Got soil compaction problems? We’ve got the solution!

Soil compaction – it’s unfortunately a common problem in urban soils, and can lead to some undesirable outcomes. But never fear, we have the perfect solution – read on to find out more.

What is soil compaction?

Good soil structure is important for healthy soil, as it allows for water, gases, nutrients and roots to move through the soil. Good soil facilitates healthy and effective plant growth – something that’s extremely important for farmers and gardeners alike. Soil needs to be well-structured and loose in order to provide the right conditions for good growth, and it causes all kinds of issues when it’s not.

This is called soil compaction.

Soil compaction occurs when the space between soil particles is reduced, causing the particles to press together and increase in density. Compacted soil becomes hard, difficult to dig through or break up, and often forms large dense clods. It’s much harder for water to infiltrate compacted soil, as well as to drain away from it. Obviously, this is not ideal for plant health, and also changes the soil properties – physical, chemical and biological – in negative ways.

Signs of soil compaction include:

• Bare dirt areas where nothing (not even weeds) can grow
• Heavy clay soil
• Water pooling in low areas of a lawn, or quickly flowing away from high areas
• Patchy, thin grass
• Hard soil that can’t be easily pierced
• Trees with shallow roots, as they find it hard to penetrate compacted soil
• Clods in the soil that resist breaking down
• Uneven plant growth
• Declining trees

Soil compaction can lead to:

• Reduction in water entering the soil
• Increased surface runoff, leading to erosion
• Poor root growth
• Poor seed germination
• Difficulties with soil cultivation
• Decline in structural stability
• Decline in fertiliser efficiency

What causes this problem?

Soil compaction usually occurs when excessive weight is put on the soil, as this compresses the soil particles into a closer-packed arrangement with a decrease in pore volume between particles. This problem can be caused by a wide range of factors, including:

• Compression – packing together of soil particles – from wheels, hooves and heavy traffic
• Increasing loads on soils
• Frequent cultivation and repetitive crop planting practices
• Construction activities
• Soil texture – soils that are clay or silty hold more water for longer periods
• Soil moisture content – wetter soil is more prone to compaction
• Tilling wet soil, as it’s more susceptible to shearing and compression from external forces

So, how can I fix it?

The best defence against soil compaction lies with improving the soil structure. If you do this you can prevent soil compaction from occurring in vulnerable areas, or reduce and control soil compaction in areas already experiencing the problem.

So how do you do this?

The best and easiest way to deal with the problem of soil compaction is through the use of ground-breaking VOGT technology. This new technology, originating in Germany, provides a whole different approach to tackling this problem than previous solutions – and a much better one.

The VOGT geo injector is a new industry-defining soil decompaction tool, that injects vital nutrients directly while aerating soil at unprecedented speeds. No more digging or manually aerating the soil – instead, you can use a quick and simple method of decompacting your soil and promoting healthy soil-plant systems. Our VOGT pneumatic soil injector works by injecting dry mineral soil improvers into the soil at a depth of up to 12 inches, thus loosening the soil and improving its structure. This will quickly help provide space for air and water movement in the soil, improve soil drainage, increase the availability of nutrients and enhance plant root development, creating the optimal environment for thriving, healthy plants. 

This handy device is useful in a wide variety of situations, from residential or private to commercial or large-scale council tasks, and comes highly recommended by our plant health team.

It’s a simple process too – the steps to soil decompaction using the VOGT injector include:

1. We drill approximately 1 metre into the compacted soil, and inject high pressure air through an injection tube, using adjustable pressure. This creates voids and works to decompact the soil, allowing air and water to pass more easily through the compacted layer.
2. Bespoke nutrients and soil additives are also injected into the soil in the same application.
3. We aim to avoid damaging any fine roots in the process through pressure regulation, but if any damage does happen to occur, the fine roots will quickly regrow due to the plant immune system strengthening from the treatment.
4. After treatments are applied to the soil, we monitor the plants and soil to ensure they are adjusting positively to the intervention, and that the soil is continuing to improve.

And that’s it! It’s the quickest and most efficient way to deal with the all-too-common problems caused by soil compaction, and can restore your plants and soil to good health with minimal effort on your part.

Is this process expensive?

VOGT technology comes at a cost (which will depend on the size and scope of your project), but it’s well worth it when you consider the costs and time required by alternative (and less effective) treatments. If your soil is looking worse for wear, or you need your outdoor area to look good sooner rather than later, or you just don’t have time to deal with soil compaction problems, you can’t go past soil injection technology. Get in contact with the expert team at Heritage Tree Care – with offices located in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Toowoomba and Redlands, we’ve got all your soil compaction problems covered: https://www.heritagetreecare.com.au/contact-us/