Lawn aeration is a not so secret weapon used by homeowners keen to have the garden looking lush and beautiful. A perfect example of aeration in action is a golf course. Green keepers use aeration because they know it works wonders. A lawn aerator is a device that attaches to a mower and places holes strategically in the lawn. Aeration has a host of benefits. The holes punched in the grass leave spaces for air, fertilizer and water to go deep into the grass. Occasionally, clumps of grass settle at the base of a lawn. Aeration removes these as well. Drainage is improved, thatch is broken down and conditions for microorganisms to come and break down thatch are also improved. Overall, grass becomes healthier with a massively improved root system.
Equipment
Lawn aeration equipment comes in numerous forms including solid blade aerators and core aerators. You will also have the option of choosing between manual and power aerators. As the name suggests, manual aerators require plenty of effort on your part. It has cylinders that you push into the ground using your foot which should remove small pieces of soil.
A power aerator is suited to large lawns as it can cover the ground very quickly. You need to be careful when using a power aerator as these are powerful tools and it is easy to lose control of them. It is probably best to avoid solid blade aerators because they only poke holes into the ground. These do not remove cores which means the effect on the lawn is minimal with thatch relatively untouched. Core aerators on the other hand, remove plugs of soil which allows the roots to expand.
When To Do It
When it comes to lawn aeration, timing is of paramount importance. Aerate your lawn when grass growth is at its peak. This is also the prime season for de-thatching so you’re performing two important services at once for your lawn service. The time of year to aerate your lawn depends on the type of grass it is. Warm season grasses like Bahia and Bermudagrass should be aerated in spring. Cool season grasses such as Red Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass should be aerated at the end of summer or beginning of fall. Have a pre-emergence herbicide on hand because aeration leaves your lawn open for weed growth.
Other Tips
If you are interested in lawn aeration, do not waste money on shoe aerators. Like their solid blade counterpart, they just place holes in the lawn and do little when it comes to tackling thatch. Always ensure that the lawn has been watered moderately before the aeration process. Once you have performed core aeration, leave the plugs produced on the lawn to dry. You can then rake these dry plugs back into the lawn. Even if you decide not to do this, the plugs can remain on the lawn as they will be broken up the next time you use the mower. To reduce the amount of occasions you need to aerate, create walkways made of stone wherever the lawn experiences the most foot traffic.
Contact us today for a free lawn aeration quote.