Every dream home or picturesque paradise includes a green, healthy lawn. While most homeowners are diligent about cutting the grass, they commonly forget key care steps that are important to achieving a lush green swath of lawn. One of those steps? Annual lawn aeration!
Why should I aerate my lawn?
Lawn aeration is the process of spiking holes into the ground to help grass grow. These holes let air, water, and nutrients get down deeper into the soil to the grass roots. After a lawn aeration treatment, grass roots will grow deeper and more established into the soil. See how the lawn aeration process helps healthy grass grow in the infographic below!
Lawn Aeration – Beyond the Basics
Googling “Lawn Aeration” will give you plenty of information on the process, how to do it, and other ideas. Here are a few of our insights that are important not to overlook for a lawn aeration, whether you are doing it yourself or hiring a lawn care company to do it for you.
- Fall is Best – Ideally lawn aerations are done at the end of the growing season, but before grass is dormant. In St. Louis, fall is the best time to aerate your lawn, for most common varieties of grass.
- Pair with Overseeding – To get the best results, you’ll want to aerate your lawn and spread a layer of grass seed. Be sure to water these newly seeded areas well!
- Soil Plugs are No Problem – When holes are spiked into the ground for a lawn aeration, they leave behind a small soil plug (see photo below).
This plug will break down easily with rainfall or mowing. There’s no need to remove these plugs, they will break down naturally! - Repair Problem Spots – Expansive lawn spaces can be time-consuming to maintain. If grass isn’t growing well in a particular area, consider replacing it with a lower maintenance alternative. Rain gardens, hardscaping elements, or native gardens can save you time and money in the long run.
- Lawn Care Counts – No matter how many times you aerate, seed, or put down new sod, you still need to take care of your lawn. A smart irrigation system helps with under or over watering. Replacing weedy areas with grass helps to establish a uniform look. In St. Louis, lawn care is important throughout the growing season (typically April through November) and can change year to year depending on outdoor conditions.
- Don’t Overdo It – Lawns usually don’t need to be aerated more than once a year. Exception to this? High-traffic areas that get walked on frequently or even driven on. Even if you own a lawn aerator, it doesn’t need to be overly used. In fact, that might be doing more harm than good.
Lawn aeration is a key lawn care step that we include annually for all of our lawn care plus clients. This step, combined with others, allows grass to grow strong and healthy.
Looking for more? Email us a photo of your lawn to get recommendations on treatment and ideas for planning. You can send your photos or videos to info@quietvillagelandscaping.com. We’ll take a look at the current state of your lawn and make recommendations that will help your yard thrive, year after year!