If your neighbor’s lush lawn provides you green with envy, lawn aeration may be the solution. By changing soil compaction, aeration maintains grass green and healthy. Prior to poke holes on your turf, however, think about the timing and ensure you have the appropriate instrument for the job.
Advantages of Aeration
With the years, the topsoil of a yard gets pushed down and compacted. Even a thin 1/4- to 1/2-inch layer of compacted soil prevents water and nutrients from reaching grass roots and inhibits gas exchange with the surroundings. An aerator removes plugs of soil and matted roots and stems — or thatch — in the turf, creating pores for the movement of water, nutrients, carbon dioxide and oxygen.
Compaction Issues
It’s a great idea to put lawn aeration in your annual to-do list, but there are several scenarios in which aeration is very required. You may need to aerate your yard more often if it’s heavily trafficked frequently by children or pets. If you have had construction or repairs to your home, making the yard a thoroughfare for heavy vehicles, then the soil is probably compacted, and aeration will help the grass recover. A yard in need of aeration may have a spongy, springy feel due to thatch buildup. Cut a strip of sod with a sharp knife so that it is possible to view a cross-section. If the thatch layer isn’t any thicker than 1/2 inch, then aeration is warranted.
When to Aerate
The very best time to aerate your yard is in the early spring while the grass is actively growing, as stated by the University of California. Avoid aerating in the summertime because the heat may damage vulnerable root systems. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences implies that early fall is another window of opportunity for some types of grass, especially cool-season grasses.
Choosing Your Machine
The kind of aerator you’ll need depends on the size of the yard. Manual aerators the size of pitchforks are offered for small regions, while power-driven, ride-on machinery is better for large lawns. Whatever unit you select, make sure that the tines are hollow. Solid, metal tines will merely exacerbate problems with compaction, warns agronomist John Harper of Penn State College of Agricultural Services.