AeratING

Why Aerate Your Lawn?

Aeration is one of the most overlooked yet cost-effective ways to improve the health and appearance of your turf grass. It provides long-lasting benefits for your soil, grass, and root systems, promoting a healthy lawn for months to come.

Loosens Compact Soil
- Compacted soil restricts root growth, making it difficult for roots to penetrate deeply.
- Aerating breaks up compacted soil, allowing water, oxygen, and nutrients to reach the roots more easily.

Reduces Thatch
- While a thin layer of thatch can protect roots and suppress weeds, excessive thatch can block water and nutrients from penetrating the soil.
- Aeration helps reduce excess thatch, ensuring your lawn can absorb what it needs to thrive.

Improves Seed Germination
- If you’re overseeding, aeration is a game-changer.
- By creating openings in the soil, aeration dramatically increases the seed-to-soil contact, boosting germination rates.

We strongly recommend aerating any areas where overseeding is planned. Aerating beforehand ensures the new seeds have the best chance to grow into a lush, healthy lawn.

Best Times for Aeration

Timing is crucial for effective lawn aeration. To maximize benefits and minimize stress on your turf, it’s important to aerate during the right season and under the right conditions.

Spring and Fall: These are ideal seasons for aeration because the grass is actively growing and can recover quickly from the process.
Avoid Summer: High temperatures and drought stress can hinder the grass's ability to recover, making summer a less suitable time for aeration.

Conditions to Avoid

Excessively Wet Soil
- Aerating when the soil is too wet can damage the turf and create unnecessary mess.

Excessively Dry Soil
- Hard, dry soil makes penetration difficult, reducing the effectiveness of the aeration process.

Ideal Soil Moisture

For the best results, aerate when the soil is slightly moist. Watering your lawn a day or two before aeration can help achieve the optimal conditions for soil penetration.

Preparing for Aeration: Two Simple Steps

To ensure a safe and successful aeration process, there are two essential steps to take before we begin:

1. Clear Your Lawn

Remove all items from your lawn, such as toys, lawn accessories, or metal objects.
Metal items can damage our equipment and pose safety risks, while other items may be accidentally damaged by the weight of the aerator.

2. Mark Your Sprinkler Heads

If your lawn has sprinklers, mark each sprinkler head to prevent accidental damage during aeration.
- Why Mark Sprinklers?
  - Sprinkler heads are costly and time-consuming to replace.
  - Properly marking them avoids unnecessary and expensive repairs.
- How to Mark Sprinklers:
  - Use flags to mark each head a few days before your scheduled aeration.
  - Flags are available at most hardware stores, or we can provide them upon request.

Need Assistance?

If you’d like us to mark the sprinkler heads for you, we’re happy to help. Please note that this service comes at an additional cost.