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It is estimated that over 66% of residential lawns are growing on compacted soils. Many times, there is no evidence of insect or disease activity, yet the lawn seems to be off color, thinning, and shows signs of stress in high temperatures. If this is the case, then chances are that the lawn is compacted. Compaction happens when the soil gets more and more compressed. This reduces the amount of oxygen in the soil, also nutrients are not able to move to the roots of the grass. This causes the lawn to thin. Core aeration is the removal of small cores of soil to allow air, moisture and fertilizer down to the root zone. A core aerifier will pull one to two-inch plugs of soil from the ground. Soil surrounding the holes and the soil deposited on the surface will eventually fill in the holes. It doesn’t work to use equipment that simply punches a hole in the soil. While a hole may be created, the “punched” soil merely compacts the soil surrounding the hole. The controlled removal of the small soil cores has many benefits. It allows fertilizer, water and air to quickly reach the root zone of your grass. Both drought and heavy rain stress your grass. During drought conditions, aeration helps water reach thirsty roots. When rain is heavy, it allows air to penetrate and help dry up excess moisture. Core aeration creates healthy roots and thicker, more beautiful lawns. After the core aeration, the over-seeding takes place. These fresh tiny turf grass seeds will flourish in this environment. Core Aeration Over-Seeding is necessary for homeowners if they wish to have a greener lawn when their warm season's grasses enter dormancy. |
