#soil compaction

A lesson in soil compaction / why sand isn’t a good substrate for potted succulents.

I was running low on pumice so I mixed this with some old bagged cactus & succulent mix. WELP – most of the commercial mix went straight to the bottom and compacted into a wet mass!

Most sand is too fine to use as a potting medium. It will quickly clog up any air pockets or gaps (which are important for roots to breathe). And as you can see here, the roots that reached the sand at the bottom are covered in algae – the small particles retained too much water.

Every impressive building starts with something people rarely notice—the ground beneath it. Before concrete is poured or paving blocks are installed, the soil must be properly compacted to provide the stability needed for long-lasting construction.

Across the UAE, contractors depend on plate compactors to prepare roads, pathways, residential developments, and commercial sites. While many buyers begin by comparing the Plate Compactor Price UAE, experienced professionals understand that choosing the right equipment is about reliability, efficiency, and long-term performance.

Strong Compaction Creates Strong Structures

Loose soil can cause settlement, cracks, and costly repairs after construction is complete. Proper compaction removes air pockets, increases soil density, and creates a stable surface capable of supporting heavy loads.

A quality Plate Compactor UAE helps contractors achieve:

Uniform soil compaction

Better load-bearing capacity

Improved surface stability

Reduced future maintenance

Faster construction progress

These benefits make plate compactors essential equipment on almost every construction project.

Where Plate Compactors Are Used

Modern plate compactors are suitable for a wide variety of applications throughout the UAE.

Common uses include:

Residential villa construction

Interlocking paving

Driveways

Garden landscaping

Parking areas

Walkways

Commercial developments

Warehouse flooring

Road maintenance

Their versatility allows contractors to complete multiple types of projects using one dependable machine.

Factors That Influence Plate Compactor Price

The Plate Compactor Price UAE depends on several important factors.

Machine Size

Larger compactors provide higher productivity for wide working areas, while compact models are easier to transport and ideal for residential projects.

Compaction Force

Higher centrifugal force produces deeper compaction, making it suitable for demanding commercial applications.

Engine Quality

Reliable engines improve fuel efficiency and ensure consistent performance during long working hours.

Durability

Heavy-duty construction, reinforced steel plates, and premium vibration systems help extend equipment life while reducing maintenance requirements.

Selecting Equipment That Matches Your Project

Not every construction project requires the same equipment.

For landscaping, pathways, and villa developments, compact plate compactors offer excellent maneuverability and ease of use.

Commercial sites, industrial developments, and road construction generally require larger machines capable of compacting wider areas efficiently.

Choosing equipment based on actual project requirements improves productivity while controlling operating costs.

Work with a Reliable Supplier

Buying quality equipment is only part of the investment.

An experienced Plate Compactor Supplier UAE provides:

Product recommendations

Technical guidance

Genuine spare parts

Warranty support

Preventive maintenance

Responsive after-sales service

Reliable supplier support helps contractors keep equipment operating efficiently throughout its lifecycle.

Keep Your Equipment Performing

Routine maintenance improves reliability and extends equipment life.

Simple maintenance practices include:

Cleaning after each use

Inspecting the vibration plate

Checking engine oil

Tightening loose bolts

Lubricating moving components

Replacing worn parts when necessary

Preventive servicing reduces downtime and helps projects stay on schedule.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right Plate Compactor Price UAE means looking beyond the purchase cost. Contractors should consider equipment quality, performance, durability, and supplier support before making a decision.

We had a large addition put on the back of our house a few years ago. Two mature oaks in the backyard, one white oak that had to be close to 80 years old based on its size. I was worried about the trees from the start, but I had no idea how to actually make the contractor protect them beyond asking nicely.

The first conversation did not go well. The contractor walked the site, pointed at the bigger oak, and said they would try to stay away from it. That was the extent of the tree protection discussion.

I spent several evenings doing research. What I kept coming across was the concept of the critical root zone, which extends much further from the trunk than I had assumed. For a tree with a trunk diameter around 18 inches, the protected zone should extend nearly 18 feet in every direction. The planned access route for their equipment went right through it.

I also read enough about soil compaction to understand why it is so damaging even when it produces no immediate visible symptoms. The root system depends on pore spaces in the soil for gas exchange and water uptake. When equipment collapses those pores under its weight, the fine roots begin to die back. The process is invisible and delayed, which is exactly why so many property owners never connect their declining tree to a construction project that happened two years earlier.

What Actually Changed the Conversation

I contacted a local tree service in our area to ask whether they did any consulting or pre-construction assessment work. They did. An arborist came out, marked the critical root zones for both trees with flags, and explained the issue to the contractor directly in terms the contractor seemed to take more seriously coming from a professional.

More importantly, the arborist provided a written tree protection specification that we included in the construction contract. It spelled out where equipment could and could not go, what ground protection needed to be in place if the access path had to come near the root zone, and what the contractor was responsible for if tree damage occurred.

That piece of paper changed the dynamic completely. Before, it was a homeowner asking for a favor. After, it was a contractual requirement with clear language about accountability. The site foreman and the arborist walked the property together and agreed on the boundaries in writing. That walk-through produced a site map that became part of the project file.

The Ground Protection Question

The access route for their equipment still came through an area inside the outer third of the white oak's root zone. There was no practical way to reroute it without adding significant cost to the project. The arborist recommended using crane mats, which are thick plywood panels that distribute the weight of equipment over a larger surface area rather than concentrating it at wheel or track contact points.

We rented the mats. The contractor placed them on the ground before any equipment moved through that area. They also agreed to remove the mats and move them forward rather than leaving them in place the entire time, which prevents the same section of soil from being repeatedly loaded.

Was this a perfect solution? No. Did it substantially reduce compaction compared to driving directly on the soil? Yes, according to the arborist. Most people assume the choice is either route completely around the trees or damage them. There is a middle option for situations where complete avoidance is not realistic. Ground protection materials, monitored and moved appropriately, reduce the impact of unavoidable access through the root zone.

What We Watched for Afterward

The arborist explained that the first two growing seasons were the critical observation window. Compaction damage does not show up immediately in the canopy. Year one looked completely fine. Year two, the larger white oak showed no issues at all. The smaller oak had slightly thinner canopy than we remembered, which concerned us enough to call the arborist back for a second look. The assessment concluded it was within normal variation for the dry summer that year.

Now three years out, both trees appear healthy. Having the documented baseline from the arborist's pre-construction visit gives us something concrete to compare against if anything changes.

The Follow-Up Soil Treatment

About a year after construction wrapped, the arborist recommended a preventive soil aeration treatment for both trees. The idea was not that they were showing symptoms, but that the root zone had experienced some disturbance even with the protections in place, and supporting soil conditions during the recovery period was worthwhile.

The treatment involved drilling small holes in a grid pattern throughout the root zone and filling them with compost and expanded shale, a technique called vertical mulching. The goal is to create passages for air and water movement through the soil, which supports fine root growth and microbial activity. The arborist was clear that this was a supportive measure rather than a repair for damage that had already occurred.

We went ahead with it for both trees. By the following spring, the thin canopy concern on the smaller oak had resolved. The arborist's advice throughout was measured and honest about what could and could not be promised.

Advice for Homeowners Planning Construction

If you are planning any significant construction project near mature trees, the most useful thing you can do is call an arborist before you finalize your contractor selection. Some contractors are more experienced with tree protection than others, and an arborist can help you evaluate whether a contractor's site plan creates unacceptable risk for your trees before you sign anything.

A written tree protection plan included in the construction contract costs relatively little compared to the total project. It creates accountability and gives you documentation that matters if something goes wrong. And it gives the contractor and crew a clear, professional standard to work to rather than an informal request that is easy to deprioritize when schedules get tight.

A few things I would do differently in retrospect. I would have taken pre-construction baseline photos of both trees, including canopy shots from all four sides, before any work started. I did take some photos during the project, but a thorough baseline record from two weeks before ground-breaking would have been much more useful than what I had. I would also have been more specific in the contract language about what would happen if the contractor violated the tree protection specification, because vague accountability language is less useful than specific remedies.

For resources on soil compaction and construction impacts, the Rutgers NJ Agricultural Experiment Station has published guidance specific to New Jersey conditions. The International Society of Arboriculture has a homeowner resource site and a directory of certified arborists.

When my neighbor started a major addition last fall, I paid attention in a way I hadn't during previous nearby projects. I'd read enough about soil compaction and tree roots by then to know that the stuff you don't see underground matters as much as what happens above the surface. I wasn't an expert, but I'd talked to enough arborists over the years to have a basic framework for what to watch for.

This is what I actually did, what I learned from it, and what I'd tell anyone in the same situation in our part of Monmouth County.

Step One: Understand Where the Root Zone Actually Extends

Before I could do anything useful, I needed to understand where my trees' roots actually extended. The canopy drip line, the outer reach of the branches, is a rough guide, but it's often too conservative. Fine roots typically extend well beyond the drip line, especially in mature trees that have had decades to establish.

The number I found most useful as a starting estimate: the critical root zone radius is roughly 12 times the trunk diameter in inches, measured at about chest height. My larger oak has a trunk diameter of about 22 inches, which puts its critical root zone radius at around 22 feet. Looking at the construction site next door, equipment was operating at what I'd estimate as 15 feet from the trunk at its closest point. Not great.

That calculation doesn't tell you what actually happened to the roots. It tells you that the calculation is worth doing before you have a specific problem rather than after.

Step Two: Talk to the Contractor Before Work Starts

I had a conversation with my neighbor's contractor before the project was framed, not during it. The conversation wasn't confrontational. It was: "Here's where my trees are, here's roughly how far the root zones extend, and here's what I'm concerned about." I pointed to the areas I wanted them to avoid with staging materials and asked where they expected to run vehicle traffic.

The contractor was actually more receptive to this conversation than I expected. He didn't know what a critical root zone was, but once I explained the concept, he moved his planned material staging area about 12 feet further from the property line than he'd originally intended. That conversation cost me 20 minutes.

If you can get specific protection requirements into your neighbor's permit conditions, that's even better. In some cases Middletown Township and other Monmouth County municipalities have provisions about tree protection during permitted construction that you can ask the building department about. The Middletown Township website and the building department can tell you what your particular municipality requires or allows.

Step Three: Apply Mulch on Your Side of the Property Line

Whatever you can do on your own property to protect the portion of the root zone within your control matters. Once the construction was underway, I applied about four inches of wood chip mulch across the full root zone of my trees on my side of the property line. This reduces compaction from foot traffic and rain impact, moderates moisture, and begins helping the biological community in the soil recover.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension has published guidance on mulching around trees that I referred to for depth, placement, and what materials to use. The key details: don't pile mulch against the trunk, keep it 6 to 8 inches back from the base, and use wood chips from a wood chipper rather than dyed decorative mulch, which doesn't break down in the same useful way.

Step Four: Watch for Early Stress Signals the Following Season

The first growing season after construction usually looks normal. That's expected. Compaction damage doesn't show in the canopy right away because the tree is drawing on stored energy reserves that take time to deplete. By the second or third growing season, early signals start to appear if root damage is significant.

What I watched for: leaves coming in slightly smaller than the prior year, canopy density that seemed a touch thinner, and shoot extension that looked shorter than normal for that particular tree. None of these things told me definitively that there was compaction damage. They told me it was time to escalate from observing to having a professional take a look.

Photo by Israel Piña on Pexels

Getting an Arborist Involved at the Right Time

I contacted local arborists in Middletown in the spring of the season following the construction, before I had any visible canopy symptoms, to do a soil probe assessment of the root zone. A soil probe tells you whether compaction has occurred in specific areas and gives you a baseline to compare against in future seasons.

That assessment turned out to be reassuring in my case: the compaction was mild and limited to the very edge of the root zone rather than extending deeply into it. But I wouldn't have known that without having someone check. And if the result had been worse, having the evaluation done early gave us the option to start remediation while the tree's reserves were still intact.

If you have construction happening near significant trees on or adjacent to your property, the single most useful thing I can recommend is a pre- or early-post-construction arborist evaluation. Not because something is necessarily wrong, but because the evaluation either confirms there's nothing serious to address, or catches a problem at the stage when intervention is still most effective.

Step Five: Think About the Tree in Year Three, Not Just Year One

One thing I keep coming back to is that the success of everything described above depends on maintaining the longer view. The payoff for the conversations and the mulching and the arborist call isn't visible in the first growing season. The first growing season usually looks fine regardless. The payoff is a tree that is still standing and healthy in year three and five, rather than one that starts a slow decline precisely because the right questions got asked and the right steps were taken early.

That extended timeline is honestly the hardest part to hold onto, because there's no obvious reward in year one for the effort you put in before construction started. But the alternative, watching a large tree that has been in a yard for 50 years go into a decline you could have prevented, has a permanence to it that motivates me to pay attention at the beginning of each project now rather than the end.

A Note on Community Resources

If you're not sure where to start in terms of understanding what protection is warranted or what you might be entitled to ask for during neighboring construction, there are some useful non-contractor resources. Rutgers Cooperative Extension covers tree care in the context of New Jersey conditions specifically. The NJ DEP has urban forestry resources. And Hufnagel Tree is another local arborist operation in the area that covers the kinds of assessments described above if you want more than one perspective.

The pattern of construction damage to older neighborhood trees in Monmouth County is real and well documented. It doesn't have to be accepted as inevitable if the right questions get asked early enough.

Something I've been noticing in my neighborhood over the past few years: the older trees are disappearing. Not all at once, not dramatically - just a decline here, a removal there, and a stump left where a 60-year oak used to stand. When I started asking around and doing a little reading, the pattern kept pointing back to the same thing: construction activity, and what it does to the soil around trees that have been in the ground for decades.

I'm not an arborist. But I have been paying attention, and the connection between the construction boom in parts of Monmouth County and the declining trees in the same neighborhoods feels hard to dismiss once you understand what's actually happening under the surface.

What Compaction Actually Is

Soil around tree roots is not just dirt - it's a complex, living system with air-filled pore spaces that roots need to grow into and extract oxygen from. When heavy equipment parks on that soil, or drives across it repeatedly, or when soil is staged on it for weeks during a renovation, those pores get crushed down. The soil becomes dense and airless.

Roots can't grow into compacted soil properly. They can't get the oxygen they need. Water doesn't move through it normally, so the root zone ends up with the strange combination of flooding when it rains and drying out fast when it doesn't. The biology that keeps soil healthy - all the earthworms and microorganisms - starts to collapse because it also needs oxygen to survive.

The insidious part is that trees don't show the damage right away. A large, established tree has enough stored energy to look fine for one, two, sometimes three growing seasons after its root zone has been seriously damaged. Then the reserves run out and the canopy starts thinning, branches die back, and the tree enters a slow decline that's hard to reverse.

Photo by Alanur Ö. on Pexels

The Pattern in Monmouth County Neighborhoods

Monmouth County has seen significant renovation and construction activity over the past decade - additions, garage expansions, driveway work, new construction on infill lots, utility work. The housing stock in a lot of neighborhoods dates back 40 to 60 years, and the trees that went in with the original development are now large, mature specimens with correspondingly large root zones.

The problem is that contractors and homeowners both tend to underestimate how far those root zones extend. A tree whose trunk is 20 inches in diameter has a critical root zone that extends roughly 20 feet in every direction from the trunk. A renovation that looks like it's keeping equipment well away from the tree might actually be running machinery through the middle of the root zone without anyone realizing it.

The clay-heavy soils common in central Monmouth County make the situation worse. Clay compacts more readily under weight than sandier soils do, and once compacted it doesn't recover on its own. The same construction project that might leave lighter, sandier soil mostly recoverable can leave clay soil in a condition that restricts root function for years.

Why You Don't Notice Until It's Too Late

Part of why this problem is so hard to address is the timeline. Construction finishes in September, and the tree looks completely fine the following spring. Nobody connects the two. The connection only becomes possible if you already know that construction compaction typically takes two to three years before the symptoms appear in the canopy.

During those quiet years, the root system is actually losing function. Fine roots die off in compacted zones because they can't get oxygen. The tree draws on its stored energy reserves to compensate, maintaining normal canopy function for longer than you'd expect. By the time leaves start coming in smaller, canopy density starts to drop, or branches start dying back, the decline has been underway for years.

This delayed pattern is well documented. It's one of the reasons the connection to construction is so rarely made - by the time a tree is visibly struggling, the renovation that caused the problem feels like ancient history. The tree's current condition and the construction site from three years ago don't feel connected, but often they are.

Knowing the timeline is the first step to acting on it in time. If you've had construction near a tree recently and notice even subtle changes in leaf size or canopy density in the second or third season afterward, that's worth investigating before the decline becomes irreversible.

What Residents Can Do Before Construction Starts

The most useful thing any homeowner can do before a renovation or construction project is hire an arborist to document the root zones of nearby trees and write tree protection requirements into the contractor agreement. This sounds formal, but it doesn't have to be expensive. The conversation is: "Here are the trees I care about, here is how far their root zones extend, and I need you to tell me where equipment and materials will actually be during this project."

Getting that conversation in writing, with specific dimensions, is what separates homeowners who keep their trees through a renovation from homeowners who discover the damage two years later. Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station has published guidance on tree protection during construction that covers the basics of root zone identification and what kinds of protection measures actually work.

Once construction begins, checking that protection fencing hasn't been moved or ignored is a daily job. Contractors cut corners under schedule pressure. The tree protection zone is usually the first casualty.

Resources in the Monmouth County Area

If you're concerned about a tree that's been declining after nearby construction, or you're planning a project and want to understand the risk to your trees before you sign a contract, there are local arborists who specialize in exactly this kind of evaluation.

Hufnagel Tree and local tree care in Middletown are both local operations familiar with the soil conditions and tree species common in this area. Either one can assess whether compaction is likely the cause of a tree's decline and tell you what options remain for recovery.

For more general background on construction impacts on urban and suburban trees, NJ DEP urban forestry resources and the ISA's public education materials are worth reading. The more homeowners understand about how construction affects their trees before signing a contract, the more trees in Monmouth County neighborhoods will still be standing in 20 years.

Why This Matters Beyond Individual Properties

Mature trees do more than look nice. They provide cooling shade that meaningfully reduces summer temperatures in the neighborhoods directly around them. They intercept rainfall before it becomes runoff. They're habitat. They're what makes a 50-year-old neighborhood feel different from a new development.

Losing them to preventable construction compaction damage isn't inevitable. The damage doesn't happen because contractors are careless by nature - it happens because the protection measures aren't specified, the root zone dimensions aren't communicated, and the connection between construction activity and tree decline is invisible to everyone involved until it's too late to fix.

The pattern is worth being aware of, especially in neighborhoods where significant renovation activity is happening near older trees.

Farming, the lifeblood of our society, faces the challenge of feeding a growing population while minimizing environmental impact. Innovation is key, and the CEAT Specialty Farmax R85 tractor tyre is a prime example. Let's explore how this revolutionary tyre transforms farming practices and paves the way for success.

Preserving Our Most Valuable Asset: Soil

Healthy soil is the foundation of successful farming. However, heavy machinery can compact soil, hindering air and water flow and harming plant growth. The Farmax R85's innovative rounded shoulder design tackles this issue head-on. Unlike traditional sharp-shouldered tyres that dig into the soil, the Farmax R85 distributes weight more evenly, minimizing compaction and preserving the soil's natural structure.

Protecting Crops, Maximizing Yields

Crop damage during operations is a major concern. Traditional tyres can snag and damage crops while turning, leading to yield loss. The Farmax R85's rounded shoulders glide smoothly over crops, minimizing damage and protecting your valuable yield. This translates to less replanting and higher overall productivity.

Sustainable Farming for a Brighter Future

By minimizing soil compaction and crop damage, the Farmax R85 promotes sustainable farming practices. This benefits farmers through increased efficiency and profitability and ensures long-term soil health for future generations. Reduced compaction also helps maintain essential soil ecosystems, creating a healthier environment.

The Farmax R85: Your Ally in Modern Agriculture

As the agricultural landscape transforms, the need for innovative solutions becomes paramount. The CEAT Specialty Farmax R85 tractor tyre rises to this challenge, offering farmers a powerful tool to achieve their goals. Let's delve deeper into how the Farmax R85 empowers you on your journey towards:

Enhanced Efficiency

Reduced Downtime: The Farmax R85's robust construction minimizes the risk of punctures and damage, keeping you working uninterrupted throughout the season. This translates to less downtime on repairs and replacements, allowing you to maximize your operational hours.

Fuel Savings: The optimized tread pattern of the Farmax R85 reduces rolling resistance, meaning your tractor uses less fuel to achieve the same tasks. This translates to significant cost savings over time and a smaller environmental footprint.

Seamless Multitasking: The Farmax R85 excels on diverse terrains, eliminating the need for specialized tyres for different conditions. This allows you to transition between tasks efficiently without wasting time changing tyres.

2. Unwavering Commitment to Sustainability

Preserving Soil Health: Traditional tractor tyres can compact soil, hindering vital air and water flow. The Farmax R85's innovative rounded shoulder design distributes weight more evenly, minimizing compaction and promoting healthy soil structure. This creates a thriving environment for plant growth and ensures long-term soil health for future generations.

Reduced Environmental Impact: By minimizing soil compaction, the Farmax R85 contributes to sustainable farming practices. This helps maintain healthy soil ecosystems and reduces the environmental impact of your operations.

3. Maximized Yields for a Bountiful Harvest

Superior Traction: The Farmax R85 boasts an aggressive tread pattern that provides exceptional grip in various weather conditions. This ensures your tractor maintains optimal traction, allowing you to work efficiently in mud, wet fields, or even on slopes.

Reduced Crop Damage: The Farmax R85's smooth, rounded shoulders glide over crops, minimizing damage during turns. This translates to fewer losses and a maximized harvest, ultimately leading to higher profitability.

Timely Operations: The Farmax R85 allows efficient and uninterrupted field work, ensuring timely planting, cultivating, and harvesting. This contributes to increased crop yields and a successful season.

Is soil compaction depriving your tree of life-giving water and nutrients? By taking action to reverse and prevent soil compaction, your trees, plants, and grass can benefit from continued growth and thrive.

thetreecareguide.com gathered information on what soil compaction is, how to reverse soil compaction, what causes it, and how to prevent it.

What is Compacted Soil

Compacted soil is soil that has been compressed and has lost its porosity due to erosion or surface pressure. Compacted soil has a reduced capacity to absorb water, and even less ability to drain water.

For trees, shrubs, and other plant life, soil compaction hinders their roots from transporting water and nutrients, leaving them in declining health and contributing to their eventual death.

Soil compaction is not limited to farms with heavy equipment. This condition can occur in parks, playgrounds, gardens, yards, and any place where there is soil.

Read more about how your soil quality impacts tree health at thetreecareguide.com/tree-soil-how-soil-impacts-the-health-of-your-trees/

How To Reverse Compacted Soil

Reversing compacted soil can be accomplished by first halting any foot or vehicle traffic over the compacted area. The following steps will help you continue to reverse soil compaction:

1. Using a shovel (use a spade or a pickaxe if you are working around tree roots), break up the top three to six inches of soil. 2. Mix organic matter into the soil (use a ratio of 1 to 1). This may seem like a lot, but it is necessary to develop the porosity required to reverse compaction. 3. Provide weekly deep waterings to the area to encourage deep root growth (this also delivers the added organic material deeper into the soil). 4. Add earthworms to your newly mixed soil to boost the soil organism community. 5. Plant grass or a cover crop “green manure” like alfalfa or clover to prevent erosion or damage from the sun.

If you are trying to reverse or prevent soil compaction on a farm or open land, read this ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/60100500/csr/researchpubs/raper/raper_06d.pdf

The addition of sand is a common fix for compacted clay soil. However, you may end up annihilating soil structure completely if the sand and clay are compatible enough to develop cementing conditions.

Tip: When working around tree roots, those roots must be protected from injury. Wounded roots can attract disease and insect infestation, adding to the stress caused by soil compaction.

Note: If your tree has been affected by soil compaction (wilting, early leaf drop, reduced leaf size, etc.), call a professional tree service to evaluate the tree. In severe cases, the tree may have to be removed to prevent the sudden toppling of the tree or branches falling to the ground.

What Causes Compacted Soil

Compacted soil may result from either natural or man-made causes. The following are some of the many potential causes of soil compaction:

• Vehicle Traffic • Vehicle/Machinery Storage • Construction Supply Storage • Constant Foot Traffic • Tillage • Rain (Soil Crusting) • Topsoil Erosion

The more compacted your soil becomes, the less plant life can take root. Consequently, as the life is squeezed out of surrounding vegetation, soil compaction may appear to spread.

Uncover more information about how tree roots grow by visiting thetreecareguide.com/tree-health-how-roots-grow/

How To Prevent Compacted Soil

Prevent structure degradation and soil compaction in your yard and around your trees by taking the following measures:

• Add organic material to your soil twice per year • Mulch your trees and shrubs with a three to six-inch layer of organic mulch year-round • Stop erosion by installing barriers or planting shrubs, plants, and grass • Water your yard to keep it moist (not flooded) with occasional deep waterings to encourage deep root growth • Avoid working and tillage of wet soil. In fact, avoid tillage altogether. • Install walk/pathways to avoid foot traffic on the soil • Do not use areas of your yard or around trees for equipment storage (use the garage, patio, or install a shed for that purpose)

Read more about improving soil quality at thetreecareguide.com/steps-for-sampling-improving-soil/

Fixing Soil Compaction

In this article, you discovered the definition, causes, treatments, and preventative measures of soil compaction.

By taking action to reverse and prevent soil compaction, you are providing your trees, shrubs, and plants with nutrient-rich soil to grow deep and healthy roots.

Your inaction to reverse compacted soil can add immeasurable stress to your trees and plants. The inability for them to transport water and nutrients will ultimately contribute to their decline and eventual death.

Sources:

stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/Alleviating_compaction_from_construction_activities ecolandscaping.org/01/developing-healthy-landscapes/soil/dealing-with-soil-compaction/ canr.msu.edu/news/what_to_do_about_compacted_soil landscapeforlife.org/soil/restore-compacted-soils/