A tree’s soil is one of the most important factors that influences a tree’s health, vitality and long-term survivability - but sadly it is one of the least understood aspects of tree care. Research has shown that at least 80 percent of tree health and decline issues are directly related to poor soil conditions. These are issues that could be avoided with proper soil care, saving considerable costs in pest and disease treatments, not to mention warding off unwanted expenses of pruning unsightly dieback and removing sick and dying trees.
More than just a medium that anchors a tree into the ground, soil is a living environment that houses an incredibly vast and complex ecosystem that actively interacts with a tree, giving it underground structural support, meeting its water and nutrient needs, and protecting it from disease attacks. So keeping your tree’s soil healthy is vitally important to ensuring its ongoing health, appearance, longevity, and even its structural safety. In this
article we are going to explore what soil is made of and how it actually works to help you understand and give your tree the best care to keep it healthy and thriving.
More than Dirt – the Essential Ingredients for Healthy Soil
A healthy soil is made up of multiple elements that when combined in proper ratios will set your tree up with its best chance for success. Think of these components as ingredients in a recipe, knowing that too much or too little of one or more factors can make a big difference for your tree’s health. With that in mind, let’s take a look at our ingredient list and then explore how these elements work and why they are important to the health of your tree.
A healthy soil should include:
- 45% mineral particles
- 25% air
- 25% water
- 5% organic matter and living soil organisms
Mineral particles are the foundation of Soil.
Soil mineral particles are basically tiny pieces of rock that have been broken down over time that may be barely visible (such as sand particles) or microscopically small (such as silt or clay particles). The sizes and amounts of these particles have a lot of influence on how a soil behaves in terms of its ability to drain and its capacity to hold on to both water and nutrients that can be held in reserve for uptake by the tree. Sandy soils have a lot of larger sand particles and drain water more quickly, but they also hold on to less water for future use. Clay soils that have a large number of tiny clay particles tend to hold on to more water for a longer time, but also drain more slowly and have a higher tendency to be waterlogged.
Particle size also influences the number and sizes of spaces, called pore spaces, that hold air which is also vitally important to keep tree roots healthy. Sandy soils tend to have more capacity to hold air while clay soils have fewer and smaller pore spaces. Clay soils also have a greater tendency to be crushed and compacted which may eliminate pore spaces and make both air and water unavailable to your tree.
The Importance of Water.
Proper amounts of water and air are also critical elements in a healthy soil that your tree needs to live and thrive. Just like us, trees require water to keep their leaves and living tissues adequately hydrated, but water is also important in the processes of nutrient absorption and nutrient transport within a tree. Water is also required for the process of photosynthesis that allows a tree to convert light energy into sugars and give it the energy it needs to grow and stay green and healthy.
Trees also need air, especially around their roots.
Just like us, trees need to breathe. Trees require oxygen to perform vital life functions and survive, especially around their roots. When soils are compacted or waterlogged, oxygen becomes unavailable, causing tree roots to die, rot, or be subject to attack by disease causing organisms that live in anaerobic environments. So, keeping soils well structured with adequate pore space for air and gas exchange is critically important to maintaining tree health and ensuring your tree stays beautiful and lives a long time.
Soils are alive! The Roles of Organic Matter and the Soil’s Biological Community
Unlike the mineral components of soil, organic matter is sourced from materials that were once living, such as the leaves and twigs that seasonally fall from a tree. Although a healthy soil generally contains a relatively low percentage of organic matter, this component is vitally important to maintaining a soil’s physical structure and making it function properly. Acting like a sponge, organic matter can help a sandy soil hold on to water, but organic matter also binds and rearranges clay particles which can help remediate compaction problems in clay soils.
Organic matter also enhances a soil’s fertility and supports its biological populations - which may include trillions of tiny but mighty microorganisms, including beneficial bacteria and fungi, protozoans and beneficial nematodes, earthworms, beneficial soil insects and other soil organisms. Collectively soil biology lives and symbiotically works underground with your tree – breaking down mineral and organic matter to make soil nutrients available, warding off potential soil pathogens that may cause diseases, and working together to
enhance soil structure by binding soil particles and creating pore spaces, so that your tree has better access to air and water.
Residential and commercial soils face significant challenges: Keep your soil healthy with Monster Tree Service’s Soil Health Program!
Soils in residential neighborhoods and commercial areas frequently face significant challenges that may threaten soil health and put trees at risk. Building construction, foot and vehicle traffic, and lawn equipment are just a short list of things that can compact soils and compromise soil health. Urban and residential soils are also frequently prone to pollution and nutrient depletion which make them inhospitable for trees. Conventional fertilizers, while giving trees a short-term growth spurt, may promote unhealthy growth that may stress a tree and in the long term attract pest and disease issues. These products are usually synthetically based, are generally unsustainable, and can damage soil organisms and harm the environment.
Monster Tree Service has a better alternative solution that understands the fundamental needs of the soil, utilizing a comprehensive range of organic nature based products that are sustainable and environmentally friendly to address the fundamental needs of soil - taking care of its biology which in turn takes better care of your tree. Call your local Monster Tree Service and talk to your Monster Certified Arborist about our Soil Health Program’s holistic products and services that are designed to care for your soil, meeting its needs to make your trees thrive in a way that sustainably works with nature - keeping your trees naturally healthy and beautiful to make your property look full-on amazing!