Looking after your lawn and making sure it stays fresh and healthy is often easier said than done. From clearing leaves and snow from your lawn in the colder months to fertilising, mowing and removing weeds in spring and summer, you have to put a lot of work into keeping your lawn green.
In addition to the above, you should also make sure that you aerate your lawn as and when it is necessary.
In case you aren’t familiar with aerating, just check out our aeration 101 guide below:
What is aerating and how does it help your lawn?
Aeration is the process of spiking your lawn with small holes. These holes allow nutrients and water to reach deep into the soil, which helps mitigate the effects of lawn compaction, returning your lawn to glorious health.
Lawn compaction occurs across almost all lawns through factors including moving, foot traffic, rainfall and even just gravity, so it is a safe bet that you will have to aerate your lawn periodically.
When is the best time to aerate your lawn?
This answer will depend on the type of grass you have in your lawn. If you have warm season turfgrass – such as Buffalo or Bermuda grass – then the best time to aerate is from late spring to early summer.
Conversely, if you have cool season turfgrass – like fall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass – is best aerated in the fall.
Homeowners should also aim to aerate not long before you plan to reseed or fertilize your lawn. This is because the aeration process best prepares the lawn to absorb the nutrients or the seeds.
How often should you aerate your lawn?
You shouldn’t be aerating your lawn too often, as this will cover it in too many holes, prevent the grass from being able to flourish and potentially completely wreck the lawn and soil.
The type of soil in your lawn will also play a role in deciding how often you have to aerate your lawn, as certain soil types, such as clay soil, suffer compaction more easily and so will, therefore, need aerating more often.
Generally speaking, you should aerate your lawn when it looks like it is starting to need it, but make sure that you never do so more than once a year.
Further Considerations
Make sure that you don’t aerate when your soil is too wet, as this will prevent the aerator from being able to make deep enough holes in your lawn. Soil should be moist, not saturated when it is aerated.
In the same vein, make sure you don’t aerate during a drought or when the weather is too hot, as in this case the soil will become dried out from the heat, causing overall damage to your lawn.
If you want to know more about how to look after your lawn and keep it green and healthy visit Grasshopper Lawns today!