Questioning lawn aeration?

Last fall, a curious five-year old watched with great interest as we walked our machines through his parents’ lawn. When we were finished, he asked me why we put so many holes in the ground. Why do we aerate a lawn in the fall?

It’s a good question.

The little holes we drill with our aerators allow food and water to reach grass roots. And those little holes also provide extra space for roots to spread and grow. After aeration, natural nutrients and water can more easily reach grass roots.

Feeding and loosening

Paying attention to the sub-soil area of your grass feeds it in several ways:

• Water and fertilizer can find the root tips.
• Aeration loosens compact soils.
• The aeration process enhances thatch breakdown.
• With aeration, you’ll have deeper, healthier grass roots.

Breathing

Aeration allows grass to “breathe”. Freeing up extra space for the roots will also thicken your lawn. It also helps reduce run-off and puddling and will improve drainage.

What you don’t see

Much of lawn care concentrates on what we can see. But it’s also important to pay attention to below-surface activity. Strong, healthy roots are vital to your lawn’s wellbeing. A good portion of Eastern Nebraska has heavy clay soils. Loosening this hard, compact surface is reason enough for aerating!

Timing your aeration

And why aerate in the fall? During the autumn season, the air cools yet soil is still warm enough for good grass growth. After aerating, you should over-seed any lightly grown areas…and don’t forget to continue watering!

Aeration is exercise for your lawn

You could almost say that fall aeration is like yoga for you lawn. Aeration stretches and strengthens your grass and your soil! We’re not sure what yoga pose that would be called–you should name one for us in the comments! You can always learn more about the specifics on our Lawn Aeration page!

Schedule your fall aeration appointment now!

Call Dave today at 402-612-1527 to schedule your fall aeration appointment!