Soil compaction

Soil compaction is when the dirt or soil is packed down tightly like a pancake. When we play with sand or soil, we can make different shapes like a ball or a castle because the sand is loose and fluffy. But when we keep pressing down on top of the sand or dirt, it becomes hard and tight like a rock.

Imagine that the soil is made up of tiny houses where the plants' roots need to live. If the soil is too compacted, the tiny houses will be too small or crushed together, and the roots will not have enough space to grow. That is why soil compaction is not good for plants.

It's like trying to breathe through a straw that someone has stepped on. The air can't flow through easily, and the same thing happens to water and nutrients when soil is compacted. The plants don't get enough of what they need to grow and may become sick or die.

Every time we step on the ground, drive our cars or heavy equipment over the soil or dance in the rain, we are pressing down on the soil, and it gets compacted. Farmers and gardeners use special machines and tools to loosen up the dirt and prevent it from becoming too compacted so that plants can grow healthily.