Let’s talk about aeration! Not the world’s most engaging subject, but it really can do wonders for your yard.
Technically speaking, by aerating your lawn you are supplying the soil with air by poking thousands of holes into the ground. This is typically done with an aerator machine.
(We love our Ryan aerator. It does a great job and is easy to use.)
When you have heavily compacted or clay soil, even water has a hard time permeating down into the roots of the turf grass. By aerating, you are allowing your fertilizer and grass seed to be absorbed into the roots more efficiently. Overall you will have a healthier turf throughout the growing season and see better results because your products have a chance to work deeper into the ground instead of just barely seeping into the top layer and running off.
Watering ahead of time allows for the machine to pull deeper cores. Make sure the ground isn’t frozen, and it isn’t hot and dry outside. Spring and fall are great times to aerate since the moisture levels are higher.
If you are hiring a company to aerate the turf for you, it is helpful ahead of time to mark the sprinkler heads and any areas where shallow CATV lines may be buried with flags. This will help to guide the Contractor through the yard without damaging the heads and accidentally cutting the cable and internet.
Once completed, the cores are typically left to be broken down and worked back into the ground. The next round or two of mowing will usually take care of this. It isn’t necessary for the cores to be removed. However, if you have a pet that loves to bring them inside to hide and chew on later, and or your kids use them to pellet each other from their fort, it can’t hurt to rake them up.
Your turf is now ready for the fertilizer and other products to work their magic.
Note: Ryan aerators has no idea who Summit Hardscaping is. We just like their machine. Plain and Simple. www.ryanturf.com