When To Aerate Warm
Aeration is the process of breaking up the soil and thatch on a lawn, allowing water and nutrients to better reach the roots of your grass. This process can help grass grow faster and will improve its overall health. For warm-season grasses, including Bermuda, Buffalo, and Zoysia varieties, the best time to aerate is during the spring and summer months. This corresponds with the most active growing season for these grasses.
How To Aerate Lawn
Before you tackle aeration on your own, consider calling a lawn care service like The Grounds Guys to help. There are many tips, techniques and common errors to be conscious of before, during, and after aeration. We suggest consulting a landscaping professional to find out all necessary information. Want a free estimate? Feel free to give us a call today at 972-8063.
You May Like: What Can I Spray On My Lawn To Kill Gnats
Aerate According To Conditions But Dont Forget To Do It
How often you should aerate your lawn depends on several factors, including the local conditions and how much the lawn has to put up with being walked all over. You may need to do it every six months or perhaps once every three years will be enough but as we have discussed, it is a vital part of lawn care that shouldnt be overlooked.
Dont forget to pin it
Also Check: Riding Lawn Mower Rental Lowes
What Happens If You Dont Aerate Your Lawn
Grasses gradually thin and eventually die out completely, for lack of the oxygen, water and nutrients available just inches away. A single aeration session can open the avenue for these essentials to reach their mark and put your lawn back on an upward trend.
Core aerators pull small plugs of soil to the top of your grass, which are then filled with water, nutrients and oxygen. Aeration can be done at any time during the growing season, but its best to do it in the spring and summer, when the grass is at its most vigorous.
The best time to aerate is between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p. m. If you dont have access to an air-conditioning unit, you can use a fan to blow air into the aerator. You can also add a few drops of water to a spray bottle and use it as an aerating agent.
Is Lawn Aeration Difficult
Lawn aeration isnt as difficult as people think. The size of your yard is mainly what determines how long it will take to get the whole job done.
However, there are basic tools and elements you require to get the work done easily and faster:
- Handworking gloves
After you have your toolkit ready, its time to prepare your lawns.
Part of the preparation is to water your grass thoroughly at least 2 3 days before you finally aerate.
Use a watering system or sprinkler system to do the watering.
One of the ways to measure if your lawns is thoroughly watered, is to place an empty tin can on the lawn before you water.
Once the empty tin can fills up during the watering, then know that the lawn has received enough water.
Take marker flags to indicate sprinkler heads or any other hidden objects.
After this process, get the core aerator to begin the work. Run the core aerator once over the lawns to get the exact result.
When youre done aerating, leave the soil cores on the lawn to naturally decompose.
Another way is that you can either rake the soil cores and empty them in the compost bin.
Then fertilize your lawn after aeration. Go ahead to spread fertilizer on your lawn after aeration.
After fertilization, water lawn the following day to aid the fertilizer into their roots.
You can plant grass seed before fertilizing the area that is necessary.
Dont fertilize and plant seed grass on the same day. Let both exercises be done on different days.
You May Like: Pennington Ultragreen Starter Fertilizer 22-23-4
How Do You Know If Your Lawn Needs Aeration
There are a couple of tried and tested methods you can use for understanding when you need to aerate your lawn.
First, check your lawn after any rainfall. Does the water drain away easily or are you left with any puddles? If you have any particularly damp or flooded areas its time for aeration.
Try the screwdriver test. Stick a screwdriver or pencil randomly into your lawn. If it enters the soil with ease youre good to go. If you meet with any resistance its time for aeration.
Check to see if you have any thatch on your lawn surface. As well as being unsightly, thatch build-up is a potential hive for weeds and unwanted garden visitors that could destroy your lawn grass.
If you have a lot of such debris on your lawn youve guessed it its time for aeration.
Which leads me nicely onto the next question.
How Often Should I Aerate My Lawn
Different soil types require more frequent aeration. Clay soil compacts easily and should be aerated at least once a year. You can aerate a sandy lawn once a year, or once every two years. In harsher climates, aerating twice a year will encourage turf growth and health.
In areas where there is a high amount of foot traffic, pets or even cars on the lawn, compaction is a common problem. Regular aerating will be important to ensure the ground doesnt become too hard and help the soil to breathe and the grass to spread.
Also Check: How To Bid Mowing Jobs
Difference Between Aerating And Dethatching
Some people tend to confuse aerating with dethatching. Invariably, theyre not the same at all, nor do they perform the same function on the lawn.
Aeration is a process of ensuring proper circulation of air, water and nutrients in the soil.
It involves using an Aerator to create holes on the earth with spikes, by removing at least 1 by 2 cores of the soil.
Aeration is very important because it helps to improve drainage and reduce soil compactness or density.
Aeration is the first step to take when preparing the ground for grass seeding. You can either aerate with a machine or manually.
While dethatching is a process of removing over dense thatch from the lawn, which includes the living and dead stems, roots, and weed.
Dethatching allows the lawn to absorb enough water, air, and nutrients that will make the lawn grow thicker and healthy.
When Should I Aerate My Lawn Your Questions Answered
Homeowners that are researching how to keep their lawns lush and thriving may have the question: How and when should I aerate my lawn? Many people arent sure exactly what lawn aeration is, when to do it or whether its really necessary. If you consider the time and energy many of us spend on our grass and landscaping, aerating your yard is something that should be on your annual lawn care schedule. The best time to aerate your lawn is during your particular grass varietys growing season, which means late spring for warm-season grasses like Bermuda and St. Augustine, or early spring or fall for cool-season grasses like ryegrass and fescue.
You may need to adjust how often you aerate your lawn, depending on how much traffic your grass gets. Some signs that its time to aerate your lawn include:
- It becoming more difficult to dig into your soil
- Water pooling on top of your soil or running off without sinking into the ground
- Your lawn thinning or turning brown
- Excess thatch buildup
The process of aerating your lawn might seem daunting, and it can certainly be time-consuming. Many people outsource this task a lawn care professional. If you choose to tackle the job yourself, read on to learn tools, tips and tricks about aeration to help you better understand how to keep your lawn thriving, all year long.
Don’t Miss: How Much Is Trugreen
Unmatched Customer Service All Over Omaha Happy Customers
Thats what we are all about. We want to build strong relationships with our clients by always putting their needs in front of ours. Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed!
To achieve that, we have to ensure that our customers are delighted with both the aeration process and final results. Our aerating techniques will put you closer to achieving the rich green grass of your dreams while leaving your yard looking pristine. We know aerating is not just about technique its about service too.
Contact Us With Any Questions
Are you unsure if your Omaha lawn needs aeration or overseeding? Our Omaha Nebraska Yard Care can be reached at 509-3622 for a complimentary consultation.
Lawn aeration is highly recommended in October, September and late August. No worries. We charge a competitive rate.
Lawn seeding can be a neglected task that keeps turf healthy and thick. Elkhorn Lawn Care suggests annual fall overseeding to maintain turf health. Lawn grass does not live forever. What can you do to tell when grass is gone? It is worth checking. Spread the glass blades. Overseeding is a good idea if you can see the soil.
Blended bluegrass overseeding is best done in the early part of September and October when its warm but not too cold. Your lawn will be more resilient to drought and disease by overseeding.
It is best to supervise in the autumn immediately following aerating. Every fall should be monitored.
Let us know about your idea and how we can make it a reality.
How Often Should You Aerate Your Lawn Get The Perfect Grass
When I was a kid I always dreamt of one day owning the perfect lawn.
Something that looked like a soccer pitch, golf green, or the center court at Wimbledon.
But its not an easy task and having a lawn of this caliber takes a lot of work, patience, time, and dedication.
Even once youve learned how to level your yard, or managed to remove all the weeds in your lawn, and/or youve given it a great trim with the right lawnmower, theres still plenty to be done before you can make your neighbors as green as you want your grass to be.
And one of the most important things you need to do is to let it breathe.
But how often should you aerate your lawn? What tools do you need? What exactly is aeration, and how do you do it?
Read on to discover the who, what, why, where, and when of aerating your lawn, and take your garden game to the next level.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you shop through the links on YardThyme, we may earn an affiliate’s commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. For more information, read full disclosure here.
Contents
Read Also: Core Aerator Rental Home Depot
Thatch And Compaction: 2 Problems You Can Fix
Over time, little bits and pieces of grass die and gather just above the soil. This is called thatch. A little bit of thatch can be beneficial. It’s organic material that is broken down by microbes in the soil. But sometimes, thatch builds up too fast for natural processes to break it down. It forms a barrier, keeping moisture and air from going where your grass needs it. A half-inch or more of thatch can weaken your lawn. You have 2 ways to remove it: dethatching and aerating.
Should I Dethatch My Lawn When Its Wet
The ideal time to actually dethatch your lawn is immediately after light rain or when the soil is moist. Dont dethatch when the soil is practically wet.
Ensure you mow your lawn before you dethatch. Dont dethatch when the soil is dry or in drought conditions.
You may not get the desired result when you dethatch during a wet or dry period. The best time to carry out a dethatch in your lawn is when the soil is a bit moist.
Recommended Reading: How Much For Trugreen Service
Why Aerating Helps Lawns
Grass roots need air, water and nutrients to grow thick, deep and strong. When soil becomes compacted, even slightly, it inhibit the flow of the essentials that support thicker, healthier turf growth. A layer of compacted soil just 1/4 to 1/2 inches thick can make a significant difference in the health and beauty of your lawn.1 Aeration creates holes down into the soil to alleviate compaction so air, water and nutrients can reach grass roots.
Deprived of their basic needs by compacted soil, lawn grasses struggle in stressful situations, such as heat and low rainfall, and lose their healthy, rich color. Grasses gradually thin and eventually die out completely, for lack of the oxygen, water and nutrients available just inches away. Even a single aeration session can open the avenue for these essentials to reach their mark and put your lawn back on an upward trend.
Core aerators pull small plugs of soil to the surface.
When To Plug Aerate A Lawn
The best time for plug aeration depends on several factors,including the type of grass and your climate. For cool-season lawns, fall isthe best time for aeration. For warm-season yards, late spring to early summeris best. In general, aeration should be done when the grass is growingvigorously. Avoid aerating during a drought or during the dormant time of year.
Wait to aerate until the conditions are right. In soil thatis too dry, the cores wont be able to get deep enough into the ground. If thesoil is too wet, they will get plugged up. The best time for aeration is whenthe soil is moist but not totally wet.
If your soil is more a clay type, is compacted, and sees alot of foot traffic, aerating once a year is important. For other lawns,aeration every two to four years is usually adequate.
Once the job is done, just leave the soil plugs in place.They will quickly break down into the soil.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Rid Of A Broken Lawn Mower
Reasons To Aerate Your Lawn
Core aeration is when you use a machine which looks similar to a walk behind mower called an aerator. It is used to go over the lawn and pull small soil cores or plugs. Those cores are then deposited on top of the lawn. These cores begin to decompose over the next week or so depending on rainfall. This breakdown of soil redeposits rich organic matter back into your lawns soil.
While this process seems simple, it adds tons of benefits to your turf.
First of all, its important to understand what lawns need to thrive. Lawn roots require oxygen, water, and nutrients for good growth. As a result of foot traffic and normal, everyday activity, your lawn soil can become compacted, which restricts oxygen, water, and nutrients from getting to roots.
Core aeration breaks up this compacted soil, allowing those three elements to continue nourishing your lawn roots again. Healthy soil is a big part of growing a great lawn. Aeration also assists in deeper turfgrass root establishment.
Overseeding at this time is usually a great idea as well. For ideal seed germination, you need maximum seed to soil contact. When you aerate, you naturally create these pockets which allows for optimum seed to soil contact, boosting your seed germination results. This can help thicken up a thin or bare lawn, crowd out weeds, and create a healthier overall stand of turfgrass.
Aerating Tools: Plug Aerator Vs Spike Aerator
Two main aerating tools exist a spike aerator and a plug aerator. With a spike aerator, you simply use the tool to poke holes into the ground with a solid tine, or fork. Plug aerators remove a core or plug of grass and soil from the lawn. For the best results, use an aerating tool or machine that actually removes plugs of soil. Poking holes is less effective and can actually cause additional compaction in the areas around the holes.
Look for an aerating tool or machine that removes soil plugs approximately 2 3 inches deep and 0.5 0.75 inches in diameter, and about 2 3 inches apart. These machines can be rented from lawn and garden stores or home improvement centers. Always follow the directions provided by the store. You may want to consider sharing the rental cost with a neighbor who is interested in aerating the lawn.
Read Also: How To Revive My Lawn
Should I Cut My Grass Before I Aerate
Yes. Its a very good idea to mow your lawn before you aerate as it will allow the aerator to get as close as possible to the lawn for the best results.
Try using one of these awesome budget lawnmowers if you dont have a good one already.
You dont have to take it down too low if you dont want to so scalping it isnt necessary but just make sure its a nice, close trim so the aerator can get to work.
At the same time, you might want to take a good commercial weed eater around any difficult to reach areas, just to finish off the trimming job and give your lawn the treatment it deserves.
Why Are Yearly Aeration And Overseeding Important
The idea behind lawn aeration and overseeding is to strengthen your entire lawn. By filling in empty or bare spots with new grass, you do more than make your lawn look beautiful you actually increase its resistance to pests. With a thick, lush and uniform bed of grass, its harder for weeds to take hold, which makes taking care of grass easier, too.
Aeration breaks up compacted soil so water and other life-giving lawn nutrients can reach roots easily. This has a huge effect on grass health and growth. In fact, even if your lawn is gorgeous and green all over, you should still aerate in the growing season to keep things that way.
Read Also: Aarons Mower
How To Aerate Your Yard
If you’re convinced that your lawn is in need of aeration, here are some lawn care tips on how to do it:
- Before you get started, make sure the soil is moist enough. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to aerate soil that is bone dry. Aerating the day after a rain shower or watering your lawn the day before is advised.
- Most aeration machines cover only a small percentage of soil surface per pass, so make multiple passes over the most compacted areas. Save resources by leaving unaffected areas alone
- The excavated soil plugs should be allowed to dry and then broken up to give your lawn a uniform, clean appearance. Break them up by running them over with a lawn mower or pounding them with the back of a rake.
- An aeration myth is that if you apply a pre-emergent herbicide on your lawn in the spring, aerating your lawn will destroy the herbicide “barrier.” This is not true research shows that aeration will not affect crabgrass control or weed prevention.
- After aerating, it’s important to continue basic lawn care practices such as proper fertilizing, mowing and watering.
Aeration is a beneficial practice toward achieving a beautiful lawn, but most people don’t realize it or understand the process. If your lawn is a candidate, make it an integral part of your lawn care regime. Your lawn will thank you for letting it breathe again.
