Trees are not only good for the environment; they also add to your home or business’s curb appeal and increase property value. That’s why it’s crucial to keep your trees as healthy as possible. Unhealthy trees are an eyesore – and a hazard. One of the best ways to ensure your trees stay healthy is decompacting the soil around the roots with a process called air spading.
What is Air Spading?
Often after many years, the ground around a tree will become compacted and unable to deliver the needed water, nutrients and oxygen to the roots. The tree’s health suffers as a consequence.
Air spading is a specialized process of breaking up hardened and compacted soil. At Treemasters we use a specialized method of air spading using a machine called a Grow Gun. The Grow Gun is inserted in the soil and uses compressed air to shoot out small ceramic balls, aerating and breaking up the compressed, hardened soil and creating channels for air and water to get to the roots of the tree.
Benefits of Air Spading
When the soil around a tree is compacted, tree roots fail to receive adequate nutrients, water, and oxygen from the earth. This restricts growth and can even kill the tree. Some benefits of air spading include:
- Water Management: When the soil around a tree is compacted, water either cannot penetrate the ground to get to the roots or cannot drain properly, causing the roots to sit in water and rot.
- Increased Oxygen: In addition to water, oxygen is unable to reach the tree’s roots once the soil has compacted. Oxygen is as essential as water is when it comes to tree health.
- Healthier Roots: Roots are the foundation of a tree, providing nutrients and keeping trees rooted to the ground. When the soil around the roots has hardened, the roots may not be able to penetrate the soil to stretch out and grow.
- Less Damaging: Traditional methods of soil aeration uses tools like picks and shovels which can damage the tree’s roots and surrounding plants.
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Does Your Soil Need Decompacting?
Catching signs of soil compaction early will keep your trees and surrounding plants healthy. The following signs are indicators that your soil is compacted and may need air spading:
- Pooling water
- Water not absorbing into the ground
- Patchy grass
- Clay-like soil
- Cannot penetrate the ground with a screwdriver
Better Tree Care with Air Spading
At Treemasters, our top priority is keeping your trees thriving, which is why we offer a wide range of tree services. Air spading is one valuable tool that helps us accomplish that. From soil aeration to tree removal and everything in between, our highly trained team will be able to address your tree issues quickly and safely while using environmentally friendly practices. If the soil around your trees is showing signs of soil compaction, give Treemasters – Marin County’s tree and soil experts, a call today!
Air Spading in San Rafael and the North Bay Area
Serving Marin and Sonoma County