Why Aerate a Lawn?
Lawn aeration is an important part of a Lawn Care Program to improve drainage and enhance water and nutrient uptake, especially in soils with lots of clay and silt. Lawn core aeration is achieved by using a lawn aerator, which removes small plugs, or cores, from the lawn. The size of the cores are 2-3” in length, and spaced around 3” apart.
Soil Compaction
Heavy traffic and use where soils predominate with clay and/or silt particles causes soil compaction over time. It is especially common in clay soils, which have tiny particles that adhere together. Winter conditions, such as heavy rain and snow, can also contribute to soil compaction.
Compaction removes the soil air spaces and channels for water to drain through, leading to poor plant growth, often causing puddling of water, and inviting moss. This can even result in roots rotting because the soil is too wet, causing the lawn to die out.
Encouraging Deeper Root Growth
Although aeration will greatly benefit your clay soil, it can also help lawns of all soil types and combinations of: clay, sand and silt. Once the cores are removed, the lawn is much more permeable, and oxygen, water and nutrients will be more readily available to turf roots. (see illustration above) The roots will also have more space to grow, allowing them to expand, both sideways and downwards. The deeper the grass roots develop, the more resilient your lawn will become.
Improving Soil Health
Core aeration is all about improving soil health. Once oxygen levels in the soil increase, roots can function better. Because we pair aeration with an application of our FertileTea, we can deliver the nutrients and microbes right to the root zone. This will invigorate your soil and feed the lawn immediately. The microbial communities provide nutrients to plants by breaking down organic matter, such as dead plant roots and leaves, into smaller particles, improving the condition of the soil. This will make compaction less likely to be a problem in the future.
We regularly re-apply the tea throughout the year, building up your soil, in conjunction with organic fertilizers and other supplements prescribed by your soil test. The result will be a greener, lusher more vital lawn for you to enjoy.
