Albuquerque Lawn Aeration Guide – Part One

Developing a stunning lawn requires the basics tasks done consistently including watering, mowing and fertilizing. For all these tasks to go well it is critical for a lawn that both water and the needed nutrients make it into the soil below the grass, so the grass can get what it needs to grow and be healthy. This requirement is achieved through lawn aeration. Aeration gives a lawn the needed pathway for fertilizer nutrients, natural nutrients, water and air it needs to thrive. Lawn thatch and thick mature grass lawns slow down or prevent lawns from thriving. Learn about why aeration is needed, how it’s done and when it should be done here.

Aeration Explained 

Aeration is the act of making small holes in the surface of a lawn. The holes created create a path for nutrients, water and air to make their way to the roots of the lawn’s grass. Aeration assists lawn grass roots directly so they can grow better and stronger, which in turn will help create a vital healthy lawn for your Albuquerque home.

The primary need for lawn aerating is to reduce and ease soil hardness. Hard soils are compressed so hard together it makes it close to impossible for grass to grow well because air, water and nutrients are unable to move throughout the soil. Matted lawn thatch and built-up organic matter under the top of a grass lawn also make it difficult for grass to get the air, water and food it needs to grow.

Does Your Lawn Need Aeration?

Homeowners are many times are not sure if their lawn needs aerating. Chances are your lawn needs to be aerated if it meets any of the following criteria:

• Your lawn receives above average foot traffic because it’s the home that serves as the most often visited neighborhood house with kids. From dogs to kids to cats and backyard football the lawn and the underlying soil is getting compacted daily.
• Your home started life out as new construction, making the soil light on nutrients and very hard. Constant foot traffic, trucks and construction equipment added to the soil compaction of the dirt at your home.
• Your lawn does not retain watering or rain and feels like your sponges when walked on. Most likely the lawn has a big thatch problem. To test this theory, dig up a small shovel of the lawn down 3 inches. Aeration is needed if the thatch you see is more than ½ to 1 inch thick.
• Your lawn started off by means of sod with built-in soil layers. The layers were created from the sod starting off with fine soil sitting on top of the soil of the property. Compaction took place over time, making it impossible for water and nutrients to make its way down to the natural soil of the property. To combat this problem, aeration is a must. Doing this will give water and nutrients a connection to the original soil and allow roots to grown down and establish a strong root system.

A nice-looking lawn can look even better when it’s aerated on an annual basis. It’s not a hard task and all it takes is a bit of learning before hand and completion of basics tasks to do the job the right way. If your lawn indicates the signs it needs aerating, go ahead and do it. Your lawn will improve, look nicer, get healthier and become even more enjoyable.

For additional tips about Albuquerque landscaping and aeration, give R & S Landscaping a call at 505-271-8419.