The simple answer to this question is YES ! Besides watering, aeration is THE MOST BENEFICIAL SERVICE you can provide your lawn. Ever wonder how golf courses achieve beautiful turf results even in the harshest of conditions? One of the main reasons is that they REGULARLY AERATE the turf! Compare the upkeep of your lawn with going to the dentist or taking care of a car. Throughout the year there are certain upkeep requirements that are necessary to maintain the overall health of your lawn. Similar to oil changes for cars, or regular cleaning of your teeth, aerating your lawn should ALWAYS be a staple in every homeowner’s lawn care program.
How does aeration help my lawn?
The ULTIMATE factor in turf health is a deep, healthy root system. The deeper the grass roots, the healthier and greener your lawn will be. Every season gravity, water, and other pressures such as traffic on the lawn naturally compact, or compress the soil. When the soil in your lawn becomes compacted, it begins to strangle the root system to the point that it is unable to develop the long, healthy roots that are essential in achieving a lush green lawn. The aeration process helps loosen compacted soil and allows vital air, water, and nutrients to better reach the root system. Simply speaking, aeration gives your soil and grass root system room to BREATHE AND THRIVE !
How do you aerate a lawn?
During the aeration process, our Professional Lawn Technician will use an aeration machine to remove plugs of soil from your lawn. The plugs that are removed by the aerator measure approximately 2 – 3 inches long, and are about the diameter of a quarter. On average, 10 plugs per square foot of lawn are removed during the aeration process. Those plugs are left on the lawn to reabsorb into the soil through watering, mowing and natural use of the lawn.
What are some signs my lawn needs aeration?
- There is a visible thatch buildup in the yard. Thatch is the layer of dead and living grass shoots, stems and roots that collects between the soil and grass blades. Thatch can create a protective barrier in your lawn, but leads to damage when allowed to build up.
- You find that water puddles on the lawn after rain. When the soil is compressed too tightly, water is unable to easily penetrate into the soil and nourish the root system.
- Your lawn has a history of disease and/or mushrooms in the yard. Disease and mushrooms tend to thrive in slowly draining soils.
- You have difficulty sticking a screwdriver or pencil into the soil. If you are struggling to fit a pencil into your soil, imagine how much the grass roots are struggling to grow in the soil.
- You have heavy clay in the soil. Clay soils are naturally more compacted and need regular aeration in order to thrive.
- You have heavy traffic from kids or dogs. All of those pounding feet begin to take a toll on your lawn over time.
- You have thin, patchy or bare grass in the lawn. These areas are an indication that your lawn is struggling to thrive and needs some extra Tender Lawn Care.
What are the benefits to lawn aeration?
While the main goal of aeration is to reduce soil compaction and allow for the thickening of the lawn’s root system, there are many additional benefits to aeration:
- Water, air, and fertilizer can reach grass roots more easily
- Reduces insect activity and lawn disease
- Improves soil water uptake
- Improves fertilizer uptake and use
- Reduces water runoff and puddling
- Allows for the growth of strong turfgrass roots
- Improves your lawn’s tolerance to heat and drought conditions
- Improves the resiliency and cushioning of your lawn
- Helps maintain a healthy layer of thatch
How OFTEN should I aerate my lawn and WHEN is the best time of year to aerate?
The general rule of thumb is to perform an aeration ONCE ANNUALLY for our Michigan grasses. Annual aeration helps create a strong immune system for your lawn to defend against harsh summer weather, disease, and insect activity. If for some reason an aeration cannot be performed annually, the longest your lawn should go without an aeration is once every other year.
The most ideal time of year to perform an aeration is DURING THE FALL because that is when 85% of root growth takes place . Also, cool warm temperatures combined with warm soil temperatures are the perfect combination to allow the lawn to recover easily from the aeration process.
What else do I need to know about lawn aeration?
- Think about overseeding your lawn right after your aeration service to help supplement areas that may be thinning due to high traffic, harsh conditions, or simply due to the natural aging process of grass
- Be sure to let us know if you have an underground sprinkler system or electronic dog fence. We will send lawn flags to your home to mark these areas so that we do not cause any damage to these systems with our aeration machines
Compacted soil comes with a long list of negative side effects that can be amplified during stressful Michigan summers. Give your lawn the TLC (Tender Lawn Care) it needs to thrive and become the lush green lawn you want it to be with our yearly Fall Core Aeration service! Contact us for a FREE 2-Minute Estimate from Custom Personalized Lawn Care!
