Why Aerating Helps Lawns and When to Do Albuquerque Lawn Aeration

Routine lawn maintenance tasks significantly contribute to developing a denser and more robust lawn. Intermittent employment opportunities can dramatically contribute to the progress made through more minor actions taken over several months. Aerating lawns is a common annual practice among homeowners to alleviate soil compaction and promote grass growth. Aeration can be advantageous for most yards in Albuquerque if executed and timed appropriately.

Why aerating helps lawns.

Grass roots require adequate air, water, and nutrients to develop a robust and extensive system. Soil compaction restricts the movement of vital nutrients for promoting dense and robust turf growth. Your lawn’s health and appearance can benefit greatly from a thin layer of compacted soil, about 1/4 to 1/2 inches thick.

To improve air, water, and nutrient penetration to the grassroots of lawns, employ aeration, a process in which holes are created in the soil to relieve compaction. Lawn grasses face challenges in stressful situations, such as heat and low rainfall, due to compacted soil, which deprives them of their essential needs and results in losing their healthy, rich color. Grasses experience gradual thinning and eventual death due to insufficient oxygen, water, and nutrients, despite their proximity just a few inches away. Aeration can facilitate the delivery of essential nutrients to your lawn, improving its overall health and growth trajectory. Even a single aeration session can achieve this outcome.

When lawns need aeration.

Compaction of lawns can occur more quickly than one might assume. Vehicles and small equipment used on lawns, as well as outdoor activities such as entertaining or play by children and pets, can cause lawn compaction. Regular aeration may be necessary in areas where heavy clay soil predominates to prevent the lawn from becoming sparse and feeble. 

Perform Dethatching and aerating in conjunction, despite being distinct procedures. Thatch is the layer of decomposed organic matter that develops at the lawn surface and soil interface. Thatch exceeding 1/2 inch thickness impedes the circulation of air, water, and nutrients necessary for the growth of grasses, akin to compaction. 

Kentucky bluegrass in northern lawns and Bermudagrass in southern lawns are known for their aggressive spreading and tendency to accumulate more thatch than other grass species. Aeration facilitates the infiltration and reduction of thatch accumulation or prepares it for elimination via dethatching. Compaction problems may be indicated by stressed grass, hard soil, and rainwater puddling where it was previously absorbed. 

Verify your assumptions through a straightforward assessment known as the “screwdriver test.” Insert a standard screwdriver manually into the soil of your lawn. The ease of screwdriver sliding should be ensured, and soil compaction is alleviated through aeration.