climb into trees, reaching up to 20 feet in height. “You can excavate out the underground nodules to get those out earlier and get the whole plant out because they regen- erate from the roots,” Brewer explains. Air excavators are regularly employed by utility companies, the oil and gas industry, agriculture companies, and even search and rescue operations. AirSpade is popular with utilities that use it for trenching, according to Land- ers, while Brewer’s Arborjet offers specif- ic tips for safely using its air excavators around electric and natural gas lines. Construction companies also find uses for air excavators on job sites, including bringing in arborists to help excavate tree roots during the construction process. “It’s just a good high-compressed air that can break up any compacted stuff,” Brewer says.
Tree care experts with Texas-based Arborilogical use an air excavator to loosen compact soil.
making it an affordable option for ar- borists. “They’re pretty rugged and don’t have a lot of issues,” Brewer says. “They’re very well designed, they’re very low maintenance, and they’re very low wear.”
OTHER USES Air excavators aren’t just for trees. In fact, they can be useful in tending to other plant health care needs. One issue an air excavator can help with is invasive species mitigation. Porcelain vine, for example, can
50 | ArborTIMES Summer 2024
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