The reason aeration makes a lawn healthier is that compacted soil prevents water and nutrients reaching the roots of the grass, as well as air.
Is aeration good for your lawn?Īeration is good for a lawn, and a task that you might want to undertake once a year. ‘Spikers actually increase soil compaction as the movement of the soil to all sides by the penetration of the solid tine forces the soil into a denser mass,’ says John C Harper, II, agronomist at PennState Extension. It can improve an area, but experts warn that spiking can make compaction worse. You could use a pitchfork to aerate a lawn, but it’s not the optimum way to do the job. Worried about damaging the lawn? In times of active growth, grass recovers quickly and fills in the places where soil has been exposed by the aeration process. ‘A safe general rule for time of aeration is to aerate only when the desirable grasses are growing vigorously,’ says John C Harper, II, agronomist at PennState Extension. ‘Just remember to give the lawn a good feed and watering after you’ve done these jobs because you will have put your lawn under serious stress.’įor lawns with warm season grasses, however, aerate in late spring or the very first part of the summer. ‘Most people will aerate after doing the annual dethatching job, as they both should be done in the spring or fall,’ says Carlos. Leave the plugs of soil on the lawn after aeration – they will break down if it rains or crumble next time you mow the lawn. The places that need it most will be kids’ play areas, or the runs pets use. You will need to make several passes in different directions over compacted lawn areas whether with a machine or manually. If the lawn becomes very wet through rainfall, however, wait a few days before aerating. Either aerate it the day after it’s rained or water the lawn the day before if no rain is forecast. It’s vital that the soil is moist enough before you being the process of aeration.
If you have a large property, you might want to invest in tow plug aerator to use with a garden tractor. ‘Hollow-tine aeration is a process which removes small cores from the soil, opening up some space in the soil for oxygen to get down below the surface.’ ‘Hire a powered aerator that can do hollow-tine aeration,’ says Carlos. Make easier work of aerating a lawn by using a machine to carry out the task.
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