Aerating your lawn is often overlooked each year or only done once every few years. Is it worth it? What does it do? What is aeration? In this post we will breakdown the purpose, methods for aeration, advantages and disadvantages, and timing.
The Goal of Aerating a Lawn
The overarching goal of lawn aeration is to reduce soil compaction and thatch buildup. Both soil compaction and thatch can hinder grass growth causing an unhealthy lawn. Additionally, aeration increases air to the roots of the grass. Improves water absorption and retention and increases growth.
What is Lawn Aeration?
There are several types of lawn aeration but we will focus on the most common and what we at Lawn Doctor recommend, Mechanical Core Aeration. Mechanical Core Aeration pulls plugs from the lawn creating holes in the lawn to achieve the goals we addressed above. Mechanical Core Aeration is recommended because it provides the best results for heavily trafficked lawn and lawns with a lot of thatch.
When to Aerate and How to Prepare
Here in Utah and Wasatch Counties it is recommended to aerate in early spring and in early fall. In order to prepare for aeration it is good to water one or two days before the aeration will take place. It is important to mark obstacles in the middle of the grass like sprinkler heads or drains.
After Aeration
It is always good to leave the dirt plugs on the lawn to decompose naturally. It’s also important to give your grass good nutrients through fertilization. The open holes in the lawn will let more nutrients from the fertilizer in. Finally it is advisable to seed your lawn with additional grass seed which will help thicken the lawn the following spring. (Seeding is typically done in the fall.)
Aerate with Lawn Doctor
At Lawn Doctor we can provide aeration services along with our fertilization and weed control services to improve your lawn and keep it looking great. Contact us today for a free quote!
