Lawn Aeration

Lawn Aeration helps in many ways

Lawn aeration is the process of mechanically making finger-sized holes in your yard and depositing the removed plug on the lawn to break down.

This allows fertilizer, water, and oxygen to get to the roots, which creates a healthier, greener lawn and increases your lawn’s drought tolerance. Lawn aeration should be a part of regular lawn care preventive maintenance, just like mowing, irrigation, fertilizing, weed control, and pest control.

BENEFITS OF LAWN AERATION

• Improves heat and drought tolerance
• Increases water and nutrient penetration and absorption
• Reduces water pooling and runoff
• Enhances soil oxygen levels
• Stimulates healthy root growth
• Promotes stronger roots
• Improves fertilizer absorption
• Speeds up decomposition of thatch
• Reduces soil compaction
• Improves cushioning and resiliency

PROBLEMS HELPED BY AERATION

Experts recommend aerating your lawn annually for healthy lawns and 2 times yearly for any of the following problems:

• Lawns experiencing heavy foot traffic
• Lawns composed of heavy clay soil
• Lawns with ½” or more of thatch
• Lawns that have standing water after normal irrigation or moderate rain
• Any lawn that browns easily in heat

THINGS TO REMEMBER BEFORE AERATING YOUR LAWN

• Do not aerate new sod or newly seeded grass. They need approximately 12 months to get established before aerating.
• Mow 1-2 days prior to aeration. This allows for the deepest plugs to be removed during the aeration process.
• Flag sprinkler heads, irrigation covers, light housings, utility cables/lines, etc. (flag anything you do not want holes in).
• Aerate 24 hours after normal watering or a ½” rain. It is not recommended to aerate dry or muddy soil.

CONSIDERATIONS AFTER AERATING YOUR LAWN

• Fertilize your lawn immediately after aerating, while the holes are still exposed.
• The best time to apply pre-emergent is immediately after aerating to reduce the chances of weed invasion.
• Water your lawn thoroughly (deep soak) after aerating. Water helps breakdown the plugs left on your lawn, helps breakdown fertilizer so it can penetrate the root system and stimulates root growth.
• Mow any time after your lawn has been watered thoroughly.
• Reseed your lawn immediately to 2 weeks after aerating, if the soil temperature is consistently above 60° F. DO NOT use pre-emergent if you plan on seeding your lawn.