This year’s prolonged drought conditions have not been kind to lawns. Most lawns, especially those without irrigation systems, will now need the delivery of air, water and nutrients to recover and thrive. The trifecta of air, water and nutrients delivered to a lawn’s root system by core aeration in the fall, is essential to building a strong root system and a healthy, lush lawn come spring. In addition to this year’s dry conditions, our region’s compacted, clay soils drive the need for aeration – the reason why area golf courses and sport turf facilities aerate monthly. We recommend for our residential customers, at a minimum, core aeration in the fall.
During core aeration, our lawn care specialists use a machine with rotating tines to create small holes in the lawn by removing small plugs of grass and soil to make way for air, water and nutrients. And what about those pesky plugs of soil that remain on the lawn’s surface? Well, they are hard at work, too. They contain microorganisms that help to break down thatch – a layer of roots, grass, leaves, etc. – that has built up on the soil’s surface over time, preventing air, water and nutrients from effectively reaching the root system.
In the Midwest, fall core aeration is also the perfect time to overseed a lawn. Grass seed germinates quickly in the newly formed plugs of soil, ripe with air, water and nutrients. Protective overseeding combined with optimal fertilization can produce a beautiful, lush lawn.
Is your lawn in need of some TLC? We can help!
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–By the Blade
