One of the best things you can do for your lawn is aerate.
Spring is the perfect time to aerate your lawn. Aeration relieves soil compaction, which squeezes the life out of your lawn. Soil compaction occurs because of gravity, lawn equipment, and foot traffic. Aeration loosens the soil to let nutrients reach the roots. Aeration helps the roots grow deeper under your topsoil and allows air, nutrients, and water to circulate and penetrate the grassroots growing there. It will produce a stronger, thicker, more lush, and healthier lawn. What a great way to create curb appeal and maintain and even increase your property value.
How do I know if my lawn needs aeration? If you cannot drive a 6-inch screwdriver into your lawn easily, the soil is heavily compacted. If you drive a lawn tractor over your lawn or you have lots of foot traffic on your lawn it is very likely that your soil is compacted. Soil compaction factors can also depend on the under topsoil that you have. If you have loamy topsoil with dark color full of organic matter that drains well, you may not need to aerate every year but if you have a clay subsoil that is lighter in color and high in clay content, this will drain poorly and you will need to aerate more often. In the Midwest, most soils are a combination of silt, loam, and clay but the dominant material in various areas of Wisconsin can be seen on this map.
Aeration allows air and water to penetrate lawn thatch and topsoil creating a healthier, more resilient turf. Traditional aerators pull core plugs and discard them on the surface of the lawn. Manual aerators are quick and easy to use on smaller areas of land if you don’t mind the plugs remaining behind. The plugs will eventually rejoin the soil as they were before aeration but this will take some time. For more desired results, we recommend using our heavy-duty vibrating tine aerator which produces microfractures in your lawn. The microfractures allow dirt to reach the seed better for more contact with the surface area and it is far more efficient and effective on your seed usage and overseeing. This method optimizes the oxygen exchange and benefits your water and fertilizing programs. The best benefit? It does not leave plugs all over your yard! You will receive more benefits and less hassle. Better overall results are produced through this proven approach as well. Our customers are simply happy with the way their yards look after we have aerated.
Contact A+Lawncare this spring for more information about aeration. We are happy to discuss the benefits it will bring to your lawn, how our microfracture method works, and answer any other questions you have. You can trust us as your local landscaping experts. We look forward to assisting you in maintaining a healthy lawn.