There are a number of reasons why your lawn can become compacted and in need of aeration:
- animals running in yard
- parking cars on the lawn
- kids playing on the lawn
- foot traffic – ie walking on the lawn
- you live in an area with clay soil
Some signs that your lawn may be compacted:
- pooling on your lawn after a heavy rain or after watering =>when the soil is compacted, the water has a hard time soaking into the ground and instead pools
- lawn is brown => when the soil is compacted, the water has a hard time soaking into the ground to reach the grass roots, your grass doesn’t get enough warm and turns brown
- lawn feels spongy
- thick hatch (did you know that earthworms and organisms decompose thatch, but with compacted soil the level of oxygen is reduced, so they can’t decompose it and thatch builds up)
- patches of bare soil or areas where grass grows poorly
- you have a hard time digging into the soil with a shovel
- trees around compacted soil may be in poor health
- thin grass
The problem with having compacted soil, is that it prevents water and air from reaching the roots of the grass in your lawn, starving your lawn of the nutrients it requires in order to be healthy.
Now that we know what may cause compaction and some signs of how to tell if it is compacted, let’s talk about aeration – when is the best time to do it and how often does it need to be done n order to avoid the problem returning.
If your soil is compacted we recommend Deep Core Aeration.
Deep Core Aeration removes small plugs of thatch and soil from the lawn, allowing your lawn to breathe. These plugs are then left on your lawn to decompose, providing more nutrients to your lawn, with the holes filling in within a few weeks, depending on time of year, weather and soil conditions.
Deep Core Aeration is recommended once per year, in the Spring or Fall.
If aerating in the spring, to best prevent weeds with core aeration, you will need to aerate before spring weeds start to germinate. In the spring, if you see dandelions appearing in your lawn, it is too late to aerate.
Fall aeration should be done after temperatures have cooled off. Fall aeration preps your grass for a thicker and greener lawn in the spring.
Some of the benefits of Deep Core Aeration include:
- Improves air exchange
- Enhances uptake of water and fertilizer by the soil
- Reduces water run-off and puddling
- Leaves room for root growth
- Creates stronger turfgrass roots
- Reduces soil compaction
- Increases tolerance to stress brought on by heat and drought
- Enhances thatch breakdown
At Green Oasis we use a core aerator machine and provide this service in the spring and fall in Calgary, Red Deer and close surrounding areas. Click here to learn more about this service.
Please contact us if you have any questions about your lawn and whether it could benefit from this service.
