Why is Lawn Aeration such an important service in maintaining a healthy, green lawn? The Aeration process involves perforating the soil with a tool to create small holes to allow air, water, and additional nutrients to penetrate down to the grassroots. As these holes are spaced throughout the lawn they begin to break up the compacted soil in your lawn, allowing water and fertilizer to permeate into the root zone.
The build-up of lawn thatch can make it difficult for your lawn to breathe. Thatch is a layer of organic matter that accumulates on a lawn around the base of the grass plants. One sign that your yard is compacted is if your grass often looks stressed and your soil is hard to the touch. Another sign is when rainwater will puddle up when normally it used to be absorbed. To some, it may seem unlikely that your lawn could get compacted, but it happens easier than you may think. This happens in grassy areas which are submitted to the constant foot traffic such as outdoor entertaining, kids or pets playing and your yard equipment. All this can leave parts of your lawn compacted. Aeration brings life back into your yard whilst removing any excessive thatch and encouraging a healthier and greener lawn. There also are steps needed to be taken after aerating for it is important to continue basic lawn care practices such as proper fertilizing, mowing and watering to maintain your new, refreshed yard.
There are 3 main types of lawn aeration that can be applied to your yard. Each one performs the aeration process a little differently.
Slicing Aeration is the use of rotating blades to slice through grass and thatch to get into the soil. Slicing Aeration is a process that creates pathways for air, water, and nutrients without causing more compaction. The downside to slicing aeration, making it a less common service, is that unlike core aeration, slicing will not remove compaction. Slicing Aeration Service can be used for seeding and lighter aeration projects. Your end choice of service will also depend on what your landscaper notices your yard will need to become the luscious and healthy green yard you are looking for!
Core, or plug, aerators are typically preferred by lawn service professionals. This type of aeration produces rows of hollow tines that remove cylinder plugs out of your lawn to decompact the soil underneath. The plugs are then typically left on the lawn and become broken down and spread across the lawn through means such as mowing. The size of the plugs and the holes they create vary in width and depth, depending on the machine used by your landscaper. Core Aeration Service increases the penetration of air, water, and nutrients into the roots of your lawn, stimulating new root development, creating a thicker turf, and leading to a robust and healthy lawn. Core Aeration ensures a beautiful lawn that can be enjoyed all year round. Not only will Core Aeration bring out the beauty in your lawn, but it also will help with maintaining common potential allergies. Core Aeration is also an ideal method in preparing your lawn for overseeding. Overseeding is an easy way to fill in and improve the density of your turf as well as enhance your lawn’s color.
Spike Aeration Service is a similar process but does not remove any soil or grass. Instead it utilizes spikes to create small holes in the soil. Spike Aeration creates stronger roots, resulting in thicker grass coverage on your lawn. Spike Aeration service is typically seen using lighter equipment than the equipment used in Core Aeration. Spike Aeration also does not reduce soil compaction as the Core Aerator does. Most professional landscapers would recommend Core Aeration over Spike Aeration, but it just depends on what your lawn needs. This aeration is useful in seeding your lawn, as the seeds can take root in the newly produced holes.
The main reason for aerating your lawn is to relieve your lawn of soil compaction. Aerating your lawn will help roots grow deeper and help produce a stronger, more luscious lawn. Compacted soils prevent proper circulation of air, water, and nutrients within the soil weakening the strong networks in your soil. Excess lawn thatch can also starve the roots resulting in bare spots and weed buildup. Landscapers would describe a case of thatch as severe if your thatch is resulting in 3/4 inch thick or more. If this would be the case you would most likely want to hire a professional landscaper to do the job for you over making it a home project. With thicker grass coverage, it will reduce the amount of weeds due to less bare spots in your yard.
Another benefit of Aeration Services is the production of softer soil. Harder, compacted soil prevents your grass from getting the necessary resources it would gain in softer soil regions.
Overseeding immediately after aeration will also promote thicker and lusher grass to cover your lawn. These services, aeration and overseeding, together will help reveal the true beauty of your yard.
For warmer season grasses seen in the South the best time to aerate would be the late spring or very early summer as soon as the soil has thawed out. For cooler season grasses, seen in the North, the best time to aerate would be the early fall or early spring. These seasons are based on the growing seasons, for that is the best time to aerate.
Aerating in the growing season gives your grass the ability to heal and fill in any open areas after soil plugs are removed. It is also recommended that you aerate your yard once or twice a year, depending on the nature of your lawn. Aerating your lawn is best when the soil is moist, such as a fresh rainfall. To make the process more efficient it’s wise to remove as much lawn thatch as you can in fall by raking deeper than just the leaves.
Most experts advise to aerate your lawn once or twice a year or as-needed. Due to the lack of frequency in the aeration process, it becomes more of a hassle than a bargain for busy homeowners. There is also much industry knowledge needed for the completion of proper aeration that most people can’t be expected to keep up with. And aeration is also known to be one of the most confusing lawn care services out there and is best to be done by an experienced aeration professional.
After your yard has been aerated the soil is loose and a perfect time to overseed your yard with new grass seed. Aeration is usually done in the fall which is the perfect time for new grass seeds to germinate and grow.
Overseeding your yard is the process of adding or spreading new grass seed into your existing yard. Over time your established grass in your yard gets old and more susceptible to disease and weed take over. Overseeding new grass seed helps keep your yard thick and looking beautiful by preventing thin or bare spots in your yard.
Lawn Overseeding is a perfect solution for homeowners whose lawns have thin bare or sparse areas in the yard. The most common reasons for your lawn having areas like this is insect or disease damage. A yard’s beauty and thickness can also be diminished by droughts and even sometimes by really wet conditions from prolonged rain. Overseeding helps your yard to recover and get back to being healthy-looking by having new grass growing and filling in areas.
The best time to overseed your yard is right after aerating in the fall. But you can overseed your yard in the late summer through early fall even if you don’t have your yard aerated. If fall passes and you do not get around to overseeding, you can do it in early spring before hot weather sets in. Whether you decide to overseed in fall or spring, moisture is required. So overseeding just before a good rain is recommended.
If you have decided that the DIY Aeration and overseeding approach is not for you, scroll to the top and search for Professional Lawn Care Companies that offer Aeration Services near you.