Aeration is the process of air exchange between the soil and the atmosphere around it. During this process, small plugs of thatch and soil are removed from the lawn to improve natural soil aeration. The common name for this is “core aeration”. These holes in the soil alleviate compaction so air, water and nutrients can reach grass roots to grow healthier grass.
If grass is deprived of nutrients by compacted soil, the grass will struggle in harsh situations, such as heat and low rainfall, and lose their healthy, rich colour. Grasses gradually thin and eventually die out completely, for lack of oxygen, water and nutrients.
One aeration session can open the avenue for these essentials to reach their mark and put your lawn back on an upward trend.
Benefits of Aeration
Some of the key benefits of aeration include:
- Improved air exchange between the soil and atmosphere.
- Makes your lawn healthier and reduces the maintenance costs.
- Increased soil and water uptake.
- Improved use of fertilizer.
- Less water runoff and puddling.
- Stronger grass roots.
- Less soil compaction.
- Enhanced heat and drought stress tolerance.
- Improved strength.
- Increased thatch breakdown.
When to Aerate Your Lawn
It is good practice to aerate every year if you have areas with high-traffic or heavy clay soil to keep your lawn from becoming thin and weak.
You may not realize, but your lawn can get compacted easier than you think. Vehicles or small equipment driven on lawns are more obvious offenders, but even outdoor entertaining or yard play by kids and pets can leave all or part of your lawn compacted.
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 your grass reaches its peak time for natural growth. Aeration is good for lawns, but it can stress grass 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.
Get Started Today
Aeration, combined with our custom KNK blend of spring fertilizer is the key to success for a healthier, thicker lawn. Contact our lawn experts today or fill out our online quote form.