CORE AERATION -Keep making your soil better

To get a beautiful garden, you must till the soil. Aeration is how you till your lawn. Many people don’t think they need aeration until they see that their lawn is looking thin, or having other problems. Aeration will help fill thin, drought damaged areas if done consistently year-after-year. This makes the difference in keeping a lawn more consistently beautiful.

Core Aeration should be done yearly, if not both spring and fall, or at least every 1-2 years. This will establish and re-establish the root system and break down thatch. Aeration will reduce compaction, improve air exchange between soil and atmosphere, enhance water intake, improve fertilizer use, make turf grass more resistant to fungus and disease, stimulate turf grass rooting, enhance heat and drought resistance, and speed up thatch break down. If nothing else is done to your lawn this year, aeration is one of the most beneficial. Aeration is recommended every fall for optimum health and lawn maintenance.

Why Core Aerate?    In most homes, the natural soil has been seriously disturbed by the building process. Fertile topsoil may have been removed or buried during excavation of the basement or footings, leaving subsoil that is more compact, higher in clay content and less desirable for healthy lawn growth. These lawns need aeration to improve the depth and extent of turf grass rooting and improve fertilizer and water use. Intensely-used lawns are exposed to stress from traffic injury. Walking, playing, and mowing are forms of traffic that compact soil particles and reduce large air spaces where roots are ready to grow. 

Thatch Build Up?   Although a thin layer of thatch is beneficial, it should not exceed 1/2 inch. Excess thatch blocks out air, light and water from reaching the root zones. This problem is typical of sodded lawns and helps cause fungus. Aeration reduces thatch accumulation to healthy levels if done regularly.