A beautiful lawn is always a work in progress. For your grass to grow lush and healthy, it’s essential that you regularly water, fertilize, cut, and otherwise tend to it. The better you carry out these maintenance tasks, the more nutrients and moisture your grass will have and the easier it will be for it to shake off diseases and threats.
One essential element of lawn maintenance that is often overlooked is aeration.
Defined as loosening up the underlying soil, lawn aeration offers a myriad of benefits to your grass. With professional lawn aeration services from Senske, nothing will stand between you and lush, beautiful turf.
What is Lawn Aeration?
Lawn aeration involves opening up the soil so it is less densely packed beneath your lawn. It typically involves pulling plugs of dirt out of the ground. This opens up space below the surface; the soil will then spread from other areas of the ground into those spaces, reducing the density of the overall area. This allows the benefits of fertilizer and consistent watering to take maximum effect.
Lawn aeration is essential for getting rid of thatch, or organic matter that accumulates beneath the grass. If left unattended, thatch makes it harder for water and air to move through the soil, depriving your plants of these elements. It can also block your plants’ roots from accessing nutrients in the soil. This, in turn, makes the plants weaker and more vulnerable to disease or drought. Through regular aeration, you keep all these problems to a minimum and allow your plants to grow as strong and healthy as possible.
When is the Best Time to Aerate a Lawn?
In general, you can get the most benefits from lawn aeration if you do it at the beginning of the growing season. This allows the grass to recover the aeration process, and it makes it easier for the soil to filter into the open spaces. If you have warm season grass, this means aerating late in the spring; for cool season grass, you’ll want to aerate at the start of spring or the start of fall, if not both.
Certain areas of your yard, such as those that are subject to heavy foot traffic, may need to be aerated more often. To tell if your soil needs aeration, feel it periodically. If it is dry or spongy, that indicates thatch has built up, suggesting that you should aerate it as soon as possible.
Should I Hire a Lawn Aeration Service?
Although you can aerate your lawn on your own, it may make more sense to hire a professional aeration service, especially if you have:
- Severe Thatch Problems– If there is an especially large concentration of thatch in your soil, you may need a professional to break it all up.
- Sensitive Grass– Grass can be damaged during the aeration process, but a professional will know how to keep that damage to a minimum.
- Varied Turf– If you have multiple types of grass in different parts of your lawn, it may be hard to tell when you should aerate. A professional can figure this out for you.
Senske offers quality aeration and other lawn maintenance services across the American West. For more information on keeping your grass vibrant and beautiful, contact us today.
