Soil compaction

sophia leonard asked 16 years ago

I am starting a rural garden on an acre site which had heavy machinery compacting some of the soil while the house was being built. Parts of the grassed area shows where the compaction is worst. Will this ease with time? Our soil is clay.

1 Answers

Gerry Daly Staff answered 6 years ago
Compaction by heavy machinery is a serious problem that might take decades to improve, especially on heavy clay soil.

Even if the grass is laid, you would be well advised to have the compaction ripped up with a subsoiler or mole plough on a tractor during dry weather in late summer. This breaks the compacted layer and allows water to soak away. The grass can be killed off, the ground levelled and re-sown.

If you can find an agricultural contractor in the area, he might be able to do this for you. 

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