Lawn Core Aeration is One of the Best Ways to Prevent a Thick Thatch Layer
A thick thatch layer prevents a strong root system and regular lawn aerations are key.
Achieving a healthy and beautiful lawn all year long is possible with the help of an important lawn maintenance task: lawn core areation. Strong lawn roots need water, nutrients and air to develop into deep resilient systems. The deeper the roots, the stronger your lawn's ability will be to fight of disease, insects and drought.
Our team offers professional core aeration services to help keep your grass healthy all season-long. It's the perfect way to combat heavy foot traffic from summer stress and alleviate compacted soil.
Thatch is a layer of dead grass and other organic matter that accumulates between the green grass blades and the soil surface. It is a natural occuring process where soil organisms break down dead lawn stems and roots. A small thatch layer less than one-half inch is normal and acceptable.
Without proper care, this layer can become thick, dense and spongy, preventing water and nutrients from reaching the soil and creating an unhealthy enivornment for your lawn.
You can read more about thatch buildup and why aeration is the preferred method of managing thick thatch over power raking on our blog article: Power Raking vs Aerating: How to Manage Lawn Thatch.
We offer core aeration in both the spring and fall seasons. We recommend that you schedule this service once annually and we can help you select the best time of the year depending on your specific needs.
If your lawn has bare patches of soil, you can pair our overseeding service with your fall aeration appointment. We offer our services to communities in the Treasure Valley, Idaho area, including Middleton, Star, Eagle, Meridian, and Nampa.
How a lawn aeration is done.
Core aeration is an incredibly important step in lawn care and should be performed yearly if you want to establish strong root systems and a beautiful, strong lawn. The main purpose behind this service is to help reduce compacted soil.
In our lawn aeration process, our crew will use an aerator machine to extract small plugs of soil throughout your yard. The open holes that remain will allow the root system of your turf to receive a greater supply of water, sunlight, and other essential nutrients. The plugs of soil will naturally break down quickly on top of your lawn and return vital nutrients back to the soil. If desired, they can be raked and mowed afterwards for a fresh clean look. After the aeration is complete, feel free to walk on and use your lawn as you normally would.
For optimal results it is important to have adequate moisture levels in the soil in order to extract an adequate sized plug. This is why spring and fall are the best times to aerate a lawn.
What Homeowners Can Do Before & After an Aeration
- Mow and water lawn prior to service to ensure effective plug extraction
- Mark any sprinkler heads in the middle of lawn areas
- Allow cores to breakdown naturally to add organic key material back into the soil, however they can be raked or mowed up afterwards if desired
- Schedule a fertilizer application to increase intake and effectiveness
- Consider an overseed application to increase seed to soil contact and germination, pre-emergents must not be present
- If an overseed is done, keep the soil moisure level at a consistent "chocolate brown" color until grass is established
Schedule our aeration service in the spring or fall.
We offer our core aeration service twice per year in the spring and fall, and we highly recommend that you opt to schedule our service in one of these seasons each year in order to improve or sustain healthy growing grass.
Aerating in either season has its own benefits. Spring aeration will help revive your lawn after winter dormancy has passed. It will encourage vibrant spring growth and nutrient uptake, setting your yard off to a successful year!
In the fall, your lawn can benefit from core aeration in order to help resolve issues created by heavy foot traffic over the summer and to also prepare your grass for the winter season. When coupled with overseeding, these seeds have greater access to soil contact and provide higher germination rates.
If you need help deciding which of these seasons is best for your lawn aeration, our team can assess your lawn and help you choose.
Pair aeration with overseeding for a thicker lawn.
After your lawn has undergone aeration, it will be in a position to receive a greater supply of nutrients. If you choose a fall aeration, it will also be the perfect time to pair your newly aerated lawn with our overseeding service.
A fall aeration is ideal for our clients who are also signed up for our full season lawn care program. This is because our lawn care program includes two spring pre-emergents which not only prevent weed seeds from germinating, but would also prevent lawn seed from germinating as well.
Reseeding lawns in the fall is ideal because the soil temperature is favorable for cool-season grass types compared to other times of the year. We use a premium blend of rye and Kentucky bluegrass seeds for this service.
Lawn seed genetics are always improving and by overseeding regularly you can help your lawn develop better drought, insect, and disease resistance.
Our aerator has the ability to do both the aeration and overseed application together at the same time.
Call us today to schedule our lawn core aeration service!
Whether you're trying to improve the health and growth of your grass or maintain its condition, scheduling a core aeration each year is the way to go. Our team offers professional and reliable aeration services. Our services are available in Middleton, Star, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, and surrounding communities throughout the Treasure Valley, Idaho area. Give us a call today at 208-585-9400 to schedule.
