what are the benefits of aerating your lawn

Let’s go over the key benefits of lawn aeration:

• Promote healthy root growth. After aerating, it is easier for nutrients, air, and water to penetrate the soil to reach the roots of your grass. ...
• Get rid of excess thatch accumulation. Routine aeration is a fast and easy way to break up thatch in your yard.
• Weather droughts. ...
• A better appearance for your lawn. ...

Full Answer

Why and when you should aerate your lawn?

• Improved air exchange between the soil and atmosphere.
• Enhanced soil water uptake.
• Improved fertilizer uptake and use.
• Reduced water runoff and puddling.
• Stronger turfgrass roots.
• Reduced soil compaction.
• Enhanced heat and drought stress tolerance.
• Improved resiliency and cushioning.
• Enhanced thatch breakdown.

Why do we aerate and compost lawns before overseeding?

Mow the lawn lower than 2 inches

• Mowing short before overseeding prevents weeds and established grass from competing with new seedlings.
• It also allows sunlight to reach the soil for the much needed warmth for germination.
• Mowing also prevents grass seed wastage (seeds may lodge in the tall grass).

Can You aerate your lawn by yourself?

DIYing your lawn aeration can be difficult. If you are determined to do it yourself, there are aerating tools you can use that poke into the ground and create the aeration holes. You can either purchase the tools or rent them from a home improvement store. If you have a small patch of grass, a manual aeration tool should be sufficient.

Why, when and how to aerate your lawn?

• Mow your grass short before aerating. With shorter grass, the new seeds you lay down will get the proper water and sunlight they need to germinate and grow. ...
• Keep an appropriate watering schedule leading up to aeration. ...
• Use your aerator properly. ...
• Seed and fertilize after aeration. ...
• Water lightly. ...

Is aerating a lawn worth it?

Almost all lawns will benefit from aeration, and a great lawn demands it. That said, most lawns do not need it. Lawns suffering from heavy foot traffic, excessive thatch (>1 inch thick) or grown on heavy soils will benefit most.

What do you do after you aerate your lawn?

What to Do After Aerating Your LawnLeave the soil plugs on the lawn to decompose and filter back into the holes left by the aeration machine. ... Apply fertilizer immediately after aerating your lawn to put nutrients into your grass roots. ... Reseed your lawn, especially in areas of the lawn where the grass is thin.

Why you shouldn't aerate your lawn?

While aerating does relieve soil compaction – enabling roots to more easily obtain fertilizer, water, and air – it could also cause it to dry out quicker. A stressed lawn is more prone to being invaded by aggressive weeds, such as crabgrass, and damaged by summer drought.

When Should I aerate my lawn?

You want to aerate the lawn when your grass is in its peak growing period so it can recover quickly—think early spring or fall for cool-season grasses, and late spring through early summer for warm-season grasses. If you have high-traffic areas or heavy clay soil, you will want to aerate every year.

Should I mow before or after aeration?

In general, aeration creates the most benefit on soil that is a little bit moist. Then, try not to mow right after aerating. Instead, mow beforehand, and consider laying seed and fertilizer over your lawn after aeration and give your lawn time for that new seed to germinate before you mow again.

Does aeration help with weeds?

Maintaining your soil as a fertile and well-drained environment through aeration prevents weeds from germinating and sprouting.

Is aerating or dethatching better?

It is best to dethatch first before aerating your lawn. Both dethatching and aerating your lawn will improve air, nutrient, and water penetration into the root zone of your grass. Thatch is the main problem these two processes address.

How long do aeration holes last?

It can take up to a couple of weeks for the greens to recover, but these procedures are critical for the long-term health of the greens. This is typically done one to three times a year, depending on the course, the type of greens, and in what part of the country they are located.

Should you overseed after aeration?

Overseed After Aeration. Once aeration is complete on an existing lawn, start overseeding within 48 hours and then water the lawn lightly to ensure good soil contact with your new seed. During this time window, seed and fertilizer have a better chance of getting deeper into the aeration holes, which is what you want.

Can you walk on lawn after aeration?

You can't walk on the lawn after aeration because the seeds and fertilizer need time to settle, and the soil could get too compact. Walking or mowing on a freshly-aerated lawn can prevent the seeds from sprouting and the soil from getting enough oxygen and nutrients.

Can you aerate your lawn too much?

Especially thick types of grass may also call for aerating more frequently. As a general rule, you shouldn't need to aerate more than once a year at any time ("too much of a good thing" applies here, since you don't want to damage your soil).

What fertilizer should I use after aeration?

After Aeration Overseed and Fertilize For best results, use high-quality seed and fertilize with Milorganite®. Mixing grass seed with Milorganite is an effective way to spread seed accurately.

What is Lawn Aerating?

Just in case anyone is still confused as to what aerating actually is, without going into too much detail here, let me explain.

The Top 7 Reasons to Aerate Your Lawn

Perhaps the most important benefit of lawn aeration is that it allows the soil to breathe – or rather, the grass itself to breathe.

A Word of Caution

With all these awesome benefits to aerating lawns, you would think it a good idea to do it all the time.

Summary

There are so many benefits to aerating your lawn that it was tough to pick just seven.

What is thatch in lawn?

Thatch is the layer of dead grass that adds up in your yard when you mow and let the clippings land back onto the lawn. Doing this once in a while is good for your lawn since the clippings decompose, releasing water and nutrients back into your lawn’s soil. This helps grass grow greener, healthier and thicker.

Why do you aerate your lawn?

The aeration process allows the root system better access to air, water, and fertilizer. Because the roots are able to receive ample amounts of nutrients, it stimulates root growth and the roots become stronger. When the roots become more extensive and deeper, the overall health of your lawn improves because the grass plants are stronger and more resilient.

What happens when soil is too compacted?

As we discussed previously, when the soil is too compacted, it inhibits air circulation. The aeration process unclogs the compacted soil and reduces thinning that causes your roots to suffocate.

How do you know if your grass is getting oxygen?

And then, about a week later, you’ll notice roots sprouting up in the holes . This indicates that your grass is finally receiving the oxygen, moisture and nutrients it needs to grow.

What is aeration

Aeration, also known as aerification, is the process of perforating your lawn (dotting it with small holes) to increase the flow of oxygen, water, and nutrients to plant roots. It’s like a three-hole punch for your yard.

Signs your lawn needs aeration

If your grass isn’t filling your lawn like it used to, or if it has lost its rich green color, your soil may be compacted and in need of aeration.

Benefits of lawn aeration

Aeration boasts a host of benefits for your lawn and local ecosystems.

When to aerate your lawn

To ensure that your grass quickly recovers and fills the holes in your lawn, you’ll want to aerate during your region’s growing season.

Giving aeration the thumbs up

If you’re ready to jump on the aeration train and give your lawn the nutrition boost it’s craving, aeration is easy to DIY with a rented core aerator. Or you can call in a local lawn care pro to aerate your lawn while you enjoy getting your own refreshing facial.

What to do after aerating a lawn?

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.

What is the best way to aerate a lawn?

Two main aerating tools exist — a spike aerator and a plug aerator. With a spike aerator, you simply use the tool to poke holes into the ground with a solid tine, or fork. Plug aerators remove a core or plug of grass and soil from the lawn. For the best results, use an aerating tool or machine that actually removes plugs of soil. Poking holes is less effective and can actually cause additional compaction in the areas around the holes.

What causes a grass to starve?

Compacted soils have too many solid particles in a certain volume or space, which prevents proper circulation of air, water and nutrients within the soil. Excess lawn thatch or heavy organic debris buried under the grass surface can also starve the roots from these essential elements.

Why is aeration important?

It is also important to ensure that nutrients can reach the soil beneath your grass. Aeration can be an extremely vital element to a healthy lawn because it allows air and water to penetrate built-up grass or lawn thatch. Get rid of thatch and make way for a beautiful lawn with this quick guide to aeration.

What does it mean when your lawn has a spongy feel?

Often, the topsoil of newly constructed lawns is stripped or buried, and the grass established on subsoil has been compacted by construction traffic. Dries out easily and has a spongy feel. This might mean your lawn has an excessive thatch problem. Take a shovel and remove a slice of lawn about four inches deep.

What is soil layering?

Soil layering means that soil of finer texture, which comes with imported sod, is layered over the existing coarser soil. This layering disrupts drainage, as water is held in the finer-textured soil. This leads to compacted conditions and poor root development.

Does aeration kill crabgrass?

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, ...