Do You Have Aerating Tips To Share
Now that you know how often you should aerate your lawn, its time to get to work!
What has been your experience with aeration? Does it improve your lawn? How often do you do it? What type of aerator have you used? Let us know in the comments below!
The information in this post was based on consulting with local landscapers and my own research. These are the sources Id like to thank:
Lawn Aeration And Overseeding
We recently bought a home at the end of May with a lawn in need of assistance. When we moved in, we quickly tackled the mole problem by trapping five moles, and one vole! Next, we moved onto the damage done by the moles we leveled out the mole hills and seeded those areas however, in the end, we were defeated by the summer heat and our outrageous water bill. For the last 3 months, we have had a partially dead lawn with some smaller bare spots. We have been anxiously awaiting fall in hopes of making our lawn look not so much like a train wreck.
Fall is a wonderful time to repair all the lawn mistakes/issues of the season. It is also considered the best time of year to aerate your lawn. By aerating and overseeding your lawn, it establishes a denser lawn to create competition to weeds, and it relieves compaction to improve water drainage which can make the lawn less susceptible to disease and weed growth many weeds such as yellow nutsedge, prostrate knotweed, and spotted spurge grow in wet compacted areas where grass will not grow. It also helps established lawns by allowing water, air, and nutrients move more easily to the root zone. Holes created by an aerator allows for seed to have better contact with the soil when overseeding which is important for germination.
When Is The Best Time To Aerate
Aeration is best performed just before or during periods of high growth. However, not immediately preceding or during periods of stress to the lawn. For example, heat or drought. The type of grasses that make up your lawn will determine the best time of year to aerate.
When to Aerate if You Have Cool-Season Grasses: If youre working with cool-season grasses, including bluegrass, fescue, and ryegrass, aerating during the growth periods in the spring and fall is best.
When to Aerate if You Have Warm-Season Grasses: For warm-season grasses such as Bermudagrass, buffalograss, St. Augustine and zoysiagrass, aerate during warm times of the year, between late-spring and early-autumn.
Considerations for Aerating in the Spring: In the spring, wait until youve mowed the lawn a few times before aerating. Doing so ensures the lawn will grow fast enough to recover and take advantage of the increased pore space and air exchange at the root zone that aeration creates.
One caveat, says Friell, is that any disturbance of the root zone in the spring can increase weed competition by bringing buried seeds to the surface. Applying fertilizer and a pre-emergent weed killer following aeration can reduce the potential for weed competition and increase the hardiness of the grasses. But dont apply a weed killer if you plan to overseed following aeration. It will prevent germination of the seed you put down.
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Should I Aerate Before Overseeding
The best time to aerate your lawn is during the fall before you begin a fertilization program or decide to overseed. … Run your irrigation system after the turf has been aerated. Aeration will help ensure your soil is ready to absorb all of the nutrients and seeds that come its way with topdressing and overseeding.
Why You Should Consider A Professional Like Lawn Doctor
If you want a professional and quick job done, it is best to seek help. A Lawn Doctor will know how to aerate your lawn in only a few hours and do it properly. Professionals have the experience to do the job right. They know how deep to go and where. This will help because of the least amount of damage to your lawn. A professional will also be able to get your lawn aerated in the shortest amount of time. It may be harder than you think, especially if you are a beginner and not used to this kind of work. A professional can get it done in a short period and reduce stress on your lawn.
Aeration is a way to loosen compact soil by punching holes in it. The result is that air and water can more easily enter the soil, which promotes healthier soils and grass. It also creates spaces for good microbes to grow. The best way to aerate your lawn is with a professional. There are many aeration services in the industry that can help us get proper aeration and make your lawn look great.
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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.
What Is Lawn Aeration
If youve ever grown plants in a pot, you know that every so often, youll need to re-pot them as their roots have run out of space to grow. Your lawn experiences a similar situation. Heavily traveled upon soil or soil with high clay content can make it difficult for your lawn’s roots to generate new growth.
Since your lawn cant be repotted, aeration is the solution. Aeration involves penetrating the soil in your yard with small holes to allow air, water, and nutrients to reach the roots. This process helps your lawn become strong as the roots can grow deeper, allowing the soil structure to get back into balance.
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What Is Lawn Aeration Why When And How To Do It
Maintaining a beautiful lawn is not an easy task. That is of course if youre not employing essential lawn care practices such as well-timed mowing, watering and fertilizing. But those aside, its also extremely important to ensure that the soil beneath your grass gets lots of nutrients. And what better way to do that than by aerating your lawn!
Lawn aeration is crucial for a healthy lawn, as it allows air, water, and other nutrients to easily penetrate built-up grass and lawn thatch.
So if youre new to lawn aeration, this article is just the thing for you. Here you will find everything you need to know about lawn aeration along with some handy tips.
Get rid of thatch and make way for a beautiful lawn with this quick guide to aeration. Youll learn why, how, and when to aerate your lawn for the best results.
When Does Your Lawn Need Aeration
While you might think that your lawn isn’t going to get compacted, it’s more likely to happen than you realize. Small machines or vehicles driven over your grass, and even playing outdoors with your pets or kids and entertaining outdoors, can cause the soil to compact.
If you live in an area with heavy clay soil, annual aeration is needed to keep your grass from becoming weak and thin.
If you start to notice that your lawn looks stress and the feels hard or rainfall pools where it should absorb into the ground, your lawn is probably compacted. You can easily confirm if this is true by performing a screwdriver test.
To do this test, you need to take a screwdriver and poke it down into the soil of your lawn. If your soil isn’t compacted, then the screwdriver should slide right into the ground. But if you find that theres some resistance, then the soil is probably compacted: aeration can help in this situation.
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What Is The Best Type Of Aerator For Northeastern Lawns
Use a core aerator on your lawn. They work by removing plugs of soil from your lawn, honeycombing it and providing true aeration. Most hardware stores offer core aeration machines for rent.
- Use a core aerator to get the true soil decompaction.
- You can rent a core aerator from your local hardware store.
- Avoid using spike aerators. They can do more harm than good.
A spike aerator is less effective than a core aerator because it drives holes into the soil, which actually compacts the soil around the hole.
What Are The Different Ways To Aerate Lawns
Aeration requires machinery, and there are three specific types of machines and tools used for lawn aeration. These are:
- Spike aeration,
- Slicing aeration, and
- Core/plug aerators.
The tool you use to execute any of these lawn aeration methods will vary depending upon your budget, and lot size.
There are both manual versions, walk-behind aerators, and tractor sized machines that you can tow with your lawn and garden tractor.
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Should I Aerate Before Adding Topsoil
A good way to incorporate new seed into an existing lawn is to first core aerate the lawn. … After aerating, it’s time for top dressing: spread either pulverized top soil or a good quality humus compost across the lawn. You don’t need muchabout a quarter inch or so is adequate. Then, go ahead and reseed.
Can You Aerate Your Lawn Too Much
Aerating more frequently may be necessary for thick grass. Its a general rule that you shouldnt need to aerate more than once a year. Aerating too often can cause the grass to turn yellow or brown, which can be a problem if youre trying to keep your lawn healthy. If you notice that your grass is turning brown or yellow, it may be time for a new aeration schedule.
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When Should You Aerate The Lawn
Most tend to aerate their lawn in the late summer or early fall, mainly due to the heavy traffic the ground has suffered over the holidays. This gives the grass time to recover before the winter months hit as well.
However, theres no rule against aerating in the spring time either. Just make sure you do not do it in full summer when the weather is hot and dry this could dry out your lawn and do more harm than good.
Should Grass Seed Be Raked In
Raking is necessary because the seeds need to come in contact with the soil to germinate properly. Grass seed is typically spread on the lawn using a spreader and this does not ensure good contact between seed and soil. … This is important because a newly seeded lawn will need to be watered at least every other day.
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How Often Should I Aerate My Lawn
The best time to aerate your lawn is in late summer or early fall, as this will allow your grass to recover completely before going dormant in the winter. While Fall is recommended, you can also aerate and overseed your lawn in the spring between March and May.
When Should You Aerate Your Lawn What You Need To Know
When your grass starts growing unevenly, thinning out, or changing color, such as turning yellow, it very likely means it needs aeration even if youre feeding it regularly. Unsightly symptoms can occur when you have tightly compacted soil because neither the roots nor the water can penetrate it. Core aerating may sound like a miracle cure for your lawn, but it can do wonders. Keep on reading to learn more about this process and when to aerate your lawn.
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Lawn Maintenance After Aeration
There are a few types of maintenance that are very important to consider doing after aerating your lawn.
These methods of maintenance are fertilization, watering, and mowing properly.
Directly after aeration you can also add more seed while you fertilize your lawn. This is what I recommend, as its the best time to get the seed and fertilizer right down into the soil. Youll get the most bang for your buck.
Aeration opens your lawn up to accepting nutrients. This will create a thicker and healthier lawn in general, along with the aeration, and instead of a chemical or organic fertilizer, I also recommend top-dressing with a thin layer of organic screened compost. This will keep the seed moist, and add valuable nutrients to the soil.
Spike Aerators For Your Lawn
Spike aerators put holes into the soil with an actual spike.
Some people use special aeration shoes that have spikes on the bottom to aerate their lawns. While cheap, these arent the best tool for the job. If possible, it is better to use actual spike aeration machinery.
Others just use a pitchfork or manure fork to push some holes into the ground. This can be a quick and easy way to aerate a section of your lawn that is particularly high-traffic. I will sometimes do this on areas near my front walkway where kids and visitors frequently take a shortcut across my lawn.
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Enjoy An Amazing Lawn Without Lifting A Finger
Your lawn gives you so much from perfect sunrises with coffee to memories of your kids laughing and playing. Make sure it always looks gorgeous by performing regular aeration and overseeding. Contact our professionals at Lush Lawn for expert advice and assistance in keeping your lawn healthy all year long. We take care of everything so you only have to worry about relaxing and enjoying the view.
The Best Time To Aerate Your Lawn
Though aeration helps your lawn, it also stresses it. To ensure it recovers quickly from any damage, only aerate it during its peak growing season. This varies based on the type of grass you have and your location. In cool climates and for cold-season grasses, early spring and early fall are good times. For hotter climates and warm-season grasses, late spring and early summer are best.
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Should I Overseed After Aerating
After the aeration is done, the overseeding can be done. Spreading grass seeds uniformly over the entire yard is how this is done. The grass needs to be watered regularly to make sure the seeds will grow. If you have a large yard, you may want to use a lawn mower to mow the lawn.
If you do this, be sure to cut the grass to a depth of at least 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. You can also use an electric lawnmower, but it is not recommended because of the risk of electrocution.
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.
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How Often Should You Aerate The Lawn
This depends on the type of soil you have, as well as the amount of traffic it gets. Soil which suffers a lot of footfall should be aerated every year, while sandy soil will only need it every 2-3 years.
For more lawn tips, tricks, and how-tos, check out our guides on how to plant grass seed, how to make your grass greener, how to stripe your lawn, how often should you fertilize your lawn and when to do it, how to lay sod, 7 common lawn care mistakes you’re probably making right now, this is when you should stop mowing your lawn for the winter and read about the 7 ways to revive dead grass.