AirSpade & Aeration: Breathing Life into Trees

When caring for trees, a key aspect to consider is how to aerate the soil around them. This involves punching holes into the soil and forcing air in to loosen it, most often near a tree’s root system. During aeration, it’s common to use an AirSpade, which is an air-powered tool that makes the process easy by shooting compressed air into the soil as it makes holes. Here’s some more information about how AirSpade aeration can breathe life into trees.

Root Zone Soil Management

Image via Unsplash by Matteo Grando

The most common benefit of using an AirSpade is to manage the health and growth of a tree’s root system. To ensure even the deepest roots get the nutrients and oxygen they need to thrive, many tree carers use an AirSpade for air tilling to invigorate the roots. This involves punching holes into the soil around a tree’s roots to ensure that the nutrients and oxygen that the top layers of soil typically receive reach the lower layers of soil near the tree’s roots.

Soil Replacement

AirSpade services can also make soil replacement easier. Maintaining soil health can help a tree grow correctly, and occasionally this involves changing the soil. Homeowners might replace a tree’s soil if it is poor quality or if they’re planning to introduce additional landscaping around it. An AirSpade can partially expose the roots of a tree by loosening the soil around and above them, which makes it easier to replace the soil and simultaneously check on the roots’ health.

Excavation

Another practical use for aeration with an AirSpade is to prepare a tree for excavation. There can be various reasons why homeowners may excavate a tree, such as when a tree dies or when they’re preparing trees for a construction project. For example, if a homeowner wanted to install a walkway or new utilities in an area near trees, they could use an AirSpade to prune the trees’ roots so it’s easier to unearth the system if the tree needs a complete excavation.

Preparing Your Trees for Aeration

To take advantage of all the benefits of AirSpade tools and aeration while preserving the health and beauty of trees, it’s essential for those doing the job to prepare the trees before starting. For example, they may test the moisture of the soil to ensure it’s not too dry or too wet for an AirSpade. Performing aeration on soil that’s too dry can create dust and move too much soil, and the same can happen with mud when soil is too wet.

They might also lay down protective materials, such as a tarp or plywood, to cover the aerated area. This preserves the soil while it takes in nutrients and protects people from losing their footing on uneven ground.

How TreeNewal Can Help with Aeration

These are some of the most notable benefits of using AirSpade aeration to improve the health of trees. Since aeration requires precision and specialized skill, it is best to hire a professional tree care company like TreeNewal to handle the aeration needs of homeowners. Visit our website to learn about our AirSpade and aeration services and all the other excellent services we offer.