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Talking About Welding Equipment and Techniques

Hi there. I’m Nina. Welcome to my website about welding. The process of welding together metal takes a lot more than a hot iron and some metal wire. There are many different machines and practices people use to carefully and skillfully weld together metal. With the right techniques, you can create truly beautiful welds that hold up to the test of time. The strong metal welds are often stronger than the two metal pieces they join together. I would like to use this site to talk about the different types of welding equipment, techniques and safety gear used for this exciting industry. Thanks for visiting.

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Talking About Welding Equipment and Techniques

Everything You Need To Know About Soil Compaction

by Matias Keranen

It's not just farmer's fields that can struggle with soil compaction. Your home garden, whether small or large, is also susceptible to the devastating effects of compacted soil. Here's what you to need to know about this serious issue.

What Is Soil Compaction?

Healthy soil is porous, with plenty of air space pockets that allow water and nutrients to freely flow. Compacted soil is soil that doesn't have many air pockets. This can be from over-tilling or it can be from something as simple as walking too much over the soil. When the soil is compacted, plants have to work that much harder to survive.

Soil Compaction Can Cause Erosion.

If the soil is compacted, it sometimes forms a hardened crust. This will lead to water run-off. Plants in areas that have a hard crust compaction will typically show signs of drought. Rain or irrigation water will not penetrate the ground, which means the plant's root system will be unable to cycle the needed water and nutrients it needs to grow. This will result in wilted plants and leaf discoloration.

Soil Compaction Will Cause Seedling Die Off.

A seed can handle a little bit of soil compaction; the seed stays encased in moisture and protected from predators while it germinates. But if the soil is densely compacted, especially at the surface, the little seedlings will have a tough time pushing through the soil and reaching sunlight, which is necessary for their growth. Plants with taproots, such as a carrot, will not be able to penetrate the ground deeper. When a healthy root system cannot develop, the above-ground portion cannot develop. Instead, the germinated seeds will die below ground and the crop will be a total failure.

Soil Compaction Causes An Anaerobic Environment.

When soil is severely compacted, there are no pockets of air. With no air pockets, sometimes referred to as pore space, nothing can grow. Both plants and the microbial bacteria activity that exists in healthy soil will not be able to flourish. Additionally, mycorrhizae are prohibited. These are the beneficial fungi that appear as white hair-like fibers on the ends of roots. They draw up phosphate for the plant, which can't do it on its own. In an anaerobic environment, the lack of oxygen means life cannot exist.

What Can Be Done About Soil Compaction?

Don't till moist or wet soil. You also don't want to walk or drive across damp or wet soil. You can buy a simple, relatively inexpensive tool called a pocket penetrometer. This useful tool will allow you to determine where and to what degree the soil is compacted and the pore space. If the reading indicates the soil is compacted, you can then take steps to begin repairing the soil. This is primarily accomplished by working organic matter, or compost, into the soil. 

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