As Summer officially winds down, the aeration / over seeding season begins to ramp up. Aeration equipment has been serviced, seed orders begin to get delivered to our warehouse, and we begin to inform our customer base of the necessity of such a service. Before we dive deeper, let’s check how our good friends at our alma mater explain the benefits.

Mechanical aeration provides an excellent, and probably the only, means of correctly or alleviating soil compaction which may be quite serious on many lawn areas. Compaction occurs primarily in the surface of the lawn. A compacted layer as thin as ¼ to ½ inch can greatly impede water infiltration, nutrient penetration, and gaseous exchange between the soil and the atmosphere. Compaction of this type can be corrected or reduced by the use of suitable aerating equipment. (Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Science)

During our days at Penn State and golf course management, we were exposed to the much-needed practice of aeration cultural services. It is so important that golf courses will complete the task in the Spring and Fall each growing season. For residential lawns, it is recommended that the service is completed once a year, typically starting late Summer into Early Fall. During the service, over seeding can introduce new genetics that are better suited for our growing conditions that we are experiencing. Unfortunately, the grass types used decades, to even couple years ago, do not perform as the used too.

Benefits of aeration

• Enhance water infiltration and uptake by the roots (especially during dry spells to help promote faster recovery)
• Improve fertilizer uptake and use
• Stimulate root growth
• Enhance thatch control
• Enhance heat and drought stress tolerance
• Improve resiliency and cushioning
• Reduce soil compaction
• Provide a good seedbed
• Over seed into aeration to introduce new and improved turf varieties
• Over seed to thicken turf density

From current weather trends over the past couple of years, the service has become crucial to maintain lawns’ health due to the increase temperature averages and drought situations that are becoming more numerous within our growing season. Sign up today to get on our aeration schedule via the portal or reach out to your sales representative.