Aerating the soil is a vital part of lawn care and preventive maintenance. Taking this critical step benefits the health of your grass and improves the appearance of the landscape. Despite the many advantages of this task, many people aren’t sure what the process involves or how it works. Use this guide to familiarize yourself with soil aeration and discover how it can transform your lawn.

How It Works

Aerating the soil involves puncturing the material with small holes. These gaps allow the necessary nutrients, water, and oxygen to reach the lawn’s roots. As these essential components penetrate the soil, they help the grass thrive.

A lawn care technician will use a plug or spike aerator to perform this task. The plug aerator removes cylinders of soil as it rolls across the lawn, while the spiked variety utilizes sharp points to penetrate the ground as it moves.

Signs You Need Aeration

Compacted soil can occur in areas with heavy foot traffic, such as on lawns where kids and pets play. When the soil is compressed, it loses the valuable space needed to accommodate life-giving nutrients and moisture for the grass. Perforating the ground and creating the holes manually will resolve compaction.

This process is also necessary if the soil feels dry and spongy, which are symptoms of thatch. This layer of grass clippings, stems, and roots forms over the soil, creating a barrier that prevents nutrients from reaching the area below. Aerating will improve the grass, but a lawn care professional will need to remove the thatch layer first.

Benefits

The lawn will look healthier as the grass grows more robustly. Since aerating reduces compaction symptoms, the lawn will stop thinning and decaying, and bald patches will disappear.

Ask your lawn care professional about applying an additional product to improve the soil’s pH balance. This creates a healthier environment, allowing nutrients to penetrate the soil further. Since compacted soil doesn’t allow moisture inside, aeration can help with issues related to drainage and allow water to reach the roots.

If your outdoor space could benefit from professional maintenance, contact the team at Jake’s Lawn Care in Fort Worth, TX. The lawn care company offers a variety of valuable services designed to improve the condition and appearance of your grass, from soil aeration and lawn mowing to tree trimming and mulching. Visit the website for more information, or call (817) 292-2711 to speak with a representative.