Aerate for a Better Lawn

As fall comes around, many homeowners begin to think more about cleaning up their properties. But it’s also the ideal time to aerate—particularly after a dry, hot summer like we just had. Aeration helps with compacted soil by allowing air to circulate through it. It also improves soil drainage and ultimately can bring new life to your lawn.

In our region, which has a lot of clay soil, aeration is really important. Sometimes a lawn that gets a lot of use can become compacted even more quickly. If you have pets or children that are frequently running around in your lawn, it wouldn’t be surprising that your turf might become compacted rather quickly. A lot of homeowners put quite a bit of work into maintaining their turf and are puzzled why it doesn’t look better than it does. If that’s the case for you, aeration might be the key to success that you’re missing.

 

Some possible signs that you need to aerate include:
*Water pooling on your lawn after rain
*A thatch layer that is thicker than one-half inch
*Turf that dries out easily or has a spongy feel
*Turf that looks patchy or thinned out
*Turf that is growing in heavy clay soil (or turf that is compacted)

 

A Simple Test
If you’re still unsure whether your lawn needs aeration, try this simple test. Attempt to stick a stake or something else sharp, such as a screwdriver, into the lawn. If the stake goes into the turf easily, you can assume the turf is already well-aerated. If it is difficult to stick the stake (or other sharp object) into your turf, it could likely benefit from aeration.

 

What to Expect
If you decide to have your lawn aerated, we will use a special piece of equipment called a lawn aerator that essentially punches holes throughout the turf.  As these lawn plugs are removed, it allows moisture to enter the soil and get down deep, to the root of the grass. It also makes your fertilization efforts a lot more effective. In time, this strengthens the root base and allows for lusher, greener grass.  Aeration is one of the simplest ways to make a big improvement to the overall look of your lawn!

Contact us today for more information!