Your lawn is the focal point of your landscape.  Wide expanses of lush green grass make for great curb appeal.  Keeping your lawn looking like that takes more than just fertilizer.  It also requires the consistent application of good cultural practices.  One of the most important of these is core aeration.  Compacted soils tend to limit root growth with affects the overall health of the turf since root growth is limited.  Compacted soils can take longer to dry out in the spring and can get as hard as concrete in the dry heat of summer. 

What Is Core Aeration And What Does It Do?

Core Aeration is the removal of cores of soil from a lawn by an aerator machine.  Core aeration relieves compaction among other healthy things for your lawn.  Removing of the cores opens holes in the lawn which allows for more air, water, and nutrients to get down into the root zone.  Having strong grass roots is the key to a healthy lawn.

Getting more air into the grass/soil interface increases microbial activity which can increase the breakdown of thatch in the lawn.  Thatch is the layer of live and dead grass between the crown of the grass and the soil. Reducing the thatch layer also leads to better water and air infiltration to reach the roots. 

Should I Seed At The Same Time?

Late summer through early fall is really the best time to seed your lawn.  There is typically abundant naturally occurring moisture and soil temperatures are adequate.  Warm days and cool nights are also ideal.  A fall aeration also provides soil disturbance that allows for good seed-soil contact.  Grass seeds that fall into the new holes will find themselves in an ideal microhabitat to germinate and establish. 

It is recommended that you have a lawn aeration performed at a minimum of every other year.  If you don’t know the last time your lawn was aerated, contact your local lawn care company for a quote today. 

Get More Info From The Pros!

Looking for more information on core aeration or just ready to let the professionals take over your lawn care needs? The Grassmaster Plus team is ready and willing to answer any questions you have and can provide you a free quote on your lawn care services for the season. Contact our local office today!