Discover the Benefits of Aerating Your Lawn. By Steve Habib At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Lawn aerating is another great lawn mystery, after the thatch question. Everyone aerates their lawn, but why? And when is the best time to aerate? How deep should you go? Is a core aerator or a punch aerator better? Do I need to break up the soil cores? How do I do that?

Why Aerate the Lawn?

Aerating the lawn accomplishes many things beyond strewing the lawn with soil plugs. Aerating helps loosen lawns that have been compacted from lots of foot traffic. (Golf courses aerate their greens for this reason.) Aerating is a great way to add organic matter to soils that are primarily heavy clay. The aerating opens spaces in the yard to which compost or loamy topsoil can be added. Improving the soil improves grass growth, which makes the lawn healthier!

Aerating is also one way to rid your lawn of thatch problems. De-thatching with verti-cutters is stressful for the grass. Aerating also helps lawns recover from thatch problems, but in a less stressful way for the plants.

When is the Best time to Aerate the Lawn?

You can aerate the lawn almost any time that the ground is not frozen. Depending upon your soil type and grass type, you will need to aerate at different times, and different amounts of time. Sandy soils need to be aerated about once a year, because they do not compact as quickly and easily as soils with heavy clay content. Lawns composed of sarm-season grasses should be aerated at the beginning of spring, as they are emerging from dormancy, because that is when their root systems are most actively growing, and can recover from aeration. Cool seasons benefit most from aeration in the early fall.

In warm climates where grasses are overseeded for the cool season, the lawn should be aerated just before overseeding. The aeration process will allow seed, water and fertilizer to soak into the lawn for best results.

When NOT to Aerate the Lawn

Aerating, for all of its benefits, is also stressful for grass plants. Grasses that spread by elongated stems along the ground are chopped into many pieces during aerating and have to recover. For this reason, it is not a good idea to aerate during periods of excessively hot, dry weather, because the lawn will not recover quickly.

Additionally, if your lawn has multiple weed problems, aerating should be left until the weed problems are solved. The process of punching holes into the ground and drawing up cores of soil can spread weed problems rather than eliminate them. If the weed problem is caused by soil compaction, however, first you need to address the soil compaction problem and then the weed problem.

What type of Aerating Is Best?

For aerating to be most effective, holes created by the aerator need to reach at least 3-4 inches into the soil. “Self aerating shoes” sold by various hardware stores might be fun to wear, but the do not really work. The best type of aerating is punch-core aerating by hydraulic aerators. These are aerators that punch into the soil and draw out a core of soil. That type of aerating is best completed by a lawn care professional, as they will have the right type of equipment. For the best aerating results, water your lawn before and after aerating. That will help loosen the soil slightly beforehand, and break up the cores after. For soils needing an addition of organic matter, immediately apply a layer of a compost/topsoil blend to the top of the grass and rake it in.

Aerating, when completed at the right time and with proper equipment can help your lawn stay healthy and vibrant.

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