resources.

On New Sites:

• Soil mixing — Compacted soil can be mixed with compost or a fully composted organic mulch to meliorate the soil quality, only upward to 50 per centum volume of soil is needed to make this technique useful.
• Rototilling or grading — For a new planting site, the compacted layer of soil may be rototilled, disked, or graded to promote water infiltration.
• Subsoiling or drilling hardpan — If there is a compacted layer of soil one or 2 feet below the surface, subsoiling or deep plowing with a plow or backhoe when the soil is dry may break up this impermeable layer. If subsoiling is impractical, holes can be drilled through the hardpan to provide drainage and meliorate root penetration (Harris et al. 2003). If at that place are existing copse near the site, care must be taken not to damage the roots.
• Top mulching — In both new and existing plantings, the organic content of soils tin exist increased by calculation mulch on superlative of the soil. However, organic material takes many years to break down and combine effectively with the soil.

On Existing Sites:

• Core aeration — Pore space in compacted soil may be increased past removing modest soil cores to a depth of most 3 inches. This is constructive in increasing surface permeability, but does not address compaction in deeper soil layers.
• Vertical mulching — Holes ane – 2 inches in diameter may be drilled in the compacted soil and filled with perilite, vermiculite, or other amendment material.
• Radial trenching — Trenches half-dozen – 8 inches wide and no deeper than the root system or depth of compaction tin can be dug with trenching equipment. The trenches are dug around the trunk of an existing tree in a cycle spoke pattern, extending from the torso and backfilled with a mixture of soil and amendments.
• Air excavation — Alternating pie-shaped wedges of soil effectually an existing tree can be decompacted past "tilling" compost into surface soil effectually roots with an air excavation tool. Air digging can damage roots if high pressures are used, then soil should be decompacted in no more than l percentage of the root arrangement at a time.

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Past:  Ed Macie, Regional Urban Forester, USFS Southern Region

Source: https://trees-energy-conservation.extension.org/how-to-correct-soil-compaction/

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