Aerating a Lawn
Although it is vital to a lawn’s overall health, aeration is a topic that many people are unfamiliar with. However, there is no good reason why you should not aerate your lawn, at least occasionally. In this chapter, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about what aeration is and how you can perform it successfully.
What is Lawn Aeration?
Aeration is a process by which you can increase the amount of oxygen that reaches your grass’s roots and relieve soil compaction. Oxygen is essential to your lawn’s life, and without it, your grass will begin to perish. Similarly, if the soil is too compacted, your roots will struggle to spread through it.
The process of aeration involves poking holes through your lawn into the soil. These holes allow oxygen to reach the roots. These holes also loosen the soil, which helps to relieve and prevent excessive compaction.
How to Aerate a Lawn
It’s common to hire a lawn care company to perform aeration. However, there are a few ways that you can aerate your lawn on your own.
There are some aerating tools that you can attach to the bottom of your shoes. These attachments have long spikes that can penetrate the earth as you walk. Strap such attachments to your feet and walk across all parts of your lawn to aerate it.
Other popular aerating tools roll along the ground and have a long handle that you can use to push them. These tools are also easy to use, as all you need to do is push them around your lawn.
As is true for fertilization, aeration is best done when the soil is slightly moist. Be sure to water your lawn just before aeration to get the optimal outcome.
When is the Best Time to Aerate a Lawn?
The best time to aerate a lawn is when the lawn is actively growing. Lawns that are active will be better able to recover from the slight damage that aeration causes.
In most cases, you should aerate your lawn during the spring or fall. However, aeration is not a task you always need to do every year. Instead, you can aerate your lawn about once every three years. However, lawns that receive a lot of foot traffic or soil that is high in clay will also need aeration more frequently.