Grass does not grow well in pack dirt , as pile solid ground resist stem , water system , and aviation insight . It piddle a poor environment for beneficial microbes to farm and lacks organic matter , which is authoritative for alush gullible lawn . Without intervention , a compacted soil zone can spread as weak grass go off , roots decay , microbe go hibernating or conk out , and soil particle settle nearer to one another . fortunately , compaction is n’t permanent . Plug aeration is one of the most effective way to turn back it , but it can be hard to forecast out when you should pop . This guide to the best time to punch aerate lawn will help .
When is the best time to plug aerate your lawn
The best time to plug aerate a lawn is at the beginning of its normal rapid ontogenesis stage . Warm - season grass , like Bermuda grassand zoysia grass , should be aerated in tardy natural spring or early summertime , once they ’re fully green . For cool - season grasses , late summer or former fall is secure . If you design to oversee fescue in the fall , aerate first .
When the season is right , wait for a spell of soaking rain . The aerator ’s tine will perforate moist soil more deeply than ironical soil , but it should n’t be too pixilated . expect four or five twenty-four hours after the pelting has passed before aerating .
What is aeration?
Aeration is , in pith , perforating the dirt Earth’s surface to admit aura , water supply , food , and origin to pervade deeper . Various putz and implements can be used to do the job , from spiked shoe attachment that you may strap on to take the air around the yard to vertical mowers with blade that cut into the land control surface . The most effective aerators are plug aerators .
Plug aerators are heavy rollers with long , hollow tine spaced 6 or 8 inches apart . Some are self - incite , walk - behind machines . Others are build up to tow behind a lawn tractor . As the aerator roll across the grass , the tine settle down and pull out grease fire hydrant approximately a half - inch in diam and 1 to 2 inches deep . The plugs are left on the lawn surface to dissolve in the rain .
oxygenize canhelp a fight lawnturn around . Since Gunter Grass tooth root are cut in the process , it is a stressor in the short full term . If the soil is n’t contract , aerate is n’t necessary . However , if the lawn needs to be activate , be indisputable to do it at the right time of year to minimize plant stress and maximize the benefit .
Causes of soil compaction
Heavy clay soil
Heavy clay soil has a rude disposition to become compress over time , unless it ’s protected from the hot Lord’s Day by dense vegetative growth and celebrate moist to allow root insight . A dense , well - establish lawn on clay territory may boom without symptoms of compaction , but sure stressor like drouth , heat , or improper mowing height and absolute frequency may cause it to refuse .
High levels of traffic
High traffic situations , such as dog runs along fences or the kids ’ verbatim path to the treehouse , do n’t just pour down the grass . They also stimulate grime crunch that forestall new grass from grow .
Poor drainage
Low - lying areas and uneven surfacesboth drain ill . Water lying on the surface for an extended time kills the vegetation and microbes living in the dirt , stimulate the grease structure to break down . Over clip , this variety of ponding may become worse because of the added soil compaction .
What will aeration do for the lawn
Grass that grows in compact soil exhibits one or more unsightly , unhealthful stress symptoms . By better the soil body structure , aerate name and address these illness . These issues can all be cut or eliminated with aeration :
A well - oxygenise lawn get deeper beginning , gains approach to a more substantive supply of body of water and food , and in general becomes more insubordinate to pests , disease , and drouth . The grass takes on a stronger , healthier , more coherent coming into court .
How to tell if the lawn needs aeration
Only compacted soil needs to be aerated , but some mass oxygenize yearly as preventative maintenance . A simple screwdriver test will show whether the lawn soil is compacted . You ’ll need a Phillips - caput screwdriver with a 6- to 8 - inch vane . If you do n’t have a screwdriver , you’re able to practice a garden fork or other pecker , just call up that it will take less force to advertise it in if the creature is made for press .
In several areas of the cubic yard , especially in places where the Gunter Grass grows sparsely or slow , labor the screwdriver into the soil as deeply as potential . If it sink all the agency to the handle with little attempt , the grunge is n’t compacted . If you feel substantial resistance or if you ca n’t insert the screwdriver full , oxygenate will help .
What to do after plug aerating your lawn
Once you ’ve finished plug aerate your lawn , give it a deep watering . leave behind the plugs where they are , as they will break down and return nutrient to the soil . Watering will help them breach down faster as well , since the pissed soil will relax and begin to fall apart . you may fecundate and reseed your lawn at the same clock time as sparking plug aerating , but remember to confine foot traffic over your lawn . take the air piano and meagrely to keep off recompacting your lawn as it begins to finalize . invalidate mow your lawn or host any gatherings on it until the new forage has had a chance to uprise in .
Grass grow best when it develops a deep root organisation that can access abundant wet and nutrient . thick soil resists cryptical root development , but activate soil fosters it . If your lawn has been struggle , aeration could be the cure .
