Friday, October 18, 2013
When should I aerate my lawn?
Aeration can be done almost all season long. Aeration is the process of making small holes in your yard. This in turn delivers more air, nutrients, & moisture to the root system. Causing the roots to grow deeper and develop a stronger root system. A deep root system on a lawn helps in times of heat stress & when the lawn is in its dormancy state.
There are actually two good times to aerate your lawn, in the spring and fall with each having its own benefits. Aeration in itself will help to loosen up thatch which nutrients have a hard time passing through when the thatch is thick. It will also help to reduce water run-off from the spring rains in this area. The only downside to aerating in the spring is that you can`t apply a pre-emergent to combat crab grass. Pre-emergent will not let new seed germinate and it's hard on the exposed root system from aeration.
Fall is a good time to aerate if you plan to over seed afterwards. You reap all the benefits as before plus also supply a new home in the soil for the seed to germinate. This gives the seed a chance to germinate and gain a root system before the dormant state in winter. It will also develop more in the following spring before the harsh summer elements affect them. This is best done in September.