Have you ever wondered why year after year your neighbour’s lawn is lusciously green while yours is always dry and dull? The key to having a beautifully green lawn is the simple process of aeration.
According to the Professional Lawn Care Association, aerating your lawn is the most beneficial maintenance activity you can do for your lawn, so what are you waiting for? To reap the benefits of aeration it is highly recommended to aerate your lawn once or twice a year during the spring and fall seasons when the soil is moist.
Ideal aeration conditions will help you capitalize on the benefits that aeration will have on your lawn. Avoid aeration during a drought because the added holes will just evaporate the remainder of the water that is trapped in the soil. You also want to avoid extremely damp soil because it is impossible to puncture mud. Use your judgement and pick balanced soil conditions to aerate your lawn.
2 Types of Aeration
There are two main types of aeration, spike and plug aeration. The spike aeration tool creates holes into the ground with a fork, whereas the plug aeration machine actually removes cores from the soil. The plug aeration tool is more effective because spike methods can often cause unwanted compaction surrounding the newly created holes. Plug aeration actually damages roots which stimulates the grass to grow faster.
When choosing an aeration tool it is ideal for the machine to make soil plugs that are approximately 2-3 inches deep and .5-.75 inches wide to efficiently reach the roots below. Also the holes should be spaced to be about 2-3 inches apart covering the entire lawn. It is also highly suggested to go over the entire lawn twice to ensure that you achieve the perfect aeration conditions. Also don’t fret, the unattractive holes will disappear in a week or two when the lawn takes advantage of the newly created space.
What does Aeration Do?
Aeration breaks up the top four inches of soil that commonly gets extremely dry and compact. The tough top layer is known as thatch which can be full of decomposed animals, which will encourage mold, mildew and disease if you do not break it up. Aeration eliminates thatch and facilitates healthy decomposition which intern brings minerals back into the soil.
Thatch blocks the ability for your lawn to receive the nourishment it needs to fully flourish. The tiny aerated holes fix this fundamental problem and helps deliver nutrition to your grass. Like the name suggests aeration allows air to get to each blade of grass which encourages quicker root growth. The extra room that aeration creates also allows roots to expand, which intern makes the grass roots stronger and able to withstand harsher weather conditions.
Grass is similar to humans because if the main artery to food is blocked, it will be unable to properly grow. The perforations unplug the soils arteries which heightens your grasses ability to absorb water and nutrients which are vital ingredients needed for a healthy green lawn. If you use any type fertilizer, the aeration holes will improve the fertilizers effectiveness because the holes give a direct route to the roots.
Aeration is a very simply process that will have a huge impact on the appearance of your lawn. Aeration will improve the overall health of your lawn, making it denser, more resistant to droughts, and green. There is no secret trick to having the best lawn in the neighbourhood, call Evergreen Landscapes today and let our professionals help you enjoy a perfectly cultivated lawn today.
