You might not be familiar with how to maintain a healthy lawn. Although you have heard of it and been told to do it by others, you aren’t sure what it does for your lawn.
Aeration is an important part of lawn health. Today we will discuss how to aerate your lawn. We’ll give you an overview of when, how, and why.
We hope you find our lawn aeration guide helpful. Let’s get started.
What is the importance of lawn aeration?
Natural soils and grasses work well together if there is plenty of airflow. The soil has enough space to allow water, oxygen and nutrients to freely flow to roots. This allows for healthy growth of grasses.
To thrive, plants need a variety of nutrients. There isn’t enough space for nutrients to flow in most lawns. Our lawns are often dense, which means they have less room for nutrients to flow.
When we drive over them, use sod to make them, or spend a lot time walking on them, lawns can become compacted. Some newly built homes have healthy topsoil. However, the subsoil can be compacted by construction vehicles that were used during the home-building process.
These things can leave grass starving. We aerate lawns by creating holes in the ground which allow water, nutrients, oxygen, and light to reach the roots.
This solves the problems associated with compacted soil.
When is it time to aerate your lawn?
There are several options when it comes to timing your aeration. Most people will tell that you should aerate in the peak season.
This allows for more nutrients to reach the roots, when they are most needed. This will result in thicker and healthier grass. This is only true if you are aerating to grow.
Aerating can be done to maintain your lawn’s general health, depending on the climate and conditions. You might consider aerating in the fall if you are someone who makes a lot of lawn use during the summer.
The time period after heavy use of the lawn might be when the soil is at its most compact. After an active summer, a fall aeration should be done to provide nutrients for the grass and allow it to grow back healthy in the spring.
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Keep an eye out for these things
There are two ways to avoid aerating. It might sound like a good idea to aerate in spring. In some cases, it may be. However, it might not be a good idea to aerate in spring if there are a lot of weeds.
Holes in your lawn could make it easier for weeds to get into your yard and establish deep roots. A person who is spraying their lawn after they have aerated should not do so.
The holes in your lawn allow the weed-killer to directly access your roots, potentially killing your grass.
It is not a good idea to aerate during particularly dry times. You could also dry out your soil and cause more stress to your lawn by aerating.
How to Aerate your Lawn
There are many machines that can be used to aerate. You might need to rent large machines for a day. Others are less expensive than $100.
Your lawn’s size will determine the aeration tool you choose. You might not have to spend too much on your aerator if you have a small lawn.
You might consider partnering with neighbors if you have a large lawn that needs to be aerated and are in need of expensive equipment.
Mark Obstacles, and Wait
First, identify any irrigation lines or utility lines that are near your lawn. They could be damaged by your aeration machine.
These obstacles should be flagged and then you can wait for the right moment to aerate. When the soil is moist is the best time to aerate it. A great day to begin aerating is the day following a healthy rainfall.
If your land is extremely dry, you can water your lawn well and then aerate it.
Handling soil cores and aerating your lawn
It’s now time to get started. You can now go over your lawn with the aerator once or twice to make sure you have covered all areas that need attention.
The soil will distribute more evenly the more thorough you are in your aeration. After aerating, you will notice that soil cores collected during the process are scattered around your lawn. These should dry.
These dry cores can be raked with a lawnmower, rake or other tools. They will be distributed and lightly filled with aeration holes once they have been broken down. This will help even out your lawn.
Professional Maintenance and Assistance
Professional help might be needed if the above seems daunting. It can be difficult to maintain delicate or large lawns.
Complex lawns can make aeration more difficult. Your lawn’s health can be affected by factors such as weather conditions, landscaping, and patio features.
A team can help you reduce stress and improve the aesthetic appeal of your home. Maintaining a healthy curb appeal can increase your home’s value by seven percent.
You would like to learn more about lawn care?
Cape Cod landscaping is hoping you found our article on how to aerate your grass useful. You can improve your lawn’s quality each year by doing this. You can learn more about maintaining a beautiful lawn.
We are here to help. For more information on lawn care and professional maintenance resources, please contact landscaping company.