Why is good soil important for healthy trees?

Good soil provides the air, water, and nutrients trees need to thrive, forming the foundation of a healthy ecosystem.

What makes forest soil ideal for tree growth?

Forest soil contains layers of organic matter—leaves, twigs, and living organisms—that create a soft, porous structure that holds air and water.

What happens to soil in suburban environments during development?

Heavy equipment often scrapes away topsoil and compacts what remains, turning it into hard, lifeless dirt.

How do you test whether soil is compacted or healthy?

You can try pushing a screwdriver into the soil—healthy soil allows it with little effort, while compacted soil resists.

How can compacted soil be loosened without harming tree roots?

“An air spade, a high-pressure air tool, breaks up compaction without damaging roots.

Why are arborist woodchips used after soil improvement?

Woodchips help regulate moisture and temperature, reduce compaction, and feed the soil as they break down.

What is Leaf & Limbs's Soil Improvement Program?

Leaf & Limb’s Soil Improvement Program restores soil health by relieving compaction, rebuilding soil biology, and improving root conditions using natural methods. The process includes air spading to loosen compacted soil without damaging roots, incorporating high-quality compost to restore nutrients and beneficial microbes, and applying a protective layer of arborist wood chips to conserve moisture and steadily feed the soil. The result is healthier soil, stronger roots, and more resilient trees and plants. We offer this service to clients in our service area which includes Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, Apex, Wake Forest and the rest of the Triangle.

Video | How to Improve Soil Without Damaging Tree Roots

Do your trees look healthy? Are they struggling? Have you ever noticed whether they are growing in soil or surviving in dirt? Afterall, good soil is the key to healthy trees.

Hi, I’m Greyson, today I’d like to show you how we help our clients transform hard lifeless dirt into healthy living soil.

Let’s start right here, in the forest. The place where trees grow best. Look down at all these beautiful layers of leaves, twigs, and other organic matter. A whole world living on the forest floor. A complex ecosystem of worms, fungi, and roots, all working together.

The ground is soft and porous almost like a sponge, ready to hold air and water. You should be able to take a screwdriver and stick it straight down into the soil with almost no effort. This is the type of soil trees need to thrive.

Now let’s compare that to what we normally find the suburban environment. During development heavy equipment scrapes away the living topsoil and smashes what remains into hard dead dirt. Erosion increases, flooding becomes a problem, and our screwdriver test become pretty difficult. How is a tree or anything else supposed to live in that?

So, how do we recreate in one day, what nature builds slowly over many years? Let me show you. First, we need to break up the ground and restore the sponge. We use an air spade: a high-pressure air tool that breaks up compaction without harming tree roots. This instantly gives our soil the ability to breathe again.

Next, we need to feed these living organisms that we are inviting back into the soil. Our favorite method? We take rich rotting compost and mix it into our loosened dirt using our air spade. Finally, we need to protect all that new biology with a thick layer of arborist woodchips. Woodchips help regulate soil moisture, regulate soil temperature, reduce compaction, even feed the soil over time as they break down. Woodchips are awesome!

Healthy soil is the foundation for a healthy ecosystem. An ecosystem that resists pests, withstands stress, and stays beautiful for decades. And in the long run this means fewer problems, lower costs, and a more natural landscape that thrives.