Lawn Aeration
The Why And How Of Lawn Aeration
Lawn aeration is done frequently by some. Their lawns tend to be thicker, greener, and generally quite attractive. Lawn aeration is never done by others. In some cases their lawns are also thicker, greener, and generally quite attractive, in other cases not so. When lawns are adequately watered, but still are not as attractive as we like, we get out the fertilizer. That usually, though nor always, solves the problem. Sometimes fertilizing seem to make little difference at all. That often indicates a need for lawn aeration.
Most Lawns Need It, But Some Don't - There are some who never see a need for law aeration, in fact if they have a complaint it's their lawn is always growing and is always thick, and a it's chore to mow twice a week. The guy down the street aerates, but his lawn is no better, in fact may grow a little slower and not be quite as thick.
Just why and when is lawn aeration necessary, especially if some lawns never seem to need it? There can be several reasons why your lawn may require aeration, but the principle ones are soil type and traffic. To stay healthy, grass roots need water and reasonably loose soil, at least loose enough so both air and water can penetrate to the roots, and loose enough so the roots can easily spread. If your soil is poor, especially if it is a heavy clay soil, you'll probably need to aerate on occasion. If your lawn, or parts of it, experience heavy traffic, the soil in those areas is going to become compacted, the grass roots will not get the water or air they need, and may begin to slowly die away. If the soil is compacted, either because that's the way it's always been, or because of heavy traffic, lawn aeration is likely to be necessary on occasion to keep it looking attractive.
What is lawn aeration? Basically it's the practice of making holes in you lawn to both loosen the soil and allow water and air to reach the roots of the grass. Some lawns, especially well established ones, may only need to be aerated every second or third year. Others, resting on heavy or clay soils, or experiencing lots of foot traffic, may need to be aerated annually or even twice a year.
Plug Removal Better Than Spikes - Ever noticed tiny plugs of soil on the putting greens of your local golf course? That's due to aerating. Here it's not just a matter of poking hole in the greens. Tiny plugs of soil are actually removed. They're usually swept aside, so the green don't look messy, but once in awhile a few are left behind. Taking out plugs of soil (and grass) instead of merely making holes in the lawn is usually considered to be the most effective way of aerating lawns, but you can do it either way. Using spikes to punch holes however, doesn't always do that good of a job, and in some instances may even contribute to a soil compaction problem.
Spikes may be all right if there is a small part of the lawn which gets heavy foot traffic than needs to be aerated 2 or 3 times during the growing season, whereas the rest of the lawn doesn't have that problem and may not even need annual aeration. There's little sense paying someone to aerate your entire lawn, or renting a machine (they work fine but are heavy and a little cumbersome), if only a relatively few square feet need aeration. If the whole lawn needs aeration annually however, renting an aerator or hiring someone to do it is usually the best approach.
Dog Logs - A machine is going to take some fair sized plugs out of your lawn, 1/2" in diameter and sometimes more. This doesn’t hurt the lawn at all, in fact, that's what you want, it's really very good for it. The plugs can be raked up or simply broken up the next time you mow. They can just be left were they lie, but your lawn will look like it's been visited during the night by every dog in town.
Aerator Shoes? - One can even purchase shoes with spikes, in which case it's recommended that they be worn each time you mow the lawn for the best results. That may be true, but if you have any hard spots in the lawn, it could be hard on your feet and ankles. Hand aerators are better, and plug aerators are best.