The weather has gotten cooler and our lawns are getting greener and growing again. It’s the perfect time to aerate! Here is what you need to know about aeration and why it’s important to the health of your lawn.
What is Lawn Aeration?
Lawn aeration is the process of penetrating the soil with small holes to allow water, air circulation, and nutrients to reach grass roots.
When Should I Aerate My Lawn?
Fall is a great time to aerate your lawn. Throughout the summer, the soil has been compacted from heat, drought and walking on the lawn. During the cool fall growing season, grass can heal and fill in the open soil after aeration has taken place. Do not aerate your lawn during seasons of drought and heat. This will cause more stress to the lawn by allowing the heat to dry out the soil.
We recommend aerating your lawn at least one time per year, either in the spring or fall.
Why Should I Aerate My Lawn?
The main purpose of lawn aeration is to correct compacted soil. Just as you wouldn’t plant a flower on concrete, growing grass on compacted soil doesn’t work so well. Extreme cases of soil compaction can be seen under a swing on a child’s play ground or along a fence where a dog may run back and forth. With excessive traffic, the soil becomes so compacted that nothing will grow in that area. Other causes of compacted soil are from deep thatch layers that have suffocated the soil beneath or standing water from flooding or heavy rainfall. Opening up the soil will loosen the ground, allowing water, air, and nutrients to reach grass roots and bring the lawn back to life.
After your lawn has been aerated, it’s a good time to overseed and apply a lawn fertilizer. Now that the compacted soil has been loosened, new seed has opportunity to grow and fertilizer will be more effective in reaching grass roots. The nutrients provided by the fertilizer will promote growth and you will have healthy new grass in the spring.
