Promoting healthy tree growth means creating a healthy soil system, and in many situations that starts with air spading. It’s is a process in which soil is removed from a tree’s root system, causing minimal damage to its roots. This is done through highly compressed air and a specialized tool with a supersonic nozzle. Pressurized air is directed into the ground, breaking and loosening up the soil, exposing the tree’s root system.
Air spading for compacted soil
We recommend air spading to trees that have a compacted root zone. Compacted soil has limited pore space, which can be detrimental to a tree’s health as this will result in limited water and air to the tree. Some trees can handle compaction better than others, but every tree will struggle in compacted conditions. Signs of a tree exhibiting compaction are a thinning in the canopy, small leaf size, chlorotic leaves or yellowing, early fall colour, and leaf drop.
Compaction can also lead to girdling roots, increased stress causing higher susceptibility to insect and disease infestation, and eventually death. It is no surprise that most trees in urban areas have compacted soil. High foot traffic, general lawn maintenance, construction projects, roads, sidewalks, pools, and driveways are just some of the leading factors to compacted soil.
Air spade excavation
Luckily, compaction can be mitigated with air spading. This is the best service we provide and recommend for trees in compacted soils. Excavations are highly effective and damage is little to none. Roots are not porous, having no negative effects from the excavation.
Once soil aeration is achieved and roots are exposed, the tree’s root system can be properly inspected and depending on the task at hand, any necessary actions can then take place. These actions include, root pruning, removal of girdling, diseased or dead roots, and soil remediation.
For backfill we use high rich compost mixed with the native soil on site. We then finish by adding mulch to the top layer to help retain water, control the weeds to avoid competition with the roots, and help prevent compaction from happening again.