How to tell if your lawn needs to be aerated:

Is one of your 2021 summer goals to get a thicker and healthier lawn? You’ve come to the right place! One of the most forgotten yet beneficial actions to perform on your lawn is Aeration. Soil compaction can pose a problem for many homeowners and inhibit the lawn from growing properly and receiving the nutrition that it needs in order to prosper. That is why aerating your lawn properly is crucial to your lawn’s health.

There are many factors that can cause the grass to struggle to meet its basic needs such as; stress during low rainfall and high heat and compacted soil will gradually cause your lawn to thin and eventually die out completely. Grassroots need nutrients, air, and water to grow not only deep but also thick and strong. By aerating your lawn you will be able to break up the compact soil at the base of your turf and create holes so that water, air, and nutrients are able to gain easier access to the roots. A layer of compacted soil just 1/4 to 1/2 inches thick can make a significant difference in the health and beauty of your lawn.

Not sure how to tell if your lawn needs to be aerated or not? Here are a few ways to test before aerating:

1. If you’re noticing that water is starting to pool in places of your lawn that used to be absorbed, this can be caused by soil compaction and blockages that should be cleared in order for your grass to get the nutrients and water it needs to continue to grow.

2. The Screwdriver Test- Take a normal screwdriver and hand-stick the screwdriver into the area of your lawn that you are most worried about. If you feel resistance when sticking the screwdriver into your lawn it is compacted and aeration could help break everything up. 

3. If your grass looks stressed or the soil is hard to the touch, your lawn could benefit from aeration treatment.

Lawns can easily get compacted especially in the spring with the rain and wind carrying debris. 

Aeration can help break up buildup and debris in your lawn to help create a clear pathway to the roots for water, air, and nutrients to go. If you have questions about aeration or think it’s time for your lawn to be aerated give Mower For Hire a call!