Aeration machine evalued by AAIS

Stronger links evaluate Airforce on sick trees

By Carol Dutton

Stronger links between Terrain Aeration and the Arboricultural Advisory and Information Service (AAIS), are set to evaluate the effectiveness of deep, compressed air de-compaction treatment on tree health.

Derek Patch, director of the AAIS since it's privatisation 10 years ago says that he is happy to work with the company to investigate and try to understand better the tree and it's problems.

"Terrain Aeration has a particularly interesting technique for treating sickly trees, and the equipment to combat compaction around root systems. We have the ability to analyse tree growth and see if their treatment has any benefits," he explains. "What we would like is wood samples taken from the trunks of pairs of trees of the same species, similar age and size and growing in similar conditions. One tree will have been treated by the company's hydraulic terralift machine "Airforce", and the other won't. Deliberately forgoing any information from Terrain Aeration we will measure any increase in growth, and determine the year from which this increase occurred."

The company has already used the AAIS to investigate possible causes of tree sickness, before employing de-compaction treatment.

"When faced with trees suffering from stress, if we're in any doubt we take samples and proceed or not according to the results of the AAIS report," says Terrain Aeration director Lynda Green. "If the samples show evidence of disease we refer the client directly to the AAIS to discuss what action should be taken, but if physical changes are cited, of which soil compaction is by far the most common, we go ahead."

Amenity Turf Managers, noticing tell tale signs of poor canopy cover, brown and dying leaves, general die back and poor growth are invited to contact Terrain Aeration on Tel: 01449 673783 or email info@terrainaeration.co.uk for an initial appraisal.