Did you just aerate your lawn in the last six months ? Have you noticed some discolored area in your otherwise gullible lawn ? Or maybe some puddles have been forming on the lawn after a rainstorm ? Perhaps you notice your neighbors work on their lawn sustentation and see them aerating ? We ’ve researched how often to aerate your lawn to disgorge some light on the best lawn maintenance routine .
Your lawn should be air out once a class . Your lawn call for food , water , and atmosphere to keep a healthy ecosystem . Over clip , your lawn gets compacted down , reduce adequate inlet of the food , water , and melody it needs . Aeration helps open up the compacted soil to increase the soaking up of these three necessities . This results in a respectable , lush fleeceable lawn .
Now that you have a basic sympathy of what aeration does and why it is needed , go along reading to find out just how to aerate your lawn . We will also have an in - depth expression at some other usual questions about aeration .
Why should you aerate your lawn?
activate loosens the filth and aids in managing the thatch or level of deadened sens .
Additionally , aerating :
You should be aerating your lawn annually at a lower limit . If you have a lawn that is in rough physical body with dense Blackbeard work up - up , discolouration , and puddle , you will desire to aerate twice a year until your lawn improves . Then reduce it back to each year .
Testing Compactedness
To test the filth compactedness , you will want to snaffle a screwdriver or other alloy objective . Push the screwdriver into the soil . If the screwdriver last into the dirt with ease , then your filth is not compacted . If the screwdriver is unmanageable to push into the filth , that is a sign aeration is want .
Soil compaction affects the ascendant growth of your grass . When you have heavily pack soil , it makes it unmanageable for the roots to engage water , keeping them shallow and thus reduce the growth of the grass .
When to aerate
For annual aeration , it is best to activate in the tumble . September and October are idealistic . November and December are still ok for aeration , but you will want to aerate prior to the first halt and snowfall of the twelvemonth . Once it freeze or snowfall occurs , the ground is too hard for aeration , and the grass wo n’t be able to convalesce .
If your soil is intemperately compacted , it may be necessary to keep a turn of aerate twice a year . If oxygenize twice a yr , it is good to aerate in the former spring and fall .
How to aerate
There are multiple options useable to oxygenate your lawn . you may choose to get a mechanically skillful aerator ; these amount as a push manikin or a towage - behind exemplar you may attach to a riding lawnmower .
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There are also specific thick aeration machines useable for purchase or renting at most home advance stores .
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The last pick is elementary aeration shoes . Many counsel against the aeration shoe unless you have a very compact small lawn as it takes a batch of working class and time to aerate with shoe .
hold in out these aerator shoes on Amazon .
To aerate your lawn , you will want tofollowthese steps :
Here is a helpful television on aeration :
Should you mow before or after aeration?
You should mow your lawn before aeration . This cuts back the excess skunk and helps the soil engulf the H2O you employ prior to aeration . This , in turn , serve the aeration method penetrate the soil resulting in more effective and efficient aeration , maximise the outcome .
Should you water your lawn prior to aeration?
You will want to water your lawn a day or two prior to aeration . You want the soil to be dampish but not wet , and you emphatically do not want ironic stain . If the soil is soak or totally teetotal , the machine will not properly aerate .
Which is better: spike or plug aerator?
Plug aerators remove small ballyhoo of land as they aerate from the root zona . This improves the body structure of your dirt and is practiced for compacted dirt .
The best fourth dimension to aerate with a plug aerator is during the peak grow period as not to stress the grass too much . That means other spring or fall for your cool - weather grasses . Aerate in late spring or former summer for your warm - weather condition grasses .
Spike aerators do n’t trouble the dirt too much and can be used any prison term of the twelvemonth . Depending on what you are after determines which aerator is a better set .
If you just want dim-witted aeration and do n’t have to a great extent press stain a spike aerator will be hunky-dory . If you really necessitate to improve on the soil bodily structure , it is best to go with a hype aerator .
How many times should you aerate your lawn a year?
If your lawn calculate brown , has a heavy thatched roof level , or you find thinning areas , you will want to aerate twice a year until the lawn improves . expert commend both saltation and fall for lawns in these weather condition . Once the lawn has ameliorate and looks healthier , you could slim the aerating to once p.a. .
If you are just maintaining a goodish lawn , annual aeration along with seeding and fertilizing should be perfectly adequate to maintain the health of your lawn .
Can you aerate your lawn too much?
You ca n’t really over aerate your lawn . However , if you pick out to aerate more than twice a year , it can become a case of scourge labor with a diminished return . Once adequately aerated , the grunge can only improve so much .
You really should n’t take to oxygenise more than once annually if your lawn is looking tidy anyway . It ’s of import to finish your aeration unremarkable with plant food and grass seed for good results .
What time of year should you aerate a lawn?
The best time of year to aerate your lawn is when it ’s at a peak growing period . That way , after you air , the lawn has a chance to recover quickly , dispersing the root growth and allow for sufficient absorption of the excess nutrients and oxygen .
other spring or fall works best . If spreading dope seed , you will want to ensure to aerate in the spring , so the grass seminal fluid has the full summer and adequate time to grow , thickening your lawn .
Is it OK to aerate the lawn in summer?
Aerating in the summer months can work for certain supergrass types . You will want to check that you experience your specific grass type . Depending on the grass , lovesome weather grasses for example ( usual in the Southeastern United States ) , can profit from summertime aeration .
quick weather grasses include :
If you have cool conditions grasses , rough-cut in cold weather climates , oxygenize in the summer wo n’t necessarily obliterate the eatage but it will put unnecessary accent on it which will result in unhealthy looking weed . These cool - weather pot respond best when oxygenise in the fall or former spring .
Cool - weather condition grasses include :
If using a simple spike aerator or aerator shoe you could aerate anytime you would like . This does n’t disturb the land structure too much and will not put any emphasis on the grass .
Does lawn aeration really work?
Many people tend to think lawn aeration is a gimmick or unnecessary . It really is not a gimmick and is very beneficial for the lawn . It is a highly effective agency to reduce soil compaction and increase nutrients in the locoweed , thus resulting in a green , thick-skulled , healthy lawn . Though it is crucial to fertilize and spread grass come after the aeration as the net steps in your lawn care maintenance .
In Summary
We hope after finishing this article you have a better agreement of lawn aeration along with how , when , and why to aerate . If you have not been aerating your lawn on an yearly foundation , we extremely recommend add it to your lawn care checklist for fall or former spring !
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