When the soil of your lawn becomes too hard-packed, the air, water, and nutrients can’t penetrate deeply enough to truly enrich your grass. That’s why you should consider aerating your lawn now and then, to loosen the soil and allow oxygen and other nutrients into the soil. Discover how and when to plan your lawn aeration.
Which Lawns Need Aeration?
Lawns generally need aeration if they are heavily used. Do people walk across the grass frequently at your home or business? Do you have pets that trample across the grass? Any backyard, front yard, or other grassy space that undergoes frequent use is a good candidate for aeration.
Newly established lawns also require more frequent aeration. If your lawn dries out easily and doesn’t hold moisture, or has a layer of thatch that’s too thick, you need to aerate. Heavily layered lawns, with sod added over differently textured soil, also require aeration to stay healthy.
Any lawn can benefit from occasional aeration, but if your lawn falls into any of these categories, aeration may be a more urgent need.
When to Aerate the Lawn
Spring is the ideal season for aerating your lawn. It’s the time when your lawn is waking up for the growing season! For cool season grasses, try aerating in the early half of spring. Late spring is ideal aeration time for warm season grasses.
Tools for Lawn Aeration
Plan ahead for your lawn aeration by collecting the tools you’ll need. First, decide on the extent of the aeration you’d like to perform. For a smaller grassy space, or one that needs only minimal aeration, you may be able to use a handheld spike aerator. This forklike instrument pokes holes into the earth.
For lawns that needs more extensive aeration, try an aerator that pulls small, deep plugs of soil from the earth.
If the lawn you need to treat is large, you’ll need an aerating machine that can do the job under electrical power, so you don’t wear yourself out. Aerating machines do the job quickly and efficiently, punching holes and drawing out earth plugs of a few inches in depth and about half an inch wide.
Preparation for Aerating Your Lawn
It’s tough to aerate dry soil, to plan to do the aeration the day after a heavy rain, or water your lawn thoroughly the day before. Continue mowing your lawn as normal before and after aeration, and remember to employ the right kind of fertilizer for your yard this spring as well.
Visit the Kurtz Bros., website to purchase the fertilizer, rakes, rich soil, and other supplies you need to help your lawn flourish this spring. Contact us if you have questions, and our lawn care experts will be happy to help you out.
