Soil Composition
The composition of soil refers to the material that is in it. For the most part, when we consider the make-up of soil we are looking at the percentages of three different components, sand, clay, and silt. In order to be considered to be a fertile loam soil, there should be some of all these components. Differing levels of each of the components will affect the way that the soil absorbs water, retains water, and drains water. The composition also affects the compaction characteristics of soil.
When we speak of soil composition, we are generally referring to the A horizon of the soil, that layer that is just beneath the organic material on top (mostly decaying plant material) and above the parent material below. The organic materials interact with the parent materials in this layer and support what is known as the soil food web.
Generally speaking, an even mix of the three components (a little less clay, though) is optimum for root growth. But it is important to understand the composition of soil in order to know how root growth can be encouraged.
Your arborist can tell you more about the composition of your soil. Pro Arbor arborists have studied soil composition as well as attending seminars with ISA-recognized soil expert, Jim Urban. The benefit of working with an arborist with this level of understanding is clear: rather than simply applying fertilizers and chemicals, a holistic approach takes into account the natural materials that are present in the soil.
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More About Soil Remediation
Good Tree Root Health: Oxygen. — In the tips of the roots where absorption takes place, oxygen is critical to root life.
Good Tree Root Health and Microbes. — The forest floor provides an ideal environment for their propagation, and they are constantly cycling through the soil food web. In contrast, urban and suburban soil can be seriously lacking in these microbes.
Root Aeration Tubes — There are numerous options for root aeration tubes. A popular design involves PVC plastic pipes.
Rootwell Products — The Rootwell Products, direct-to-root system has been engineered to permanently enhance a tree's natural ability to absorb oxygen, water, and nutrients.
Soil Compaction — In the built environment where most of us live, soil compaction is a necessity.
Soil Composition — When we consider the make-up of soil we are looking at the percentages of three different components, sand, clay, and silt.
Soil Food Web — What horticulturists and soil scientists refer to as the soil food web is an intricate network of life forms.
Soil Structure — Soil structure essentially refers to the amount of macropores in the soil.
Tree Root Health: Watering Trees. — What we see in lawns that are irrigated conventionally is tree roots growing at or near the surface in the only space that they can live.
Trees Suffering From Drought? — Take a walk in an established forest in this area, and you will see that the problem is not really the drought.
Water Is Not Enough — This tree is watered daily by an automatic irrigation system. Despite the abundance of water, it is stressed and losing leaves in July.
Why is That Tree Not Growing? — Why is it that the trees in some landscapes never seem to grow past the half-way point of their mature size?
