Airspade

An air-spade uses a compressor to deliver high pressure air which can blast soil away from roots whilst still leaving them intact. This can be useful for root investigations where it is necessary to find out if there are any roots present, for example, where footings for buildings are to be excavated. An air-spade can also be used in soil amelioration after compaction has taken place (it is always preferable to protect soil from compaction in the first place) by trenching radially from the trunk to the drip-line and incorporating woodchip mulch.