The Benefits of Aerating Your Lawn

Lawn Core aeration is the process of extracting small plugs of your lawn to allow airflow, sunlight, and nutrients to flow through your lawn's soil. This service can be overlooked but it is essential for the health and maintenance of your lawn. We encourage our clients to sign-up for an annual service. The best time to aerate your lawn is in the spring and fall months to restore and protect your lawn from the cold winter months. Here are some of the major benefits as to why you should have your lawn aerated!

Figure 1. Thatch and Soil Compaction. Adapted from "Maine.gov," 2004. March 13, 2019. https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/pesticides/yardscaping/lawn/thatch.htm

Lawn Core Aerations will Improve existing grasses present in your lawn

Once your aeration is complete, healthy grasses will thrive and prevent weak grasses and weeds from competing for nutrients in the soil. A lawn core aeration allows room for healthy grass to grow deep roots to remain strong throughout the season. Simultaneously, with your aeration application, we recommend overseeding. Overseeding your lawn with our quality grass seed will fill in bare areas in your lawn with new plant growth. These methods result in a lush, weed-resistant lawn.

Combats Diseases

Lawn Core aerations will allow nutrients to circulate through soil allowing favorable growing conditions. There are two types of diseases aeration can prevent:

1. Snow mold – Matted grass from sitting snow causes snow mold to form in the absence air flow and sunlight. A spring aeration will break up matted grass allowing air and sun to penetrate into the soil, removing the presence of snow mold.

   Picture 1. Snow Mold. Adapted from "MSUTurfdisease.net," April 9, 2020. http://www.msuturfdiseases.net/details/_/gray_snow_mold_2/

2. Dollar Spot – found in areas with low nitrogen and poor drainage. Lawn core aeration will allow better uptake of nitrogen and promotes better drainage of standing/pooling water in turf areas. Lawn core aerations have been shown to greatly reduce the presence persistence of dollar spot.

   Picture 2. Dollar Spot. Adapted from "MSUTurfdisease.net," April 9, 2020. http://www.msuturfdiseases.net/details/_/dollar_spot_1/

Scheduling lawn core aerations with TURFTransitions Fertilizer and Pest Control is a great first step to having a healthy lawn. Lawn Core aerations will combat disease, remove thatch and compacted soil, and allow your lawn to grow healthy. Combined with TURFTransitions 6 application fertilizer program, we can achieve your lawn goals!