\u201cGrowing up, I never heard my parents talking about aerating the lawn,\u201d Georgia said. \u201cAnd they had fantastic grass. But that\u2019s back home in the country. Here in Quincy, I don\u2019t know what the situation is, but the grass just doesn\u2019t want to seem to grow for me. Our lawn care service recommends aeration \u2013 but I don\u2019t know what that is or why I want it?\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the joys of home ownership is discovering that the soil in your yard may not be optimal for grass growth. This can take several forms, such as nutritional deficiencies \u2013 which can be addressed by fertilizer \u2013 or compacted soil.<\/p>\n
Compacted soil is soil that is so tightly pressed together that the surface is too hard for rain water, oxygen, or fertilizer to make its way through. You may notice some areas in your yard where the rain puddles and runs off without permeating. This is a sign that the soil is compacted. Another good sign you have compacted soil is that the grass isn\u2019t growing.<\/p>\n
Soil can become compacted for a number of reasons. Traffic is a big one \u2013 especially if vehicles or heavy items have been over the area repeatedly. Kids and pets playing can do a good job compacting the soil. And sometimes the soil is just randomly compact in an area, due to the fact there\u2019s a lot of clay in the soil.<\/p>\n