However, the health of your soil is quite possibly the single most important factor in determining whether or not your yard is going to reach its potential. How then, do you ensure that your grass always has a stable place to grow? Read on and find out!
As homeowners and yard enthusiasts, we spend so much time looking at our grass that we forget to consider what’s going on underneath it. However, the health of your soil is quite possibly the single most important factor in determining whether or not your yard is going to reach its potential. How then, do you ensure that your grass always has a stable place to grow? Read on and find out!
What Is Aeration?
Aeration is a deceptively simple process but one that can pay massive dividends for your grass. Essentially, it’s the process of punching small, evenly-spaced holes in your lawn’s surface and removing the resulting plugs, all with the goal in mind of adding oxygen to the soil and allowing it to expand. In addition to conventional aeration, liquid aeration is widely available these days. The biggest difference is that it uses a liquid chemical solution to reduce soil compaction without any physical intervention. Whichever method you prefer, aeration is an indispensable lawn care service that should never be overlooked!
Benefits Of Lawn Aeration
If you had to choose one single service to give yourself a gorgeous yard, we’d recommend aeration every time. That’s because it can benefit your grass in numerous ways, both visible and invisible, but all of which add up to a healthy lawn that lasts. Benefits of lawn aeration include:
- Loosened soil which allows for easier root growth.
- Increased levels of soil oxygen.
- Greater nutrient uptake for even stressed turfgrasses.
- A reduction in levels of standing water on your lawn, which restricts the ability of fungus and disease to spread.
- Stimulated growth which allows grass to outgrow nuisance weeds.
- A fuller, healthier, and more vibrant experience when done in conjunction with seeding.
- And more!
How Often Should I Aerate My Lawn?
Generally speaking, you should aerate your yard 1-2 times a year. However, this depends on a number of factors, all of which determine how frequently or infrequently you should do it. Factors that affect the frequency of lawn aeration include:
- Foot traffic: Is your lawn a popular gathering place or the center of family activity? If so, chances are that your soil will become compacted reasonably quickly, making annual or biannual aeration necessary. If however, your lawn only sees light traffic, you can probably get away with aerating it every other year.
- Soil type: Different soil types compact differently. For example, if you live in an area with sandy soil, it’s more likely to stay naturally loose, making aeration an infrequent need. If you have clay soil though, regular aeration is a must.
- Grass health: How does your grass look? Is it green, thick, and vibrant or is it thinning and patchy? Let your grass tell you when it needs help, but be sure to pay close attention as to not let it get out of hand.
When Is The Best Time To Aerate My Lawn?
As a rule, early spring or fall is the best time to aerate your lawn. Done in spring, it sets your grass up for a successful growing season. Performed in fall though, it can help fortify your grass against the coming cold.
Signs Your Lawn Needs Aeration
As we mentioned before, your lawn is good at telling you when it needs a hand. Whether it's watering, fertilizing, or aeration, you can always count on your grass to tell you what it needs if you know what to look for. A few telltale signs to aerate your lawn include:
- Areas of standing water after rain or routine irrigation.
- Patches of browning or thinning grass.
- Parts of your yard in which seed won’t take.
- A thick buildup of thatch or yard debris.
- A general lack of growth over the course of the season.
If you notice any of those signs in your yard, then chances are you need aeration. Here at Evergreen Lawn & Pest Control, we’ve provided outstanding service in and around Central Florida for over 30 years. With us on your side, you can finally have a yard that looks its best all year and that you can feel proud of. So contact us today and we’ll get to work!