Packed soil from new builds is hurting trees way more than before

I've been in this line of work for years, and now I see it all the time. Construction crews drive heavy machines over root zones, and the soil gets like concrete. On my last job, three nice maples died because the ground was too hard after a house went in next door. People call me confused, asking why their trees look sick so soon after building. We have to tell clients to protect soil during construction, or trees will keep dying. I mean, idk, but this feels like a big shift in how we need to plan. Anyone else dealing with this in their area?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_alex1mo ago

Ugh, yeah, it's brutal out there. I once spent a whole day diagnosing a "sick" birch before realizing the soil was so packed the roots had nowhere to go. Felt real smart, let me tell you. Now it's just standard to see these beautiful old pines yellowing and dropping leaves within a year of construction. The ground gets so hard after those machines roll through, water just runs right off. It's a total mess.

derek_stone981mo ago

@the_alex, compacted soil is the worst. Turns the ground into concrete. Trees don't stand a chance.

garcia.cameron13d ago

Tell me about it, @the_alex. I've watered concrete too.

wyattramirez1mo ago

Ever notice it's not just about water runoff? The roots can't even get air down there either.