Feb 3, 2009
Core aeration creates lifelines throughout your lawnCore aeration can open up your lawn to getting a lot more of what it needs for recovery from summer stress and for just plain good health.
Why Plug?
Grass roots need oxygen, water and nutrients to grow well and make your lawn look luscious. Two things that keep all this good stuff from reaching roots are thatch buildup and hard, compacted soil. Aeration helps eliminate both problems.
How’s it done?
An aerator pulls out thousands of plugs of thatch and soil, each about the size of a finger, from your lawn. The hollow blades of the aerator cut through the thatch layer and into the soil, then leave the plugs to decompose on top of the ground. The wide open paths where the plugs used to be allow for easy penetration of life-giving air, water and nutrients.
What’s the problem with thatch, anyway?
Thatch is the layer just above the soil of decaying plant life-mainly dead grass stems, crowns and roots. Even if you use a mulching mower, thatch continues to build up, forming a habitat for insects and disease. Aeration is an easy way to break through the thatch and open up the soil beneath.
Why worry about compacted soil?
Soil, especially if it has lots of clay, can become compacted and dense. It’s hard for anything, including roots of plants, to get through. Taking out plugs gives the soil a new lease on life. Soil and roots can expand into the created spaces. It’s also easier for worms and other helpful insects to move through the soil bed. And, as an extra benefit, as the plugs left on the lawn’s surface break up, they mix with the thatch and help it decompose. Every lawn benefits from aeration at least once a year. Call us to learn more about aeration for your lawn.
