Decompaction and Vertical mulching are both terms that are often used interchangeably when prescribing management options for mature trees. In this blog post we will explore the differences between the two and reasons behind specifying each method.
Soil Decompaction (Deep Decompaction)
Deep decompaction is where a specially designed lance is driven 30cm into the ground and high pressure compressed air is injected into the soil. This creates fractures and gaps within the soil.
This process decompacts a radius of 1m surrounding the injection site and to a depth of around 1m. this is usually recommended on heavily compacted areas and can also have the benefit of having compost tea added to the soil at the same time to spread throughout this around the area.
Vertical Mulching
Vertical mulching is the process where an airspade tool is used to excavate small vertical holes approximately 4” in diameter to the prescribed depth. The holes are then filled with organic natural material such as a compost. These vertical mulch holes then leach nutrients into the soil as well as promoting movement of invertebrates. Although this process can help with decompaction its main benefits are in introducing nutrients into the soil and dealing with mild compaction.
