Soils with a high percentage of clay develop into very hard and compressed. Lawn Compaction makes it hard for water, fertilizer, air and grass roots to go through into the soil and also contributes to increase of thatch. Lawn aeration is a process where by poking holes in the soil throughout the lawn using an aerator. Aeration helps with soil compaction which is a concern in clay type soil in lawns while helping water and fertilizer move into the root zone. Its recommend that core aeration is completed every couple of years, however for heavy clay soil types its best to be done every year.
The primary objective of lawn aeration is to ensure improvement in the aeration and drainage of the soil. Depending on the soil type of the lawn area you may do this by hand with a ordinary steel garden fork or a specifically designed core aerator fork. You could hire a contractor to do the job for you, if you have a large lawn there are lawn aerators that may be hired.
Early Spring or Autumn to aerate your lawn because this is when increased aeration and improved drainage and moisture penetration will have the best effect. This method requires that holes or cores are done at constant intervals by driving the fork vertically into the soil and withdrawing it and not levering it sideways. Core or plugging aerators have an advantage over spike forks because they actually dig a core of soil leaving a hole that can be plugged (back filled) with a mixture of top soil and fertilizer and then a good watering.
Lawns that have a problem with thatch it is important to leave the cores on the lawn, allowing them to work back into the grass. It is a great natural soil conditioner that will increase microorganism activity in the soil. Soil aeration make sure that the plant receives oxygen for root growth and reduces soil compaction which improves water and fertilizer infiltration. Core aeration can be used to minimize thatch accumulation and to decrease compaction of the soil in heavy traffic area. Whenever you use a core aerator soil plugs are deposited on the lawns surface. for the soil plugs to break down.
Ways in which soil aeration will improve your lawn;
Decreases water and fertilizer requirements for vigorous lawn Enhanced heat and drought stress tolerance. Helps the regeneration of new root growth Improves lawn thickness, vigor, and overall the health of the plant Improves dispersion for fertilizer into the root zone. Increases air penetration into soil which increases soil microbes. Restore the turf by allowing the roots to cultivate deeper. Promotes a greener, weed free lawn.
Author Resource:
Compaction of soil is a widespread condition brought about by sour soils, or through constant animal, machine or human passage. Not enough air penetration, vital for the development of bacteria with in the soil, this is fixed by lawn aeration . Aeration is carried out by using a Lawn Aerator , pay a visit our website to find out a lot more.
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