Soil is Alive!
The soil beneath our feet, a hidden world where tree roots live, is a vibrant ecosystem teeming with life. In their natural underground environment, tree roots are surrounded by billions of soil organisms that support their health.
Remarkably, a single teaspoon of soil can contain more microbes than there are people on Earth.1 And within just a few inches of a tree’s roots there may be thousands more soil organisms than elsewhere in the soil.2
This article takes you beneath the ground’s surface to explore the fascinating world of soil biology. We’ll take a look at how soil organisms interact with tree roots and reveal the mutualistic – and fascinating - processes that benefit both trees and the soil that sustains them. Understanding these underground relationships helps explain how soil biology keeps your trees strong, vibrant, and beautiful throughout the seasons.
Trees Are Active Members of the Soil Community
Soil Symbiosis: A Harmonic Partnership
The tree-soil relationship is not one-sided, and trees are not passive recipients in the soil ecosystem. In fact, trees take an active role in providing soil organisms important food resources - energy rich root exudates they produce in a magical process called photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis: Trees convert Carbon to Energy
Photosynthesis allows trees to convert sunlight, atmospheric carbon dioxide, and water into sugars and oxygen. These sugars provide essential energy not just for the tree but also for its underground partners, most of which cannot make sugars on their own. By releasing sugars into the soil around their roots, trees can directly foster microbial activity and strengthen their symbiotic relationship with soil organisms.
Soil Microbes: Nature’s ultimate recyclers deliver soil nutrients directly to trees
In return, these microbes and soil dwelling organisms – consisting of billions of beneficial bacteria, miles of fungal mycelia, and countless protozoa, nematodes, arthropods, earthworms, and other soil life – surround and form intricate networks with tree roots that help them obtain nutrients, as well as water, which may otherwise be inaccessible to the tree.
To accomplish this, these soil microbes break down soil minerals and organic matter derived from fallen leaves, twigs, and other plant debris and release essential elements like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium directly within the root zone for trees to readily absorb. Working as a sort of soil nutrient feedback loop, this natural nutrient cycling process supports healthy tree growth while sustaining the vibrant ecosystem that supports the tree underground.
Soil Life builds soil structure and safeguards tree health
There are other ways that trees benefit from the rich biological community in soil to enhance their health and well-being. In addition to providing vital nutrients, soil organisms also work to structure soil, moving and binding soil particles to build soil aggregates and pore spaces. These spaces retain and store vital reserves of moisture and oxygen that are needed by the tree.
Moreover, the living biological network surrounding tree roots shields them from harmful soil borne pathogens, providing a natural defense against diseases. Their relationship forms a protective and supportive system that enables trees to live and thrive.
Restore Life to Your Soil with Monster Tree Service’s Soil Health Program
In residential and commercial settings, natural soil ecosystems are often disrupted or degraded, frequently through construction and other activities that cause soil disturbances, compaction, chemical imbalances, and loss of organic matter. All of these factors can lead to declining tree health, making proactive soil care essential for sustaining healthy, long-lived trees.
Monster Tree Service’s Soil Health Program revitalizes soil by restoring beneficial soil biology, improving soil health, and sustainably making water, nutrients, and oxygen available to trees and shrubs. Our seasonal applications mimic natural cycles - feeding the life in the soil - to rebuild and enhance its capacity to retain moisture and air, while sustainably supporting the nutrient needs of trees and the diverse microbial community that is vital to tree health.
With holistic soil treatments tailored specifically for trees and shrubs, along with expert guidance from our professional arborists, this program can provide your trees with the foundational support they need for robust growth and long-term defense against stressors, pests, and diseases.
Investing in Monster’s Soil Health Program is an investment in the long-term beauty and sustainability of your landscape. Contact your local Monster Tree Service to schedule treatments for your trees and shrubs today!