One of the most frequent causes of compaction is from over-tilling soil. There are four factors that contribute to compacted soil: over-tilling soil, working soil when it is too wet, mixing sand into clay soils in an attempt to loosen soil, and soil compression because of weight. The soil could remain overly wet longer than is healthy for the plants growing there. Compaction occurs when pore spaces are reduced to the point that air and water cannot move freely and plant roots cannot grow easily into the surrounding soil. The remaining half consists of pore space which creates room for air and water to move around the mineral particles and is required to have a healthy environment where plant roots, beneficial microorganisms and earthworms can breakdown plant residue into organic matter. Compaction can be compounded by events that occurred to the soil over several years.Ībout half of a healthy soil is made up of mineral particles: sand, silt and clay plus organic matter. Compaction is more common in heavier soils like clay and loam however, it can occur on sandy soils as well, especially if heavy equipment is used on the lawn or garden. ![]() Soil compaction occurs when particles are packed too closely together. Any of these may be due to compacted soils. Water tends to collect and puddle after a heavy rain and is slow to drain. Or the plants are not growing as well as they should and seem to have an inadequate root system. ![]() ![]() Gardeners may want to consider whether they’ve been seeing these signs of soil compaction.
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