Aerating your lawns
Getting the healthy lawn that you want and deserve is to aerate your lawn. If your lawn is looking a little unhealthy you can breathe some life back into it with some aeration. How then do you aerate your lawn?
Aerating your lawn should be done after you have checked your lawn for insects, worms or other diseases. You should also make sure that your lawn is properly watered and fertilized. If your lawn is still looking unhealthy then you should look into getting your lawn aerated to get it healthy and plush once again.
To aerate your lawn you will be inserting holes in your lawn for better water absorption. Not only will the holes in your lawn create better water absorption but also better nutrient absorption and the elimination of thatch. Thatch is a lawn problem that starts when the top few inches of soil becomes extremely hard and compact. When your lawn becomes this compact it is hard for water and any other nutrients to penetrate the soil and get down to the roots of your grass, this is when aerating will help your lawn. Aerating your lawn will also enhance the oxygen levels to your soil because of the holes you have made into the lawn. The extra oxygen levels will help to decompose any organisms living in the thatch.
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Creating the holes in your lawn is also known as removing plugs of soil from the lawn. When the soil plugs are removed from your lawn it will severe roots, rhizomes and stolons which are parts of your grass. When the roots and other things are severed your grass will begin to produce new shoots and roots that will fill the holes that you just created and also increase the density of your lawn. Not only will you be creating new grass that is fixing the thatch but you will also increase your lawns drought tolerance.
When do you need to aerate your lawn and how deep do you need to make the holes? This will depend on the type of grass you have. A lawn that is composed of cool-season grasses will be better aerated in the fall. A lawn that is composed of warm-season grass should take place in spring or summer. To determine if your lawn will benefit from being aerated you may want to do a simple test of inserting screwdriver into the soil. If the screwdriver went through the soil fairly easy then your soil is fine, if insertion is difficult you should aerate your lawn.
The best tool to use in order to aerate your lawn is to rent a sod coring tool from a local rental place or you can purchase one from any home improvement store. The sod coring tool is good for small areas but for a larger area you can actually use an actual aerator that you can rent at a local rental place. The best time to aerate your lawn is on a day where you have mild temperatures and the soil is in a moist condition. Don't try to aerate your lawn when it is muddy or it will stick to the aerator making it frustrating for you. When you aerate you can leave the soil plugs on the lawn and they will eventually decompose.
Aerating your lawn will not only give it a healthier look but it will also help your grass be healthier. Too much thatch in your lawn is a breeding ground for unwanted pests and will lead to your lawn getting worse. Aerating your lawn will help it stay healthy, keep the bugs off and give you the look that you have always wanted.
