Tree Roots Feed

Terrain’s deep aeration in Yorkshire Sculpture Park

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 18th 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 Sophie Ryder  Sitting  2007. Courtesy the artist and Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Photo © Jonty Wilde  courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park


Terrain Aeration at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens

Terrain Aeration and the Valley of Fire

The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens are famous around the globe and have the world’s largest collection of hardy trees and shrubs anywhere in the temperate world. The Gardens now hold fourteen National Plant Collections and the latest planting project has been named ‘Valley of Fire’. The name is derived from the planting of over 30 different types of trees and shrubs that will create stunning autumn colour on both sides of what is currently known as Oak Tree Vista.
One of the challenges that faced the scheme was the need to create drainage in several areas of wet, heavy clay, to get the plantings off to a good start. David Jewell, Head of Collections, called upon the services of Terrain Aeration to carry out systematic treatment of the areas around the new plantings.
“I have known of the Terrain Aeration service for many years,” says David, “and have used them before. Their machines do an excellent job with very little disruption, in our case in quite tight areas on very soft ground. The results always speak for themselves.”

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Forest Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian, Friday 19th August, 2011

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.

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Phytophthora in Yews has been quite a big hit on the sitemeter.

Phytoph 1 I would like to remind people that with the bad weather we have been having over the last three years, pests and diseases are rampant and more and more often you hear of Phytophthora problems (water borne).

By using the Terralift machine to aerate beyond the root zone (one-metre) we can get the excess water to drain away and increase the oxygen percentage the roots can access. Injection of the dried seaweed on the tail end of the blast of compressed air expands and contracts with the moisture content in the soil, keeping the fractures and fissures open. Backfilling the probe holes with aggregate aids in the whole aeration process.

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Decompaction of turf after winter snow and ice

Looking out of the window now, there is little by the way of a reminder that only a couple of months ago, most of the United Kingdom has been brought to a standstill by severe winter conditions: a blanket of deep snow and ice covered the countryside and as a result, public parks and sports pitches became unplayable.

Turf professionals, despite now having the sun on their backs, will still be working their magic on the rootzone to repair the ravages of the big freeze.

Most turf compaction problems are caused by man or beast walking or playing on the grass. However, sometimes there are other recreation activities that lead to severely compacted surfaces.

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Decompaction of sports turf and root-zones across Europe

Decompaction of rugby and football pitchWe have the machinery and we will travel to most of mainland Europe to assist turf and tree care professionals with the aeration of compacted soil on sports surfaces, including rugby and football pitches, golf courses, tennis courts and bowling greens.

We can also treat the root-zone areas of fruit orchards and vineyards to a depth of one metre by injecting compressed air under high pressure to break up soil pans or to relieve poor drainage.

If you would like more details then please email us

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Drain wet ground and alleviate the effects of summer drought.

Football training The Met Office say that the UK is on course for a possible heatwave with a hot and dry summer saying that it will be "warmer than average temperatures and near or below-average rainfall."

The topic of climate change is constantly in the news as water becomes scarce. It is time for every gardener and lawn owner, groundsman or greenkeeper should start planning an alternative strategy than just pump unnecessary amounts of water into the ground.

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Terrain Aeration in South Wales

We will be despatching a team into South Wales in the week beginning 4th May 2009.

If you have a need for our de-compaction service treating turf or tree roots with compressed air to a depth of one metre then please email us asap.