Lawn aeration in 5 easy steps
When and Why Should Your Lawn Be Aerated?
Is your lawn losing its greenery and appearing less dense than usual? Your soil certainly needs to be aerated because it is overly compact. Aerating your lawn is an important step in keeping it green and healthy.
Indeed, lawn aeration is a vital step for effective lawn maintenance since it loosens the soil and allows air, water, and minerals to better penetrate the lawn.
Your grass requires the right amount of water and nutrients to grow healthily. The adequate supply of these elements, however, is no longer possible when your soil is compacted and overly dense because it lacks air.
Soil tends to naturally get more compact with time. However, other factors—such as frequent walking on the lawn, snow accumulation, etc.—accentuate compaction.
When to Aerate your Lawn?
It is advised to aerate your grass at least twice a year, ideally in the spring and fall.
However, it can depend on the type of grass in your lawn. If you have cool-season grass, it is better to aerate in the spring and fall seasons. For warm-season grass, spring through summer is the ideal time for aeration. Timing is critical so you can ensure that it is done when the grass is active and growing. This will produce the outcome you are hoping for—a healthy and green lawn.
You can tell your lawn needs aeration if water is gathering and not seeping into the soil, if the soil has become compressed, and if the grass and soil has lost its luster or is sparse. For thinning grass, you may need further lawn treatment, but aeration is beneficial.
Tip:
To determine whether your floor needs to be aerated, use a simple test: put a pencil into the ground. If it struggles to sink more than 10 cm, your soil is likely lacking in air.
What Equipment is Needed For Lawn Aeration?
You will need the following tools to aerate your lawn:
The 5 Steps of lawn aeration
1. Planning
The best strategy is to schedule lawn aeration once a year, ideally in the middle of spring. The best strategy is to schedule this once a year, ideally in the middle of spring. Learn about the characteristics of your lawn to choose the best day. However, if your lawn problems are urgent or your spring care has not produced the expected results, you may want to try performing it in the fall as well.
2. Hydrate and mow your grass
Make sure to thoroughly water your grass prior to starting any scarifying or aerating so the soil isn’t too dry when you go to work it. We advise mowing the lawn as well. These two techniques will help you do your job more efficiently. Make sure your lawn is cold enough and moist enough so that the margins of your holes do not dry out and perhaps harm the grass whose roots are exposed.
3. Run the aerator roller over your lawn twice
Scarification is accomplished according to the degree of soil compaction in each area of the garden. Aerator roller runs should be made multiple times in areas that are very confined, with less than 10 centimeters of space between every hole. Aeration should ideally be done twice, with the second pass being parallel to the first.
4. Cover your lawn with sand
Make sure to cover your entire lawn with river sand after the soil has been aerated. By doing this, you can stop the holes from filling up too quickly and protect the grass’s roots. We advise using river sand because it isn’t too thin and won’t compact. To spread the sand more evenly, you can use a shovel.
5. Fill aeration holes with sand.
Finally, fill the holes completely with sand using a leaf rake. Water the lawn once you’ve finished the first five steps.
We can help you
Lawn aeration is an operation that necessitates some technicality. If you don’t have a green thumb, don’t have the time, or want to ensure a quality result, it’s advisable to seek professionals.
Do you need assistance with aerating your lawn? Contact Innovation Grounds now! We can assist you in getting back your lush, thriving lawn. We would use our experience and high-quality equipment to achieve the best possible result and allow you to enjoy your grass as soon as possible.
If you reside in Texas and need expert lawn care services, give Innovation Grounds a call to arrange your free consultation to learn more about our offerings. You can also make an appointment online by filling out the form below.
Our Services
Get an estimate
Lawn Care
Innovation Grounds Lawn Care Services offers routine yard mowing your Austin, Texas home or property.
Our grass cutting service includes edging along concrete surfaces and walk paths, flowerbeds and trimming the perimeter of the lawn, and removing debris from the clippings. Get in touch today and let us keep your yard looking great!