Steel to break compaction: Making room for roots

“Tight soil” can be physical or chemical. From the surface, the symptoms often look the same: water pooling, poor growth, shallow roots and areas that never seem to perform.This episode takes a short detour from my Better Farming Prairies series on chemically tight soils to look at physical compaction. When does steel help? When do roots help? And when are we expecting too much from both?I cover traffic, headlands, wheel tracks, deep tillage, cover crops, and why diagnosis matters before choosing a fix. Tillage can provide relief when the problem is true physical compaction, but roots need to follow if the benefit is going to last. If the problem is chemical — such as salinity or sodicity — steel alone will not solve it.--------In case you’re new here, I’m Scott Gillespie—an Alberta-based writer and independent agronomy consultant. My work focuses on #RealisticRegenAg for organic and conventional farms. I provide practical, science-backed advice shaped by two decades of experience across a range of farming systems, with particular expertise in irrigated production.--------Transcript with links to everything mentioned in the episode:https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/steel-roots-break-compactionArticle link:https://issuu.com/lethcounty/docs/rural_living_in_lethbridge_county_spring_summer_2/22Newsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752 YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottcgillespie (Look below Spotify for other apps or just search “Plants Dig Soil” in your favourite app.)Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/books Consulting packages: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/speaking Funding service offerings: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork Email: [email protected] Call/text/WhatsApp:403-654-3096LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/