As temperatures heat up and conditions become arid, it’s not uncommon for your yard soil to become hard and dry, particularly in naturally dry places like Denver. This, in turn, makes it difficult for trees and plants to grow – even with proper watering – because the water isn’t penetrating enough. In fact, hard soil will even repel water if it is bad enough. At Mountain High Tree, Lawn & Landscape, we see this regularly. That’s why we recommend an application called Revive to treat hard soils. But we’ll get to that later. First off, here are some tips for proper soil treatment you can do on your own so you can minimize outside costs.
- Regularly Add Organic Matter and Extra H2O
One of the best ways to keep your soil from getting too dry is to regularly add organic matter. This can include compost (an excellent natural treatment), mulch and grass clippings, animal manure and blood and bone mixtures (can be found at your local home and garden store). On top of that, adding extra moisture always helps if you don’t mind a little bit extra on your water bill.
- Consider Not Using Clay Soil
Clay soil has its advantages (vital nutrients, better erosion control, water retention), but there are also some disadvantages to consider. While clay soil stays wet longer, if it is compressed enough (by footsteps and machinery, for example) it will become compacted. Eventually, when it does dry out, it turns into hard clods. This makes it hard for plant and grass roots to breathe and spread out.
- Keep Foot Traffic to a Minimum
As mentioned above, the more compression, the more compaction. This is bad for soil. You obviously are going to have to walk a bit on your soil when you are treating it, but after that, try not to hold too many neighborhood barbecues and picnics. All that foot traffic will have your soil screaming for help.
More about the Revive Product
Revive treats hard soils.
Revive is an organic soil treatment that breaks up hard soils and makes it easier for the roots to get proper hydration and aeration, while also freeing up natural soil nutrients. We recommend applying Revive a couple of times per year. The best times are during the summer and after a long, stressful winter.
Call us at 303-232-0666 if interested in a Revive treatment or other tree, lawn and landscape services.