Knowing exactly when you should aerate your lawn will help you revive a struggling lawn without chemicals.
So when should youaerate your lawn?
It depends on thetype of grass, along with the amount of soil compaction.
Credit:Andy Lyons
Here’s how to time it right so your lawn will get the most benefit from aeration.
Why You Should Aerate Lawns
Aeration is a vital tool for improving the health of a lawn.
In a few months, it can change a hard-packed, concrete-like lawn surface into a lush green expanse.
Credit:Peter Krumhardt
This chemical-free lawn treatment gets to the root of the problemliterally.
Soil compaction compromises turfgrass growth at the root level.
Tightly packed soil particles prevent water, necessary nutrients, and oxygen from seeping into the root zone.
Compaction stunts root growth as the fine roots are less able to push through the nearly solid soil profile.
A thriving ecosystem leads to strong plant growth.
A lawn aerator achieves this by removing small cores of soil.
The real work of alleviating compaction occurs in the newly bored holes in the soil.
The holes allow water and oxygen to penetrate the lawn, percolating across the soil profile.
Microbes have new inroads to create nutrient pathways.
Essentially, the soil comes alive again.
The result is a healthy stand of turf.
Andy Lyons
Does Your Lawn Need Aerating?
Your grass will tell you when you should aerate your lawn.
Turf scientists often prescribe the screwdriver test to gauge soil compaction and the need to aerate.
Two or three days after a soaking rain, sink a screwdriver into the soil.
If the screwdriver penetrates the soil with little resistance, you probably dont need to aerate.
For best success, aerate turfboth cool-season and warm-season grasseswhen the soil is moist but not wet.
Two or three days after a soaking rain is often a good time to aerate.
Aerate heavily compacted lawns annually and moderately compacted soils every three years.
Use the screwdriver test to check soil compaction before you aerate.
Often, only the high-traffic areas need to be aerated annually.
