Will Aerating Lawn Help Drainage

Core Aeration Cures Rainy Season Woes

by Don Saunders | Apr 1, 2021 | Sand

With the hot months of summer behind us, its time for homeowners to turn their attention to whats shaping up to be a very wet autumn. Yards with underlying soil compaction issues, impenetrable grass or serious thatch accumulation can see poor drainage and sickly grass. Fortunately, core aeration can solve these lurking problems before they flare up into far-reaching headaches.

Tools And Materials To Help Aerate Your Lawn

Aerate a lawn manually .On soggy grass and wet clayAerating a waterloggedlawn that puddles with surface waterHeavy Duty Hollow Tine Aerator

• Heavy Duty Aerator;for compacted soils and lawns
• Removes cores for longer lasting aeration particularly on clay soils
• Use anytime for all over lawn aeration
• Aerating helps revive dry patches or hard areas
• Helps reduce moss in damp areas by improving drainage
• Aerating with this heavy duty aerator after installing;french drains;helps the system work to full capacity.
• Easily the simplest tool to use I have found.

• Large 300mm width covers your lawn quickly and easily
• Thirty 45mm spikes provide deep and even aeration
• Supplied in either green or black
• Helps lawn to breathe, encouraging deep root growth and a lush, green lawn
• Quick and easy to assemble – see instructional video on Greenkey website
• A fast and efficient way to keep your lawn aerated

Is Spike Or Hollow Core Aeration Better

The best time to hollow core a lawn is in conjunction with scarification and lawn renovation work in Spring & Autumn.;Hollow tine aeration is very beneficial for lawns with a high amount of thatch and moss as it helps remove this from the lawn.;

We recommend using the solid tine method in the winter and summer months.;

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How Often Should You Aerate A Lawn In Northern Virginia

Generally, you should aerate your lawn annually, although this depends on the age and condition of your lawn and your soil type. For example, a newly installed lawn or a lawn growing in naturally well-drained, organic soil may not compact as quickly as other soil types, and thatch may not be an issue. On the other hand, clay soils and playing fields tend to compact quickly and will benefit greatly from more frequent core aeration.

PRO TIP: Aerating your lawn too much can damage your grass, so dont overdo it. If youre aerating regularly but still have problems with the health of your grass, ask a turf professional for an evaluation. You might have a larger issue with drainage, which is something we can help remedy.

What Can Be Done To Prevent A Soggy Lawn

• How to Get Rid of Standing Water on the Lawn

An unsightly, soggy lawn will affect the entire look of your otherwise immaculate home. It will also damage turfgrass and increase the chance of pest and fungal attacks. Several different factors can cause your turf to become soggy, including a buildup of thatch, compacted soil and excessive watering. Thankfully, proper care and maintenance will prevent your lawn from becoming soggy and improve the overall health of the turfgrass.

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How To Drain The Grass Properly

The first thing you need to do when it comes to draining your grass is building the right kind of pond. There are two primary types of ponds: a self-draining sand and gravel pond or a self-draining plastic liner pond. Building a sand and gravel pond is far less expensive than a liner pond, but liners tend to hold water longer. Consider your options and choose the type that will work best for you.

Spike the grass, making big hovels in the ground. After the primary spiking and draining, you can use a hollow spike aerator on the grass. This process should eliminate most of the water, leaving the surface crumbly.

When Lawns Need Aeration

It may not seem your lawn could get compacted, but it happens easier than you may think. Vehicles or small equipment driven on lawns are more obvious offenders, but even outdoor entertaining or yard play by kids and pets;can leave all or part of your lawn compacted. If you live where heavy clay soil is the norm, annual aeration is probably needed to keep your lawn from becoming thin and weak.

Dethatching and aerating are two different tasks, but they often go hand in hand. Thatch is the layer of decomposing organic matter that forms right at the lawn surface, between soil and grass. When thatch gets more than 1/2 inch thick, it works like compaction to prevent the flow of air, water and nutrients grasses need. Aggressive spreading grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrassin northern lawns and Bermudagrass;down south, form more thatch than many other grass types. Aeration helps penetrate and reduce thatch buildup or prep it for removal through dethatching.

If your grass often looks stressed and your soil is hard to the touch or rainwater puddles up where it used to be absorbed, you may have compaction problems. Confirm your suspicions with a simple “screwdriver test.” Take a regular screwdriver and stick it into your lawn’s soil by hand. It should slide in fairly easily. If you meet resistance, your soil is compacted, and aeration can help.

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What Is A Waterlogged Lawn

Waterlogged lawns occur when clay-like, dense or compacted soil is subjected to periods of heavy rain. The rainwater sits on the surface of the lawn and fails to drain away through the soil, leaving the lawn underwater.;

Healthy soil is full of air, which allows grass roots to breathe, but when water saturates the soil,;the air in the soil travels to the surface and escapes. This is a problem;for grass roots as they need oxygen to live.

Although grass is quite hardy and could survive a few days without oxygen, it would eventually begin to turn yellow and die.

Can You Amend Clay Soil In Existing Lawns

Adding compost, gypsum, and pine bark can help amend clay soil before establishing a lawn, but you might want to use other options to break down and loosen clay soil in an existing lawn.

The best way to amend clay soil in an existing lawn is by aerating and dethatching. A plug aerator can remove plugs of soil to loosen up soil and create spaces for air, water and nutrient penetration in the soil.

Allowing thatch buldup on a lawn with clay soil can worsen it because the layer of dead matter can worsen compaction and aeration problems. Therefore, dethatching is a great way to help grass thrive well on lawns built on clay soils.

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Lawn Aeration Tips: Help Your Grass Breathe Easy

Lawn aeration is one of the best ways to ensure that you have a healthy, strong, and vibrant lawn. Lawn aeration involves pulling plugs of soil from your lawn, which leaves deep spaces that help stimulate healthy blade and root growth. The space created by the removal of plugs gives your lawns root system a chance to expand and fortify itself. Aeration also improves drainage and allows your root system better access to fertilizer and nutrients. In this article, we will explore five lawn aeration tips that are the key to a beautiful lawn.

Aeration Basics: What Why How

Compacted soils cause a lot of damage to your lawn and garden. This is what you’ll need to know about soil aeration to keep your lawn green and your gardens blooming:

Summer is almost here, which means it’s time to start preparing your lawn and garden ready some serious outdoor fun. Whether your kids love playing on the grass or you simply enjoy sitting on the deck with friends and family, you’ll probably want your yard to look its absolute best. By practicing proper aeration methods, you can begin the process of beautifying your plants.

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Planting Trees And Shrubs

Planting trees, shrubs, and ivy will support you to solve drainage problems. Water-thirsty shrubs and vines are essential to building soil crust, rooting more plunging into the soil. By planting these plants in a garden, youre giving yourself an excellent source of organic matter and mulch. Within a couple of years, you can expect to see a difference in your drainage problems.

Common Causes Of Soggy Portland Lawns

There is rarely a single root cause of any landscaping problem. More often, a soggy lawn stems from several problematic conditions. Below we list the main contributors to a drenched lawn:

Topsoil Removal.Shoddy contractors may fail to consider soil amendment before installing turf. They may do little beyond laying sod on hard compacted soil and gravel left when the house was built. It is very common for the site prep excavator to strip the layer of top soil off the building site to get a good base for the house foundation, driveways, and paths. Why is this problematic? Because without further aeration and preparation, lawn roots will have a very hard time extending through clay-heavy hardpan.

Lack of Water Absorption. In addition to restricting drainage, a crusty hardpan makes it difficult for lawn roots to absorb water. The water will tend to pool or quickly run off, resulting in shallow lawn roots that will quickly dry out and die in the summer heat. Without building up the soil in some way, Portland lawns may not be able to absorb enough water for healthy growth.

Natural Springs and High Water Tables. Certain Portland communities have natural springs, where water bubbles up from the earth. The West Linn areaparticularly Hidden Springssuffers from this groundwater issue. If water seeps up into your yard, it may be too wet for lawn growth.

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Can You Aerate In July

Aerating in the summer is fine, as long as the ground is soft enough to pull plugs. There really isnt a good reason not to, but then again there isnt a good reason not to wait till fall. Its just more advantagous to do it when youll be fertilizing and overseeding.

You may ask, Can I aerate lawn in June?

So yes, you can aerate the lawn in the summer just keep reading. Warm weather grasses include Zoysia, Carpetgrass, Bermuda, Buffalo, Centipede Grass, Bahiagrass, and St. Augustine. You should aerate warm weather grass when the weather gets warm through the late spring and early summer.

What Grass Grows In Clay Soil

If breaking up clay soil is not a working solution for you, you may want to think and opt for a turfgrass that grows in clay soil. Zoysia, bufallo grass, tall fescue and Bermuda grass are great grass types to grow on clayey turfs depending on the climate of the region.

To help your grass survive and thrive in clay soils, it is important to ensure a deeper root system thats extensive enough to absorb nutrients and water in poorly aerated soils.

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How Do I Fix Soggy Spots In My Lawn

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People Also Asked, How do you fix a soggy lawn?

Herein, how do you fix a soggy lawn? The following are 5 solutions for soggy lawns:

Also know, how do you dry up a soggy ground? To dry out wet dirt, start by clearing out any debris, like soggy leaves and old mulch, since they store a lot of moisture. Next, spread 2-3 inches of gravel on top of the soil, then use a rake, hoe, or shovel to mix the gravel into the top 6 inches.

Contents

Tools You Will Need To Dig Drainage Trenches

;Digging drainage trenches is a lot easier if you use the correct tools.;

Strong rake, ; ;Drain spade, ;;Trenching shovel, ; ;Digging Hoe.;

Rake 1500 mm;

Over the years I have broken more ordinary garden rakes raking clay than I care to remember. I have used this;Heavy duty all steel rake for years and it is still being used by my team.;;

It is strong enough and suitable;for raking and breaking up heavy clay soil.;

Forged Trench Shovel, 970 mm;

Heavy duty forged steel head;Tubular steel shaft and MYD handle ;Heat treated for durability ;For digging and bottoming trenches ;Blade L x W: 270 x 165 mm;

;Forged Drain Spade, 1150 mm;

Heavy duty forged steel head with extended shoulders for safer foot-grip.;For digging drain and pipe channels, trenches and fence post holes.

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Why Is Clay Soil Bad For Your Lawn

Clay soil is not suitable for growing a healthy lawn because the soil particles are heavy and compact easily. The soil holds too much water and can make the ground soggy or waterlogged especially if excess watering is done.

Here are the reasons why clay soil is not good for your lawn:

• Compaction: clay soils have poor drainage and can lead to waterlogging. The grass will turn yellow and start to die;if there arent breathing spaces in the soil.
• Shallow roots: grass roots suffocate in heavy clay soil and may develop poorly.
• Soggy yard after watering: You might find yourself with a yard thats always muddy because clay soil does not drain easily if not amended.

You can successfully establish a lawn on heavy soil but you will first need to break up the clay soil to improve drainage and aeration.

Ive discussed below the best fixes and ways to improve clay soil and establish a lawn with healthy grass.

Install A Rain Barrel

Water from the downspouts can be put to good use instead of being wasted. Build or purchase a rain barrel and place it next to a downspout. By reconfiguring the downspout, you can send water into the barrelwhere it collects for later use in gardens.

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Root Structure: The Biology Of Plant Survival In Wet Or Dry Soil

A continually soaked yard suffocates lawn roots, leading to rot. Just like humans, plants cannot survive without air. If a patch of land is constantly wet, water fills the crevices within soil, and the roots cannot access oxygen. Too-wet conditions limit plant growth. Those species that do survive in a soggy setting are more susceptible to disease.

With that said, certain plants have evolved to flourish in wet conditions. Mangrove trees, for instance, have developed special above-water structures that allow them to get enough oxygen even when their roots are submerged. On the other hand, some inland species are generalists that can grow almost anywhere. The red maple is a good example. It thrives across the Northeast because it adapts its root structure to surrounding circumstances. In wet areas, red maples send out more lateral roots to absorb surface water. The same species will grow more taproots to access deep water in dry conditions.

Now that we have a biological perspective on why wet lawns fail, lets take a look at the reasons why a yard becomes be soggy.

Dig Properly And Restart

How do you resolve potential waterlogging issues on your property? Removing all the soil from a property with a high amount of clay in it, replacing it with fresh soil, and adding an adequately designed French drain will solve it.

You need to follow these steps above to make sure that your new garden is set up correctly to protect from heavy showers. A quick look at our decorative landscaping products is a great way to get your garden off to a good start. Not only are these products fun and attractive, but they are also durable enough to withstand even heavy rains.

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Let Greenearth Help With Lawn Aeration And Top Dressing

At GreenEarth, we can evaluate your lawn and let you know if it would benefit from aeration and top dressing. If it will, we can do the hard work for you.

If youd like a consultation on the health of your lawn and what can be done to improve it, give us a call at our Panama City Beach office at 236-1959, or call our Santa Rosa Beach office at 267-0010 to set up an appointment.

You can also fill out;the online form on our website;to schedule a consultation or download our FREE Landscape Planning Guide below and start turning lush landscape dreams into reality.

Work Sand Into The Holes

Once youve made holes in the lawn, use a stiff brush to work sand into them, Monty Don advises.

Sand will fill the holes and using it after aeration improves drainage and is good for clay soil or if your lawn is inclined to get waterlogged. Use masonry sand so theres no debris in it.

For normal or light sandy soil, you can use ready mixed top dressing. The latter can also be used to correct bumps in the lawns surface.

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