If you aren’t aerating your lawn, your garden will not achieve its maximum potential. Aeration ensures that the nutrients and oxygen grass needs reach its roots. If you want a beautiful green oasis outside of your front door, don’t skip this step. 

Why Lawn Aeration Is Important

Plants need a balanced diet of the right nutrients, plus adequate oxygen and hydration, to survive. If the soil is packed too tightly, it’s more difficult for fertilizers, water, and air to penetrate the soil. Aeration relieves soil compaction by puncturing the earth with small holes. This allows the “food” that grass needs to circulate and get below the surface, promoting deeper and stronger root growth. 

Aeration is best done in spring for warm-season grasses and fall for cool-season grasses, preparing them for their prime growing seasons. Areas that are heavily used may benefit from more frequent treatment.

How to Properly Aerate Your Lawn

The first step is to address thatch—old leaves and dead plants on the lawn’s surface. This debris prevents water and nutrients from accessing the soil, and can also keep much-needed sunlight from reaching grass blades. Use a rake to remove it. Next, use an aerator to break up compacted soil—water the day before to ease the process. A spike aerator will simply poke holes, while a plug aerator will pull up “cores” or “plugs” of compact dirt—the latter is more effective. Space plugs about three inches apart for adequate coverage. 

You can usually rent aerators from local gardening centers if you don’t own one. Alternatively, you can hire an expert to get the job done. Lawn care professionals can also address other needs, such as mowing, thatch removal, pest problems, and fertilization.

Nature Plus Lawn & Irrigation provides comprehensive lawn care services to residents of Cincinnati, OH, and the surrounding areas. With 25 years of experience, they know what it takes to make Ohio’s gardens grow. From nixing local pests and weeds to applying geographically appropriate fertilizer mixes, they can handle all of your lawn care needs. You can learn more about aeration on their website. To schedule a service, call them directly at (513) 755-9434.