For most homeowners, having a lush green lawn is one of their greatest desires. It not only adds value to the value of the property but also improves the curb appeal of the home. But do you know that it takes a lot of effort to create a perfect lawn?
One of the essential aspects of lawn maintenance is lawn aeration.
Lawn aeration is the process through which holes are created in the lawn, to allow space for air, water, and nutrients to move into the roots and soil. Performing soil aeration helps to reduce soil thatch and alleviates soil compaction.
Aerating the lawn also helps to create space for fertilizers to reach the grass roots, ensuring that your lawn grows strong and healthy.
Benefits of lawn aeration
It relieves soil compaction
It is important to note that soil compaction prevents air and other essential nutrients from reaching the root system. Once the root system is not able to get these nutrients, it leads to dead spots and patches. Through aeration, cores are removed, which decreases the soil density and consequentially relieving soil compaction.
Aerating enhances drainage
One of the immediate benefits that your lawn will receive from aeration is that it will have better drainage. The small holes that are created enable water from the rain and even your sprinklers to penetrate deep into the turf. This ensures that the water is not evaporated by the sun hence giving your grass a better resistance to drought.
Additionally, the fact that water can drain deeper into the soil eliminates the chances of flooding on the surface, which creates a damp environment that encourages the rotting of materials.
Improved nutrient and air absorption
As we’ve already pointed out, lawn aeration creates holes in the turf, enabling air and nutrients to reach deeper into the soil. Additionally, the punched holes make the soil a hospitable environment for microfauna, such as bacteria, and some animals that are necessary for a balanced soil ecosystem.
Also, by making the soil loose, it becomes easy for the roots to penetrate deeper, which helps in providing better anchorage and absorption of more nutrients. A robust grass roots system requires less watering as the roots can retain more moisture into the turf away from the sun.
Aeration reduces the buildup of thatch
Once dead grass builds upon the lawn, it forms a thick layer over time, which deprives the grass of accessing nutrients and water from the rain. Through lawn aeration, thatch - decomposing microorganisms from the soil are exposed to the top layer.
When to aerate the lawn
In most cases, it may seem like everything on your lawn is okay; it is especially challenging to know when the lawn is compacted. However, lawn compaction is very common.
How does this happen? Well, lawn compaction occurs every time vehicles, or other heavy equipment are used on the lawn. Also, kids and pets playing or lots of walking and running on the lawn can make it compact.
Your lawn needs to aerated if the area has heavy clay soil, as it is the case with the Chicago area. This is because clay soil tends to dry up quickly and becomes compact more compared to other soil types.
Another time to aerate your lawn is when the thatch gets more than a half-inch thick. When the thatch becomes thick, it has the same effect as compaction, in that it prevents the steady flow of water, air, and essential nutrients needed by the soil. Lawn aeration helps to penetrate the thatch and help reduce its buildup.
Lawn aeration is also necessary if there is water pooling on your lawn. If you begin to notice that water does not get absorbed entirely into the soil, that could indicate that there are compaction problems. You can confirm your suspicion by using a metal rod. Stick the rod into the soil, and if it does not slide in easily, then the lawn is compact and requires aeration.
Why use our professional lawn aeration services
If you decide to use a professional lawn aeration service, here are a few reasons why to choose us:
- We have the right equipment for the job
- We have the expertise and understanding of how and when your lawn needs to be aerated.
- We offer a complete range of lawn care services
