Lawn aeration

 Lawn aeration

What is lawn aeration

 Aeration of lawn means helping air to go deep into the soil of the lawn with the help of some methods. Lawn aeration creates channel for the circulation of air to the grass roots. It is a simple method of providing air supply to the soil and grass roots.

  Need of aeration

Due to certain activities on the lawn, soil becomes compact. The top soil of the lawn becomes compact and restricts the supply of water, nutrients and air to the roots. The pore space also gets reduced as a result roots suffer which ultimately affects the health of the lawn.

 Compaction also increases thatch by restricting earthworm activity. Thatch is a big problem in lawns because it causes pest problems in your lawn. So, when there is compaction you may find many other problems in the lawn.

 Aeration helps to increase the availability of the nutrients, water and most importantly the oxygen to the grass roots. It is also needed for thatch control. Aeration improves the health of the lawn.

Benefits of aeration

There are so many benefits offered by aeration. The compacted lawn soil is loosened providing the grass an opportunity to grow better and faster. Aeration increases oxygen level, water and nutrient availability which improves and restores the health of the lawn. It also increases earthworm activity which helps in thatch decomposition. Aeration of lawns also improves drought tolerance by reducing runoff and by increasing infiltration.

Aeration helps in development of roots and increases the growth of the grass.

Timings for aeration

When to aerate your lawn? Aerating lawn can be done at any time and in any season of the year. You can aerate your lawn in fall or summer. It depends on the type of the grass.

For winters grass can be like Kentucky bluegrass, Lawns in summers like carpet grass while Bermuda grass can be aerated in late spring and summer.

Frequency

What should be the time gap for aeration? This is a crucial question. You have to check and then go for aeration. Feel the lawn’s soil and if it is hard and compact, then only go for aeration.

Aeration of lawn should be done when it is needed. Do not overdo it. Aeration should be done when the soil is moist and temperature is low.

How to aerate the lawn

Aeration may be done simply by removing soil in a cylinder shape or by inserting some nail or spikes into the soil. You can remove cores of soil, dug holes in the lawn to facilitate aeration. You can do it by hand or lawn aerator machine.