FAQ

If the vertical ribs are interrupted, the root will grow horizontally again at the interruption and circle along the screen until the next vertical rib. This will negatively affect the stability of the tree.

A double edge top is only necessary if it is expected that a root growing over the screen can continue to grow. For example, if there is a hard surface, there is nil chance that this root will survive.

1 mm is already enough to stop tree roots (as opposed to rhizomes) from penetrating the screen. See blog for more info regarding this topic.

Yes and No. Deeper growing tree roots will cause less damage to the pavement by pushing it up. Raft systems allow roots to grow deeper. And secondly, the crates are linked together, the visual and perceived unevenness of the pavement will also be less or even not noticeable. But the fact remains that if the tree grows, the tree root volume increases and the soil underneath any raft system expands. Eliminating the inconvenience caused by root growth is, however, possible with a raft system.

There are several reasons to use concrete Soil Cell. Although the cement industry is one of the main producers of carbon dioxide. The RootBox concrete soil cell systems is fully circular. Easy to dismantle without damaging the integrity of the system and reuse somewhere else in the same application.  And there for high on the ranking of sustainability. Depending on the priority given to each value with regard to sustainability, a concrete or a polymer Soil Cell is the more sustainable. Secondly, for all concrete structures there are standard norms with which the structural strengths can be calculated, which are described in various worldwide accepted standards. With polymer materials, these cannot be indicated by calculation methods, instead with polymer soil cell systems, practical tests are carried out to determine the strength.  To help all our customers, we have also developed a circular Soil Cell that consists entirely of concrete and does not require any polymers for proper application.

RootBox is designed to reduce transport costs, and meets all requirements all over the world. So Yes, RootBox is available and applicable all over the world, in hot and cold climat zones.

Soil cells are made so that they can be filled with any soil. This means that you can use any soil suitable for your project in the soil cells without any problems. Soil specifications are not only tailored to tree requirements, but also depend on project goals, climate zone, availability of groundwater, etc. But also other factors such as durability, availability, the presence or absence of an irrigation system can be taken into account in determining the best soil for your project. Please feel free to ask one of our soil specilist to assist you on this topic.

Tree roots can grow really big. For urban trees the European standard specifies 30cm diameter as the maximum thickness.

Water can be diverted into the soil cell via various ways. E.g. via a street gully, via the open treepit. Important in this respect is that the soil does not remain saturated for too long. The standard is 48 hours which allows any tree species to survive. Of course, some tree species can survive much longer in saturated soil. For more information, please contact one of our specialists.

Yes, RootBox can be used with existing trees. Because RootBox has fewer uprights compared to other systems, RootBox is easier to apply to existing trees. But let’s be clear, using a root protection bridge is an easier system to apply between existing tree roots.

Yes, we can! While Soil cells are typically applied with new tree plantings, there are many circumstances where saving an existing tree is the goal. With the right preparations, care and consideration, Soil cells can be installed to provide the soil volume needed to support an existing tree. And if not possible consider the use of root protection bridges.

Calculating the required soil volume per tree is not straightforward. Several parameters are needed to quantify the soil volume. Of course, there are several rules of thumb that are often used to calculate the minimum required soil volume per tree. 0.5 to 1 m3 per m2 of tree crown projection area. But these rules of thumb are very general. And say nothing about the quality of the volume indicated. Scientific research shows that 1 m3 of loamy soil gives the same tree growth as a staggering 5 m3 of structural soil.

We are often asked this question and no good answer can be formulated without more detailed information about the project circumstances and goals. There is no “one size fits all” solution. But a quick generalist answer is; plant the tree in a large open green space and avoid compaction of the soil by people and traffic passing over.

Unlike other amenities in our public spaces, trees increase in value as they grow and mature. A large tree returns to the community a multiple of its initial construction costs in the many benefits and savings lifelong thousands and thousands of dollars in benefits. But then the tree must be given the opportunity to grow big. It is therefore wise to first invest in the underground growth conditions of the tree.

Trees are invaluable to urban environments. On a hot summer afternoon, we all like to sit in the shade of a tree, nice and cool. Trees do the same for the entire city. They reduce the urban heat island effect and they reduce energy consumption, both for our air conditioners and our heating. In addition, trees improve air and water quality, reduce flooding. But did you know that trees also help create safer neighbourhoods, increase the value of your nearby home. And are a haven for many small animals, helping to increase biodiversity. And besides these benefits, trees offer much more value to our city. Read more here. “the benefits of urban trees.”

Trees in cities are often surrounded by paving. The surface of this paving is so heavily compacted that there is little opportunity for roots to grow underneath. And if they do find a way, it is often accompanied by a lot of damage, such as pavement lifting caused by rootgrowth. Tree planting solutions allow tree roots to develop beneath the road. If the goal is to grow big healthy functional urban trees, there should be a balance between canopy volume and root volume. And urban trees just can’t do without urban tree planting solutions.