The Rescue Process

Veteran trees in decline can be brought back from the brink. Here is how we diagnose the problem and restore the soil that keeps them standing, one stage at a time.

The problem

By the time a tree reaches veteran or ancient status, its roots have absorbed almost all the nutrients in the surrounding soil. Years of footfall from visitors compact that soil further, so the roots struggle to push through and reach what little is left.

Decompaction

We use an Apex Geo-Injector, a pneumatic probe, to penetrate the soil up to 1.2 metres deep, then inject compressed air at 100psi. This opens precise cavities that decompact the soil from the deepest roots all the way to the surface.

Treatment

We backfill those cavities with Carbon Gold’s enriched biochar, a highly porous, inert charcoal that improves the soil’s water-holding capacity and houses the beneficial microorganisms that keep roots healthy.

The science

The biochar is enriched with mycorrhizal fungi, worm casts and seaweed to speed up colonisation, giving the root zone a stable, long-term habitat and higher rates of beneficial fungi around the roots.

The results

In independent studies, trees treated with enriched biochar showed improved vitality and resistance to prevalent, sometimes incurable diseases, including horse chestnut leaf miner, honey fungus, acute oak decline and ash dieback.