"Virginia Tech researchers have developed a soil rehabilitation method that can help fix the compacted, rock-hard soils left behind after land development and building construction. What does that mean for trees? Trees planted in rehabilitated soil have as much as 84 percent greater canopy than those in untreated soil."
"The rehabilitation process was developed by Susan Day, faculty colleagues, and graduate students in both colleges over the course of seven years of research at Virginia Tech and in Arlington County, Virginia, in partnership with Vincent Verweij, Arlington County’s urban forester."
“'Soil Profile Rebuilding', decreases soil compaction, increases carbon sequestration, and increases the rate at which water moves through the soil, thereby improving storm-water capture."
"The Soil Profile Rebuilding method uses compost and a special subsoiling technique adapted for tight urban spaces to create pathways through the soil for root and water penetration. A backhoe with a tined bucket is used to break up the compacted soil and incorporate compost to a depth of two feet. Then four inches of topsoil are applied and rototilled to a depth of six to eight inches, followed by planting trees or shrubs whose roots help the soil continue to develop."
"Unlike many previous approaches to alleviating soil compaction, the effects of Soil Profile Rebuilding persist 'because the technique doesn’t just break up the soil physically; it also affects biological activity in the soil', Day explained. It is a useful tool for designers seeking SITES® (Sustainable Sites Initiative) accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council."
“'Municipalities and developers are often faced with a choice between wholesale replacement of existing soil or leaving soil untreated, resulting in frequent plant replacements, decreased biodiversity, and limited ability of the landscape to handle rainfall and reduce runoff', Day said. 'Soil Profile Rebuilding gives them another option that is considerably more cost effective and sustainable than soil replacement.'”
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(Compacted soils can be rebuilt to help urban trees thrive, no date)
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