What is heaving in horticulture?

• A. A process in the winter where plant roots come out of the soil.
• B. A pruning technique.
• C. A soil compaction issue.
• D. A summer disease of turfgrass.

Answer: (A)

Heaving is frost heave—the upward movement of soil and plant parts during winter as the ground repeatedly freezes and thaws. When soil water freezes, it expands and forms ice lenses that push the surrounding soil and any crowns, roots, or bulbs upward. The soil may then settle as it thaws, but the plant can remain lifted, exposed, or damaged. This is a winter phenomenon linked to moisture and freeze-thaw cycles, especially in poorly drained or very moist soils. It isn’t about pruning, soil compaction, or diseases—the term specifically describes the seasonal lifting of plant tissue due to freezing soil dynamics.