Lawn aeration is vital to lawn health. Aerating the lawn adds air space to the soil allowing better water management and nutrients to reach the lawn roots. Better absorption of water and nutrients leads to a healthier, greener lawn. Soil content is important. Lawns planted in clay soil need aeration more often than normal soil lawns. Clay soil is very dense and difficult to break up causing less air space. Aeration helps this condition. Low lying areas also need stronger roots and should be aerated more often than other areas of the lawn.
Lawn aeration is key for high traffic foot areas and any low spots in the yard that hold water. These areas should be aerated frequently. For the majority of lawn care with normal conditions, lawn aeration should be done approximately once a year. Problem areas can benefit from aerating more often, even as frequently as every couple of months.
Three basic methods exist to aerate lawns. Tine, core, and liquid aeration. Tine aeration involves poking holes in the ground with a spike. This method is not recommend by experts and can actually increase compaction for problem areas.
Core aeration involves removing plugs of soil all over the lawn that are around an inch in diameter. This method is used by some, but leaves holes all over the lawn which is very unsightly.
Liquid lawn aeration is the best method of the three. A liquid solution is applied and then watered into the lawn. The depth reached by liquid aeration is roughly 4 times deeper than core aeration. Liquid aeration is beneficial in the fact there are no holes in the lawn from core aeration or tines. It is also safe to be used around sprinkler systems and tree roots.
Lawn aeration can be performed at any time of year when there is no frost on the ground. The best times are spring and fall when the lawn can regrow and the roots can become stronger.
Summary:
You have to aerate your lawn if you want it to grow properly and healthy. This process lets oxygen into the soil which helps feed the root system. There are three ways you can aerate. By tine, core, or using special liquid. You may need to aerate once or year or once a week depending on the amount of traffic and abuse certain areas of your yard get.
