What Does Lawn Aeration Do To Your Lawn?

Lawn aeration is the process of puncturing the soil to allow air, nutrients, and water to penetrate the roots.

Your main goal is to break up compacted soil or deep thatch layer.

This is because such soil is highly impregnable. And this means that water, nutrients, and air may no longer be reaching an important part of your plants- the roots.

And when your grass plants are starving, your dream of having the most beautiful, lush and green lawn remains just that- a dream.

Here are the most obvious:

• Worms become more active thus helping to decompose thatch.
• Water, nutrients, and oxygen will reach all corners.
• Your crops grow healthier roots.
• Rainfall and irrigation water will penetrate deeply.
• Fertilizer and pesticideswill flow into desired areas.

This is how you inspect your soil:

Test A: Using a Shovel, a Screwdriver (or a pencil)

Push either a screwdriver or a pencil into the soil.

If your garden is compacted, it will barely move.

Now what remains is to actually confirm it truly needs aeration.

So, do this:

Take a shovel and try to sink it underground- up to around half the blade

If you succeed, your soil is okay.

Otherwise, if it won’t budge, consider aerating it.

Test B: The Dig Test

Another way is to first dig up some soil (and grass).

In this case, you want to check the condition of the grass roots and the level of thatching.

You do this:

After digging up, first look for thatch.

Usually, you should notice a layer of thatch between soil and the grass blades.

If this layer happens to exceed one-half inch in thickness, you will need to aerate.

Alternatively:

Measure the depth of your grass roots.

If they extend up to 4-6 inches deep, then your soilis not compressed.

 However, if the roots are only 1-2 inches deep, it’s time to aerate

But if you have warm-season grasses, the recommended time for plug aeration is mid-spring all the way to early summer.

Anyway, it’s always good to time it during the growing season as your grass will have a chance to heal and spread to the open areas where soil plugs were removed.

How frequently should you aerate?

To decide how frequently you should do it, you need to answer 2 questions:

What type of grass are you growing? Then, which is the dominant type of soil in your lawn?
Now, if your yard has heavy clay soil, aerate twice a year.

Sand-based lawns can do with one aeration per year.

However, your lawn can be busier or fairly free meaning you may need to aerate more or fewer times.

When completely unsure, just perform the aeration test. You will know when to aerate.

Tips on Aerating Your Yard

Here are some tips to help you aerate like a pro.

• Ensure the soil is wet

Aerating bone dry soil can be frustrating.

So, to make it more enjoyable, water your lawn a day before. Alternatively, you can aerate after a rain shower

• Multiple Passes are Essential

Aerators cover only a fraction of the surface per pass. So, to make sure 100% aeration, pass severally over the most affected areas.

• Leave Plug to Dry before Breaking Them Up

So that your lawn can have a uniform, immaculate appearance, allow excavated soil plugs to dry before breaking them up.

• Don’t forget your other lawn care practices

After aerating, continue with your lawn care routine. So, properly fertilize, mow and water.

That’s the only way to ensure your lawn reaches its full potential