plugs of soil on lawn after core aeration service

Benefits of Lawn Aeration Services

Achieving the perfect lawn requires a bit of care, and one essential practice is lawn aeration. In late spring, warm-season grasses are entering their peak growing season. Lawn aeration services offer endless benefits to your lawn going into summer. To get the most out of your spring aeration, it's important to know which type of aeration your lawn needs and when to schedule it.

What is Lawn Aeration?

Lawn aeration is like a breath of fresh air for your lawn. It's a process that involves perforating the soil with small holes to allow essential nutrients to reach the root zone. Aeration promotes stronger root systems, new grass growth, and an overall healthier lawn. The two most common types of aeration are core aeration and liquid aeration.

Types of Lawn Aeration

Core Aeration

Core aeration is the most common type of aeration and provides the greatest benefits. It involves removing small plugs of soil from your lawn. A core aerator machine has hollow tines that penetrate the soil to create 1"-3" inch holes that make space for air, water, and fertilizer to reach the root systems. Creating those holes in the lawn encourages the root systems to expand, promoting stronger, deeper root growth and overall health. The cores of soil left on the lawn contain microorganisms that will help break down excessive thatch. They naturally work their way back into the soil with mowing and watering.

Liquid Aeration

Liquid aeration, on the other hand, involves applying a liquid solution that helps break up the thatch layer and loosens compacted soil. While it doesn't physically remove cores of soil like core aeration, it still provides valuable benefits for your lawn's health. Homeowners enjoy the ease of this method due to the lack of machinery on the lawn.

Spike Aeration

Spike aeration uses spikes to make holes in the soil. Though it's a less effective method compared to the other types of aeration, it can still help loosen soil compaction and improve airflow in the soil.

Benefits of Core Aeration

Stronger Roots

Core aeration promotes deeper and stronger roots by making space for them to expand deeper into the soil more easily. This creates a healthy foundation for your grass, making it more resilient to stressors like heavy foot traffic or lawn diseases.

Reduced Thatch & Soil Compaction

Thatch, a layer of dead grass and roots, can build up on your lawn over time, hindering its growth. Core aeration helps break down thatch build-up, preventing a thatch layer from suffocating your grass and blocking vital nutrients. It also helps alleviate soil compaction and improves the flow of air and water through the soil.

Improved Soil Uptake

Compacted soil often leads to water runoff and puddles, making it difficult for your lawn to absorb water. Core aeration opens up the soil, allowing water and other important elements to penetrate and reach the root zone where it's needed. Core aeration is especially beneficial to lawns in the Southeast with heavy clay soils, as they can become compacted more easily and more often. Annual aeration is the best way to maintain a healthy lawn.

How to Get the Best Results from Lawn Aeration

To see the full benefits of lawn aeration, make sure you do it at the right time of year and prepare the lawn. Before aeration, make sure to mow the grass at a lower mowing height. It will better allow the plug aerator to reach the lawn surface. It's also important to water before lawn aeration. Making sure the soil is moist will result in better soil plugs. After core aeration, leave the cores of soil on the lawn to naturally degrade for added benefits. For warm-season grass types, late spring through early summer are the best times for aeration because it's before the peak growing season. For Fescue lawns, aeration in early fall is the best time due to that being the start of the growing season for cool-season grasses. Fescue fall aeration should be followed by overseeding.

"Double-Pass" Lawn Aeration Services with Turf Masters

For hassle-free and high-quality lawn aeration services, "The Nice Guys" at Turf Masters Lawn Care have you covered. Our team utilizes professional aeration machines and expertise to ensure your lawn receives all the care it deserves. We perform a double-pass core aeration to provide the greatest benefits for heavy clay soils. In addition to aeration, we offer lawn care programs, tree and shrub care, mosquito control, and more. We have lawn care branches located throughout the Southeast in Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. If you want to skip a DIY lawn aeration this spring, contact our team today to get on the schedule.