New soil cell technology aims to grow big trees in Edmonton's tight spaces

Elise Stolte

2016-08-01

Edmonton Journal

Keywords: Soil Cell Technology, Urban Tree Growth, Edmonton Street Trees, Compacted Soil, Tree Pits, Urban Planning, Tree Health, Environmental Sustainability

Engineers used to believe trees would find their own room to grow, said Crispin Wood, head of Edmonton’s urban foresters. With new road designs, that’s no longer true. Now construction crews compact soil as much as possible to create a good surface for the pavement and tree roots can do nothing with it.

The article "New soil cell technology aims to grow big trees in Edmonton's tight spaces" by Elise Stolte in the Edmonton Journal discusses the challenges of growing street trees in Edmonton's compact urban environment. Traditional tree pits often lead to stunted growth and high mortality rates due to limited space and heavily compacted soil. To address this, Edmonton is adopting new soil cell technology, which involves stacking small plastic cells underground and filling them with un-compacted soil. This method provides trees with the necessary space to grow healthy root systems even under sidewalks or parking spaces. The city has committed to increasing the amount of soil allocated for street trees in its projects, with a goal of providing 17 cubic meters of soil for larger species like elms and oaks. This technology has been successfully implemented in several areas, including Stony Plain Road and 96 Street, where it has shown promising results in promoting tree health and growth

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Tags: Tree Conservation, Public Policy, Urban Development, Tree Health, Community Involvement, Sustainable Practices