There’s something so gratifying about watering our trees every week and watching the soil soak it up. Moreover, it’s one of the best ways you can give your trees a little lovin’. As you see the water disappearing, you don’t know what’s going on under the surface. Trees usually suffer from a standard issue skulking underground that’s hard to see, and that problem is compacted soil. So, how do you repair compacted soil around your trees?
Discover a few antidotes for how to repair compacted soil around trees to aid your trees now and make it simpler to plant new trees as well. First things first, test your soil for indications. You can call an Orchard Park tree service company to do it for you. Or, you can do the test yourself.
Why is Compacted Soil a Problem Around Trees and Plants?
If you have heavy equipment like a lawnmower or you’re walking over the ground near your tree, the weight pushes soil particles closer together. This is how the soil gets compacted.
Working the soil around a tree
Compacted soil makes it hard for…
- Water to get through to the tree roots, creating dehydration and runoff.
- Roots to receive any nutrients, creating slow growth.
- The tree to flourish due to limited airflow and lack of water.
Does my Tree has Compacted Soil?
If your tree appears to be battling and isn’t thriving much, search for these symptoms of soil compaction. Then, get a test! All that is required is a screwdriver. When compacted, it’s hard to push the screwdriver deep down. Or, slice out a piece of soil to get a peek. If your soil is compacted, it will look dry, dull, and grayish.
I Want to Plant a Tree in Compacted Soil. Is That Cool?
Don’t plant a new tree until you fix the soil issue. Putting new plants into ill soil will set them up for a weak and slow start.
How can I Recondition my Compacted Soil?
If the problem is small, put compost into the top inches of soil to include some nutrients. Then, make a mulch ring around the tree. Hopefully, this will stop lawn mowers and walkers from compacting the soil again.
Another way to deal with compacted soil? Earthworms! Since they love mulch, they might even assemble there naturally! Worms eat through compacted soil, aiding in restoring a healthy flow of water and air.
Recent Comments