One problem facing housebuilders both before and after development is ground compaction. Open spaces designated for building may suffer years of neglect, constant foot traffic or use of wheeled machinery resulting in panning deep below the surface. Similarly, during the building process bulldozers, diggers, dumper trucks and concrete mixer lorries flatten the air out of the soil in areas that will eventually become gardens and shared grassed areas. Often the land itself may have had previous buildings, and the subsoil contains old bricks, rubble and landfill. All these factors contribute to waterlogging which normal aeration cannot relieve.

 Terrain Aeration’s Housebuilder’s Division has developed the specialist machinery and a full service needed for deep penetration aeration to relieve the problem of heavy compaction and waterlogging. Designed to access tight areas, their Terralift tracked aerator can enter small gardens through a gateway or garage and provide unique one-metre-deep aeration. At this depth, compressed air is released via a probe to fracture the soil and create fissures, allowing drainage and letting oxygen reach deep into the soil. Such work has been carried out for many years by Terrain Aeration for the UK’s leading housebuilders including Taylor-Wimpey, Barratt and Persimmon. A typical recent contract saw them treating ten small gardens and a small open flower meadow for Barratt David Wilson Homes in East Anglia while a project for Taylor-Wimpey was treating an open space so the housing development could be signed off with the council as ‘decompacted’. In this instance, the full-size Terralift machines were used, driving the JCB road breaker probe into the ground. At one metre depth the compressed air, up to 20Bar/280psi, was released from the probe which, on the tail-end of the blast, injects dried seaweed. This sticks to the fissures created as the Terralift process is repeated at two-metre centre spacing on a staggered grid. The seaweed expands and contracts with the soil’s moisture content to allow drainage and aeration.

 The Terrain Aeration process has been in operation for over thirty years, providing compaction relief for new-build gardens, sports grounds, golf courses, amenity areas and public spaces. The Terrain Aeration Tree Division provides the specialist treatment for Royal Parks and arboriculturalists throughout the UK.

Situated near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park is an open-air gallery that showcases work by world-class British and international artists, including Yorkshire-born Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Damien Hirst. The park has one of the largest open-air collection of Moore’s bronzes in Europe. Spread over 500-acres of 18^th century designed landscape of Bretton Hall, YSP opened in 1977 and was the first UK sculpture park based on temporary open-air exhibitions that were organized in London parks from the 1940s to 1970 by the Arts Council and London County Council.

Today, the ‘gallery without walls’ has an ever-changing exhibition programme and preparing to reopen after lockdown presented an opportunity for remedial work to be done. Following a site visit by hydrology consultants inspecting a waterlogged area, they brought in Terrain Aeration with their deep aeration treatment system. The area in question was an important part of the Lower Park and a popular area for visitors and curators. It suffers from compaction due to footfall and the weight of sculptures, resulting in the build-up of standing water.

 “It is unusual for the area to be cleared,” says Mark Chesman, Head of Estates and Parks at YSP, “but the sculptures in that area were removed for conservation work, and we seized the opportunity as part of a wider project. In all, it took two-and-a-half days and they treated 4,000 square metres of land.”

Terrain Aeration’s Terralift hammers a hollow probe one metre into the soil using a JCB road breaker gun. At depth, the ground is usually so compacted it needs the hammer to break through. Compressed air is then released to a maximum of 20Bar (280psi) to fracture and fissure the soil and the process is repeated in two-metre spacings, to ensure the fissures interlink. On the end of the air blast, dried seaweed is injected which sticks to the fissure walls, expanding and contracting with moisture content in the soil and keeping the area ‘breathing.’ The 1.5-inch probe holes created by the Terralift machine are backfilled with aggregate to provide a semi-permanent aeration/ventilation shaft, helping to keep the whole aeration process working. The park’s groundkeepers then overseeded the area to finish.

We tend to take trees for granted, in our parks, public spaces and estates but they are often subjected to stress as a result of several factors, such as nutrient shortage, surface compaction due to foot traffic, and waterlogging where water drains off hard surfaces. Yorkshire Sculpture Park features lime trees, beech and Atlas cedar amongst others and these were given Terrain Aeration treatment as well. Breaking up the soil around the roots, and beyond, means excess water will drain away from the roots to help stop anaerobic conditions and rotting of the root system. “We’re confident with what’s been done,” says Mark, “and will be looking at further areas to be treated, probably in the autumn.”

Terrain Aeration 01449 673783 www.terrainaeration.co.uk

Image: Sophie Ryder, Sitting, 2007. Courtesy the artist and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Photo © Jonty Wilde, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park. View this photo

Poundbury, the urban extension on the outskirts of Dorchester is well-known for reflecting the design principles of HRH The Prince of Wales, on whose land, the Duchy of Cornwall, it is built. The Great Field, at some 12 ha, is the largest area of green space in Poundbury and work began on it in 2014, with the building of sports pitches, outdoor gym equipment and a multi-use games area. One area which is developing especially well was sown around five years ago and is now a sea of Common Knapweed, with plentiful Ladies’ and Hedge Bedstraw, Quaking Grass, Bird’s-foot Trefoil and other meadow wildflowers.

During 2020, further significant work has been undertaken with the planting of over 400 trees and 26,000 shrubs and hedging plants. The charity People Need Nature has worked with the Duchy of Cornwall and local seed supplier, Heritage Seeds, to sow another wildflower meadow on the Great Field. Exceptionally wet conditions followed by unusually dry periods, led to compaction and waterlogging, resulting in a slow start for the meadow.  Improving the ground conditions to assist establishment of the trees, shrubs and hedging was identified as particularly important.

The services of specialists Terrain Aeration were called upon to relieve the compaction and panning on the top half of the field. They brought in their Terralift machines, which work on the principle of hammering a hollow probe one metre deep into the soil, using a JCB road breaker gun; the soil is compact at depth and requires the hammer to break through. At one metre depth, a hydraulic blast of compressed air is released at up to 20Bar (280psi). This fractures the soil, creating fissures. The process is repeated at two-metre intervals on a grid pattern with the fissures interlinking to create a system of aeration and drainage.  The Terralift is the only machine which uses such high pressure to enable the process to work. On the tail end of the blast, dried seaweed is injected and this sticks to the walls of the fissures, expanding and contracting with the moisture content in the soil. The probe holes are backfilled with aggregate to maintain the aeration process.

The new Great Field meadow sown with wildflower seed collected from existing meadows in Purbeck, should be flourishing within the next two years. The local sourcing helping to protect local populations of native wildflowers. As part of the usable green space area for the local community, the meadow will be cut in July, with the low-growing flowers, such as Red Clover and Bird’s-foot Trefoil, continuing to flower and provide nectar and pollen for insects.

We will be working our Terralift machine in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Banff (north past Aberdeen!) for the week of the 8th June.

We will have our caterpillar tracked machine on board as this can deal with back gardens, around tree roots and even on cemeteries! Working on football pitches would require our slightly larger "Scamper" Terralift machine.

As always, if you need our aeration services it would be good to combine this whilst we are in the area.

Please email [email protected] to arrange your visit.

The timing of Chelsea Flower Show also signifies the ideal time for aerating the ground.

This is best done before the British summer strikes and lack of rainfall means the ground is hard. Terrain Aeration report a considerable number of enquiries stemming from advice being given at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The experts have been advising that aeration is vital for compacted soil, to relieve waterlogging and get oxygen to the root zone. As a direct result Terrain Aeration have had numerous enquiries and requests from growers and landscapers for site inspections for flower gardens, lawns, a football pitch with adjoining cricket outfield and areas with trees.

The Terralift machine will be demonstrated at the Forest Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9SY on Friday 19th August, 2011.

Terrain Aeration are the only operators of this deep aeration machine which was designed to aerate around tree roots. By injecting air one-metre into the root zone increases the percentage of available oxygen uptake via the root system. Extra benefits mean that by decompacting the root zone helps root growth and rainfall intake. Once this work has taken place, natural rejuvenation of the soil structure takes place and it is highly unlikely that this type of treatment would be required again.

It's fair to say that a lot of our day-to-day work tends to be on golf courses or bowling greens but we do actually treat a lot of recreational facilities in public open spaces and schools.

We've just returned from treating nine primary school fields across Merseyside and as a result of our efforts, the children and staff can look forward to a full winter of sports events unhindered by standing water under their feet.

Dave Connor, Construction and Development Officer for Knowsley Council in Liverpool brought us in during last spring to treat twelve winter sports pitches.

It's that time again when you can put forward your nominations for the unsung hero in your life.

Now in its eighth year, our Unsung Hero Awards are open to any greenkeeper or groundsman, deemed to be outstanding in his or her dedication to the industry, whether it be help and support given to colleagues, extra effort in the face of adversity or sterling, solid performance over and above the call of duty. In other words, those who go that extra mile without any thought of reward.

One of our current Unsung Heroes, Keri Jarman helped us celebrate our 10th anniversary and open nominations for this year’s awards sponsored by Pitchcare and the English Golf Union.

We'll be announcing the winners during Harrogate Week after judging by BIGGA, the IOG and the STRI, and they will receive holiday vouchers, a framed certificate and a cheque for £200.

download an nomination form.

Nominations are invited from anyone in the industry (bar immediate family).

We will be at IOG Saltex next week and we couldn't think of a better place to celebrate ten years in business.

It's been a successful and eventful twelve months which saw us reunited with the Deep Drill.

If you're in any doubt as to which aeration method you'll need then come along to stand DAB40 and we'll explain how the exact soil structure can easily be determined by employing Terrain’s Soil Corer which produces one-metre soil cores encased in transparent plastic tubes.

Also, see our Air Blaster. This machine gently but effectively excavates around tree roots to determine their overall spread. This information is vital for planners and architects working on sites with mature/protected trees.

As ever, the company offers 15% discount on any orders taken at the show.

Following the success of our tree clinic with Derek Patch at the IOG Saltex show at Windsor Racecourse last year, Terrain Aeration are hosting another “tree disorders and diseases” clinic this time with Doctor David Rose of the Forestry Commission.

Doctor Rose will be “in” on Terrain Aeration’s stand DAB 40 on Wednesday 08/09/10 between 11:00 to 15:00.

Entry to the show is free!

Please come and consult the Doctor free of charge bringing a sample of the affected tree if possible.

Enjoy a free cup of tea with Terrain Aeration’s stand staff while you wait!