What is the best thing you can do to keep your lawn healthy and thriving? You may be surprised to learn the answer. Though it’s often an overlooked service, aeration is actually one of the most important things that you can do to get a lush green lawn.
So, what exactly is this service and why does it matter? In basic terms, aeration is the process of running a piece of equipment—called a core aerator—across your lawn. This specialized piece of machinery pulls out small plugs of soil called “cores” which, in turn, opens up your turf. That’s because the holes allow more water, nutrients, and oxygen to penetrate deep down to the root system of your turf—where it needs it most.
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This is important as those three elements are exactly what your lawn needs to thrive. By getting them down to the root system, your lawn will grow stronger and ultimately become healthier. Aeration is also important because of the fact that our area is typically plagued by clay soil which can become very easily compacted. When soil is compacted it doesn’t allow those essential elements to make their way to your turf’s roots.
In addition to reducing soil compaction, aeration will also break up thatch—a naturally-occurring, dead material that can build up on top of the soil. Thatch is another common problem in this region and can play a role in preventing necessary elements from reaching your lawn’s roots.
When you take steps to make your lawn healthier with aeration, you’ll receive other benefits as well. This includes fewer weeds (because a thick lawn is an excellent natural defense against weeds) and better overall growth. When you seed, following an aeration service, you’ll get better seed-to-soil contact. That means that instead of having seeds just sitting atop the soil, they will fall into the holes made by the core aerator. This provides the best possible growing conditions for your lawn.
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So now that you understand how aeration can help give you a healthy lawn you might be wondering when you should have it done. We suggest aerating and overseeding in the fall, when the weather provides optimal growing conditions for your seeds to germinate. In the early fall, the soil is still warm but the air is cool so the new seedlings won’t get scorched by overly hot weather.
If you’d like more information about aeration and overseeding, we’re here to help. We want you to have the best possible lawn and we’re available to answer any questions that you may have about exactly how to achieve it. Give us a call at 610-275-2170 or contact us online to find out how we can help.