You know when you see small cylinders of soil on someone’s lawn and you think, “huh, what’s that about?”
That person had their lawn aerated. They were taking care of their lawn and achieving a thicker, healthier lawn.
Regular lawn maintenance goes a long way in creating a thicker, healthier lawn. Even tasks that you only need to do once a year can play a significant role in maintaining your lawn’s health and appearance.
For many homeowners, aerating their lawn is a regular task they do annually. But why do they do it?
Why aerate your lawn
First of all, aeration involves perforating the soil with small holes so that air, water, and nutrients can penetrate down to the grass roots. This helps the roots grow deeply so your lawn is stronger.
Lawn aeration also relieves soil compaction and enhances grass growth. Compacted soil inhibits the flow of the air and nutrients that will make a significant difference in the health and beauty of your lawn.
Benefits of aeration
Aerating your lawn can help make it healthier and reduce your maintenance requirements because of these benefits:
- Improved air exchange between the soil and atmosphere
- Reduced water runoff and puddling
- Stronger roots
- Reduced soil compaction
- Enhanced heat and drought stress tolerance
- Thatch breakdown
- Improved resiliency and cushioning
When lawns need aeration
The best time to aerate your lawn is during the growing season so that the grass can fill in any open areas after soil plugs are removed. Ideally, you’d aerate your lawn in the early spring or fall.
It may not seem like your lawn is compacted or that it has enough traffic for it to become so, but it happens easier than you may think. Vehicles or small equipment driven on the lawn are obvious offenders, but a lot of playing in the yard or hosting parties can leave your lawn compacted.
If your grass looks stressed and the soil is hard to the touch, or rainwater puddles up where it used to be absorbed, you probably have a compaction problem.
What do I do after aerating my lawn?
After your lawn has been aerated, let the soil plugs dry where they fall. They’ll break down during the next rainfall or crumble when you mow next. They add beneficial soil and organic matter to your lawn surface.
Right after aeration is the perfect time to overseed and fertilize your lawn. Seeds and nutrients will have direct contact with the soil through the openings created during aeration, giving roots the direct and fresh pathways they need to grow.
Aerate Your Lawn with the Team You Trust
Get a jump start on a greener lawn with Pro Outdoor. With our irrigation expertise along with aeration services, there will be increased success in achieving a healthier lawn.
Give the Pro Outdoor team a call today and get started on the aeration process.