Why Perform Lawn Aeration?

Watering the Lawn

• Aerating your lawn enables the water from rain or your sprinklers to find its way to deeper soil hairs. Nutrients vital to the growth of your grass are delivered through the roots by way of the water your lawn is provided. If the water is unable to reach the roots, the grass will lose its structure and strength and eventually turn brown and die. Aerating allows the water to enter the lower levels of soil to keep your grass well hydrated and sufficiently fed.

Allowing Space for Soil

• Taking out the plugs of soil during aeration provides the space necessary for expansion of the remaining soil. Aerating should be accompanied by a dedicated watering regimen. The water will soak into the remaining soil and expand. The plugs removed from aeration allows that soil to expand and hold the necessary amount of water, delivering nutrients through the grass roots all day.

Over-seeding

• Over-seeding is a process for repairing or replenishing thin or bare spots in your lawn with grass seed. Before over-seeding you should aerate the area--if not the entire lawn--to give newly spread grass seeds the best environment for beginning their growth. Moisture retention is especially important for new seeds, and aeration helps the soil retain water.

Managing Thatch

• Thatch is a layer of debris and stems that sits at the upper level of the soil. Dethatching is an important part of responsible lawn maintenance and should be performed annually. In the meantime, aeration helps to create a path through the thatch to the roots. Lawns with heavy thatch are unhealthy lawns, as water is unable to get through the thick collection of thatch to the roots. Roots can be stunted as they try to grow beyond the limits of the suffocating thatch. Aeration creates an avenue for water to seep deeper into the soil to properly moisturize the soil and feed the grass roots.