Almost any lawn can benefit from aeration when it’s timed well and done properly. Grass roots need air, water and nutrients to grow thick, deep and strong. When soil becomes compacted, even slightly, it inhibits the flow of the essentials that support thicker, healthier turf growth. A layer of compacted soil just 1/4 to 1/2 inches thick can make a significant difference in the health and beauty of your lawn. Aeration creates holes down into the soil to alleviate compaction so air, water and nutrients can reach grass roots.
Deprived of their basic needs by compacted soil, lawn grasses struggle in stressful situations, such as heat and low rainfall, and lose their healthy, rich color. Grasses gradually thin and eventually die out completely, for lack of oxygen, water and nutrients available just inches away. Even a single aeration session can open the avenue for these essentials to reach their mark and put your lawn back on an upward trend. If you live where heavy clay soil is the norm, annual aeration is probably needed to keep your lawn from becoming thin and weak.
Thatch is the layer of decomposing organic matter that forms right at the lawn surface, between soil and grass. When thatch gets more than 1/2 inch thick, it works like compaction to prevent the flow of air, water and nutrients grasses need. Aggressive spreading grasses, such as Kentucky Blue grass in northern lawns and Bermuda grass down south, form more thatch than many other grass types. Aeration helps penetrate and reduce thatch buildup or prep it for removal through de thatching.
If your grass often looks stressed and your soil is hard to the touch or rainwater puddles up where it used to be absorbed, you may have compaction problems. Confirm your suspicions with a simple “screwdriver test.” Take a regular screwdriver and stick it into your lawn’s soil by hand. It should slide in fairly easily. If you meet resistance, your soil is compacted, and aeration can help.
As with most larger lawn projects, such as planting grass seed, it’s best to aerate during or right before the time your grasses reach their peak time for natural growth. Aeration is good for lawns, but it can put stress on lawns if timed improperly. Never aerate dormant lawns.
For cool-season grasses common in northern lawns, early fall or early spring are the best times for aerating. For warm-season grasses common to southern lawns, the best time for aerating is late spring or very early summer. Never aerate when it is really hot outside because the lawn will already be under stress and aerating may damage the lawn. When aeration coincides with active growth, grasses recover quickly and fill in areas where aerator equipment exposes soil.
Aerating your lawn is best when your soil is moist from irrigation or rainfall the day before. Overly dry soil can be tough to aerate, so moisture eases the process and you will get more uniform plugs. Never aerate overly wet lawns due to tearing and ripping of the turf. It is best to wait a few days instead, so the soil will be moist and not soaking wet.
At The Best Grass, we use an Ex Mark commercial grade core aerator which is what most professionals use. This type of aerator use rows of hollow tines that remove plugs of soil from your lawn and deposit them on top, where they break down. The size of the plugs and the holes they create vary in width and depth, depending on the machine used. After you finish aerating your lawn, let the soil plugs dry where they fall. They’ll break down in rain or crumble in a matter of days, adding beneficial soil and organic matter to your lawn surface.
By adding aeration to your annual task list or doing regular compaction checks to check for need, you help ensure your lawn can reach its full potential for thickness, health and beauty. The Best Grass is committed to helping you achieve the best possible lawn. Here’s to you having the best grass.
Cheers,
