Aeration Tubes & Urban Soils

Tree health hinges on healthy and productive roots. Tree roots require active, well structured soils in order to receive what they need.

Tree roots needs two things:

• Oxygen
• Water

Water is needed for nutrient transfer in the plant and is critical in the the process of Photosynthesis – Plants’ incredible ability to convert Carbon Dioxide, Water and Light Energy into Sugar, Oxygen and Water!

Oxygen is critical to the process of soil nutrients passing across the root cell wall and into the plant. Without oxygen in the soil there is no nutrient absorption and the roots will simply die! Additionally, oxygen is vital to all of the microbial activity that occurs in healthy soils. Microbes such as nematodes, bacteria and mycorrhizae fungus maximize root performance and nutrient availability, greatly improving overall plant health.

We know that urban soils suffer from two issues:

• Compacted soil
• Limited surface area and soil volume

We need to fix these issues in urban soils in order to give roots what they need to grow healthy, strong urban plants!

Aeration Tubes are a device that fixes urban soils by delivering oxygen and water to roots.

The tubes are 18” long and 4” in diameter. Within the rooting area of the tree, the Aeration Tube is inserted into the ground utilizing compressed air to carefully excavate soil without causing damage to existing tree roots. The cap of the tube will rest at grade. Underground, the walls of the tubes are permeable, allowing the movement of water and oxygen from the surrounding soil. At night, when temperatures shift, the specialized convection cap actively pulls oxygen-rich air down into the tube forcing methane gas out. The cap includes a drain to collect surface water, delivering it down to tree roots at depth.