Here’s The Dirt: Understanding Soil Health

When it comes to a tree’s health, we tend to focus on the part of the tree that we can see aboveground. We see green leaves and assume that means the tree is healthy. It can be easy to forget that what’s happening out of sight is vital to a tree’s continued growth, strength, and vitality. If you want healthy trees, then you need to start by creating healthy soil. Managing soil health isn’t something you can do once and then brush off your hands and never touch again. Soil conditions need to be monitored and maintained. Below are some tips to help you get started on your soil health journey.

What’s the big deal about soil health?

If a person wants to be healthy, they usually start with their diet. They research what foods to eat to supply their body with a proper array of vitamins, minerals, and proteins. They might opt to work with a health coach to develop an eating plan, and then they stock their kitchen with the right foods they need for health, strength, and energy. Oh, and they drink plenty of water.

Trees are the same way. Like us, trees need plenty of beneficial nutrients to grow strong, healthy, and beautiful. Unlike us, they don’t beg for a cheat day. Trees get nutrients and water from the soil that surrounds their roots. Roots have small hairs that soak up their food, so to provide your tree with a healthy diet, you’ll need to fill your soil with the proper nutrients.

But hold on before you go to your nearest garden center to buy a bag of fertilizer. While we appreciate the enthusiasm, getting the right ingredients to create healthy soil is a little more complicated than that. Each tree has a specific set of needs, so first, do a little research about your tree to learn its unique soil preferences. Then you can begin learning about the make-up of your soil.

What’s in your soil?

How much do you know about the physical and chemical properties of your soil? Unless you happen to be a soil expert, you might not know much, and that’s OK. There are resources available to help you. It is possible to over-fertilize your soil, so you need to do a soil test to check your soil’s condition and determine if and how to amend it. Reach out to an accredited soil testing laboratory or extension service to get instructions for performing a soil test. Or consider hiring a certified arborist to examine your soil and recommend the best soil health plan for your specific property, soil type, drainage conditions, and trees. At TreeNewal, we have ISA Certified Arborists on staff and a team of highly qualified tree care experts who are happy to assist you.

Manage your soil health the TreeNewal way, “The TreeNewal Process.”

We have a special blend at TreeNewal that we highly recommend to all our customers. TreeNewal developed it with three products proven to increase your trees and shrubs’ growth and vitality. This blend is beneficial for all trees and shrubs, but it’s beneficial for trees experiencing stress. Our blend uses the biochar brand VITAL Blend 5M, a plant-derived, organic soil enhancement product that charges the soil. The blend also includes humic and fulvic acids, high amounts of Active Carbon, and over 55 micronutrients, which improves your tree’s metabolism, nutrient intake, and development. The biochar and humic acid are beneficial in remediating compacted soils.

Remember those root hairs we mentioned earlier, the ones that are responsible for a tree’s ability to soak up nutrients and water from the soil? Root hairs typically only live two to three weeks before they die off and are replaced by new growth. Stress can significantly reduce or even destroy root hair growth and development. Our blend also includes MitoGrow, a rooting hormone, to stimulate and promote root hair growth in your trees and shrubs to address this problem.

This time-tested blend is a natural plant growth stimulator designed to boost your tree’s ability to absorb nutrients and develop a deeper, stronger root system, bark, and canopies. With this blend, your trees will be able to withstand drought better and ward off disease and insects.

If you choose to work with TreeNewal for your soil health needs, here’s what you can expect from our expert team:

• On-site evaluation — Our team members will visit your property to make an evaluation. They’ll assess things such as site topography and drainage, the soil profile, and texture. A soil assessment test can be performed to analyze the salt index, nutrient content, pH levels, and organic matter in your soil if required. After that, our certified arborists will recommend the proper treatment for your soil.
• Root aeration — Soil that’s too compact can eventually choke your tree’s root system, so TreeNewal uses a safe and effective method called root aeration to increase the amount of oxygen in your soil and stimulate positive health and growth. Root aeration also allows water to infiltrate the soil better.
• Soil treatment — Once our team determines the specific needs of your soil, we can make the amendments necessary to create a healthy, balanced soil that’s perfect for your property, trees, and plants.
• Mulch — Once we’ve improved your soil, we will add a layer of mulch to secure it. Mulch acts as a protective barrier between the ground and the air. It helps keep your soil moist and temperature controlled. It’s important that mulching is done and maintained correctly.
• Continued care — Our team can work with you to develop a tree care plan unique to your trees. We can also advise on how to maintain your soil for optimal health. If you need us, our experts are always just a phone call away.

For more information about soil health, visit our website at treenewal.com, or call us today at tel:(817) 592-6846 to schedule an appointment with our certified arborists.

To learn more about Here’s The Dirt: Understanding Soil Health, call our Argyle and Southlake-based teams at tel:(817) 592-6846 or send us a message.

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