Benefits of Lawn Aeration

December 8, 2017 | Lawn Care, posted by Sasha

lawn aeration

Keeping your lawn clean and green is something that can be done by investing time and resources to ensure proper maintenance. All of this effort pays off in the long run by providing you with a healthy lawn that makes your home look beautiful and also adds value to your home.

One of the best ways to get and maintain your grass is through lawn aeration. This process involves taking out little plugs of thatch and soil to facilitate the exchange of nutrients and air between the soil and atmosphere. Here are some of the main benefits that aerating your lawn can provide.

Improves the health of your grass

One of the main benefits of maintaining your lawn is to improve the health of your grass. Aeration makes it possible for nutrients to reach deep into the soil to enrich the roots and lead to healthier and stronger grass. This is helpful for lawns which are covered in a thick layer of thatch, a layer of waste blocking essential nutrients from reaching the grass.

Breaks up compacted soil

Compacted soil prevents water, air, and nutrients from reaching the roots of soil due to the amount of solid particles contained in one space. By aerating your lawn you are breaking up these clumps of soil and providing your lawn with plenty of space to further enrich and grow strong.

Reduces thatch build-up

When grass stems and roots accumulate on your lawn, they will create a favorable environment for pests and diseases. Lawn aeration will help to not only remove thatch but also enhance their breakdown. This is achieved by combining thatch debris with soil so that soil organisms can break down the thatch. Reducing thatch build-up will enhance the effectiveness of pesticides, fertilizer, and water.

Allows for fertilizer or water to work deeply

In order to keep your grass green and healthy, you will need to fertilize and water the lawn. However, it is important to ensure that both the fertilizer and water will benefit your plants. As mentioned before, lawn aeration is known to enhance water intake and improve fertilizer uptake. By creating holes in the soil, aeration makes it easy for fertilizer and water to go deeper into the soil. This allows the plants to absorb fertilizer and nutrients better, a factor that makes them look greener and healthier.

Encourages deeper root growth

With time, the soil beneath your lawn is likely to become compacted. This will make it difficult for grass roots to penetrate beyond the surface. Lawn aeration relieves soil compaction and allows soil to relax. This gives roots the space they need to grow deeper to access nutrients, air, and moisture. Roots that are healthy and grow deep are less likely to be affected by drought and diseases.

Prepares grass for spring or winter

Aeration goes far in ensuring that your grass will withstand extreme conditions. By using proper equipment to aerate your lawn, you will make sure that grass will survive drought and waterlogging. Once you aerate your lawn in the fall, it will be in a good position to withstand the winter months until such a time that the warmer days of spring arrive.

Besides lawn aeration, there are several other steps that you can take to keep your lawn lush and green. These include mowing appropriately, watering occasionally, and reducing foot traffic on the lawn.