Core Aeration
Core aeration is very beneficial for your lawn in many ways and is important for the overall health of the grass. It is recommended to aerate your lawn two times per year. Core, or plug, aeration is the punching of holes in the ground and removing plugs of soil from your lawn.
It is more effective than spike aerating because it removes lawn thatch, reaches deeper, and reduces soil density. The plugs removed are between 3-4 inches, ensuring the hole reaches down to the lowest point of the grass’ root system.
Aeration provides many advantages for the grass
- Improves Air Exchange Between Soil And Atmosphere
- Reduces Compacted Soil By Allowing The Turf’s Roots To Grow More Vigorously
- Enhances The Ability Of The Soil To Absorb Water Due To The Less Dense Soil
- Improves The Nutrient And Fertilizer Uptake
- Reduces Water Runoff And Puddling By Allowing The Water To Penetrate The Less Dense Soil
- Encourages Stronger Turfgrass Root Growth Causing A Healthier Thicker Lawn
- Enhances Drought And Heat Tolerance
- Reduces Thatch And Encourages Thatch Breakdown So Thatch Does Not Choke Out The Plant Or Harbor Insects And Fungus
- Assists In Overseeding By Giving The Seed A Better Bed To Germinate
Aerating Is the Secret To A Vibrant Healthy Lawn
It is best to aerate about two weeks after the turf is fertilized because it is actively growing. Our lawn aeration service occurs before overseeding to help the seed germinate by growing into softer soil. Therefore, the seeds use less energy and nutrients, giving the grass a better chance for success. After aerating, there will be many cores or plugs left on the surface.
If they are left alone, these plugs will breakdown, but we recommend mowing after aerating, (but before overseeding). By mowing over the aerated property, it breaks the plugs apart and distributes the particles more evenly across the surface, reducing the unsightly plugs and also smoothing the ground.
Commercial Grade Aerator Machines
With our lawn care services, we operate zero-turn, stand-up aerators which are the most efficient and productive on the market. The biggest benefit of these aerators is, their ability to adjust the depth of the holes with simply a turn of a knob. This way, depending on how hard the ground is, we can adjust the pressure to ensure we are aerating at the proper depth, unlike the pull-behind aerators that can only penetrate as their weight allows. Our superior equipment and highly trained team members provide the most successful core aerations in the Athens, Georgia area.
