{"id":45480,"date":"2020-07-30T11:58:17","date_gmt":"2020-07-30T10:58:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenblue.com\/which-soil-cell-do-i-use\/"},"modified":"2024-04-18T08:47:28","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T07:47:28","slug":"which-soil-cell-do-i-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenblue.com\/na\/which-soil-cell-do-i-use\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Soil Cell do I use?"},"content":{"rendered":"
With an influx of Tree Planting mediums in recent years, we take a look at the history, benefits and where they are best used.<\/p>\n
The methodologies used in urban tree planting have been refined over the past twenty-five years, but the principles remain \u2013 room to grow above and below ground, uncompacted soil, air and water. Overall, the above-ground constraints are not an issue as trees will grow to a size related to the space available – if the tree can become established in the urban landscape.<\/p>\nNorthumberland Avenue (2018)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
For the past one hundred- and fifty-years arborists have been tried various systems and methods to give the tree a chance to attain species potential in longevity and size. In 1876 Northumberland Avenue<\/strong> was built, and it was considered important that the new London Plane trees being planted grew to maturity. The builders constructed a suspended pavement system giving the trees a huge volume of interconnected soil volume beneath the hard surface and adjacent to the highway \u2013 the first recorded uncompacted soil tree pit system.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Very little progress was made over the following one hundred years; in fact, the next methodology to be trialled was the structural soil system<\/strong> in Holland \u2013 often known as Amsterdam Sand<\/strong>. The concept used an aggregate mixed with organic content which could be compacted into a load-bearing substrate. This appeared to be a success and was hailed as the answer to all of the urban tree planting issues. However, when adapted and used elsewhere around the globe (often called tree sand, urban tree soil, CU soil, Stockholm mix), results have not shown the systems work reliably medium to long term unless the conditions that pertain in Holland are replaced below ground \u2013 tidal water tables replenishing nutrient daily, acceptance of hard surface heave and regular application of liquid fertiliser to the tree pits.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The breakthrough in achieving reliable repeatable urban tree planting results came in 2000 when Dean Bowie (CEO of GreenBlue Urban) experimented with a number of different ways to provide tree roots with the necessary soil elements\u2013 nutrient<\/strong>, structure, water <\/strong>and air<\/strong> \u2013 in the least possible space. The space issue is critical, as below our streets and paving there exist a plethora of other competing vital elements of infrastructure, so the smallest tree pit is always the easiest. Looking at research gathered from institutions all around the globe, Dean soon realised that it is not just the volume of the growing medium that mattered, but the quality of the soil<\/strong>; a lower nutrient proportion by volumes needs a larger tree pit. Therefore, the most efficient use of space means using the best \u201cforest floor\u201d quality of soil that can be found.<\/p>\n
The problem with forest floor soil is that it is only healthy for as long as it is uncompacted. Higher organic volume soils quickly become anaerobic when compacted, creating zones from which tree roots cannot access nutrient or minerals. Therefore, it became obvious that to keep tree rooting zones effective for tree growth the soil must be uncompacted and aerated \u2013 the soil cell was born.<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"Northumberland](\"https:\/\/greenblue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Northumberland-Avenue-01-1024x576.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/greenblue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/GreenBlue-Urban-RootCell-Facts-01-1024x576.jpg\")
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