SOILCARE

Getting to root of compaction problems
A new simple and cost-effective solution to soil compaction - the Terralift system - quickly got to the root of the problem at a new housing development near Bristol.

The work was carried out by C&P Soilcare in the gardens of three houses, built by David Wilson Homes, forming part of a new hamlet of four and five bedroom detached family homes at Emersons Green.

"Repeated use of heavy machinery in a confined space can lead to soil compaction making it difficult to establish turf, shrubs and trees," says Chris Cockram, sales director of David Wilson Homes. "On completion of a house we replace the top soil and within a year the ground normally breaks down and stabilises. Occasionally though, the subsoil has been compacted to a greater degree resulting in an on-going soil draining problem."

Designed for use in areas with restricted access, the remote Terralift machine injects compressed air and nutrients into the soil at depth. This creates a network of fissures promoting better drainage, aeration and water storage.

Flakes of dried milled seaweed are blasted into the fissures which expand eightfold when moist increasing the water storage capacity of the root zone. This helps prevent water logging and encourages healthy root growth.

"New home owners generally do not want the upheaval involved with digging up their gardens to install a soak-away," says Chris Cockram. "In contrast Terralift offers an immediate and effective solution while causing minimal disruption to existing landscaped features. It restores ground conditions by natural means while being highly cost-effective."

"Rising water tables and the record-breaking rainfall earlier this year haven't helped water-logging problems," says John Warren, general manager of C & P Soilcare, based at Nedging near Ipswich. "Many areas of the UK are becoming increasingly prone to flooding, making good soil drainage even more important.

"The Terralift technology is already widely used to improve soil drainage on sports turf including golf courses. It has now been shown to provide an ideal solution for garden compaction problems."
                                                                                        July 2001