Soil Compaction is among the biggest issues faced by the lawns. With time, soil compaction can choke your lawn and make it difficult for the roots to take air and water. Moreover, it reduces the strength of roots, and the lawn becomes more prone to diseases and pests.
Although soil compaction can be challenging, we have listed the main causes and cures for compacted soil. With the efforts and proper lawn care Sandy Springs, you can get bioactive and healthy soil that grows healthy plants.
What are the causes of Soil Compaction?
The main reason for soil compaction is placing weight on the soil. It happens mainly in the farmed lands either as stock trampling, foot traffic, or through the heavyweight of agricultural machinery. Typically, driving heavy equipment on the wet soil is the common reason for severe soil compaction.
Let’s know the causes in detail:
Machinery
The agricultural area, mainly if used commercially, needs the assistance of massive machinery, including ploughs, tractors, threshers, and many other inventions that enhance productivity and efficiency. However, these machines come with massive axle loads, and they compact the soil under their wheels with more and more tracks. Moreover, as per the studies, around 70% of the soil compaction occurs at the first pass of wheel traffic.
Bad Practice and Heavy Traffic
The heavyweight of the agricultural machinery increases the risk for soil compaction. But the method used to utilise those machines can also worsen the situation.
For instance, a cultivated field can cause the development of a plough plan compaction layer. It is a thick and solidified layer of soil that becomes compacted just beneath the plough’s base.
Another possibility of increasing soil compaction is driving heavy machinery on the wet soil. The soil moisture creates a huge difference in the compaction depth if all the factors remain the same. In short, the wetter the soil, the more the soil compaction.
Before operating any heavy machinery in a wet agricultural area, here’s what you can do before running any heavy machinery. Hold some sand in your hand and try to make a ball with it. If you can make a ball, the soil is too wet to handle heavy wheel traffic. In this case, wait for some sunny days to dry it out and repeat the same process. Operating heavy machines on the wet soil can cause severe soil compaction problems that will take years to resolve.
What are the cures for soil Compaction?
It is very important to reduce the soil compaction. Here are some of the cures that can help to minimize the soil compaction and improve its quality.
Core Aeration
Lawn Aeration is among the best cures to deal with soil compaction. Both hollow-line and solid-line aeration are considerable, but hollow-line aeration is a more influential option. You can take the help of a core-aerator machine that drills the soil and pulls it up out of your lawn. It makes gaps in the lawn for the root system to get air and water.
Moreover, these gaps also provide shade for freshly sown seeds. The holes created by the aerator let more moisture and oxygen reach the roots of the grass, which prevents the grass from dying or turning brown.
Top Dressing of the Soil
After the aeration, it is essential to do the top dressing of soil as it can help you in the long run. Topdressing includes adding a layer of compost or sand or a mixture of two on the top of your lawn.
Topdressing is even helpful for the small areas as it can enhance the drainage and reintroduce microbes that help deal with the future thatch buildup. If you have utilised a core aerator, rake over the plugs. Cracking them up turns them into top dressing.
It would be best to be careful about using topdressing, which is different from the base soil. Also, don’t add topdressing in excess with your long-term lawn care schedule.
Excess material can make layered soil that results in soil compaction. Whatever the cause, the topdressing and aeration must make your soil capable of breathing again, and your grass will thank you for it.
Conclusion
Usually, lawns deal with different scenarios, including weather change, lack of moisture, disease, weeds, pests, and foot traffic. All of these factors can keep your yard under pressure. But the good news is that with Arbor Nomics, you can relieve your grass from stress and make it ready for healthy growth. We offer the best lawn care Atlanta and fulfil your lawn’s needs that promote healthy growth.
