You know that water and good soil are essential for a lush, green lawn. But you might not know that part of what makes a soil good is empty space, or tiny holes called pores. The porous nature of healthy soil is what allows water, air, and lawn fertilizers to penetrate the ground and circulate down to the root system, where they’re needed.
When pores are too small or soil becomes compacted from foot and mower traffic, the root system is deprived of these vital substances and the health and appearance of your lawn suffers.
Aeration improves the circulation in Georgia’s clay soil
The pores in Georgia’s dense clay soil are notoriously small, making it difficult for Atlanta lawns to get the nourishment they need, even with proper watering and fertilization. Aeration, a service all Atlanta lawn care companies should provide, corrects this problem by loosening up the soil. The process entails removing small cylinder-shaped plugs of turf throughout the lawn so that water, air, and nutrients can circulate down to the roots even in clay soils and soils that have become compacted from traffic or heavy weight.
When to have your Atlanta lawn aerated
All lawns throughout greater Atlanta should be aerated yearly. For warm-season grasses, like Bermuda and Zoysia, aeration is done in spring or early summer. Along with the benefits already mentioned, aeration also makes it easier for these self-spreading grasses to fill in thinning spots, keeping lawns thick and lush.
For cool-season grasses, aeration’s done in late summer or fall. The heat and sun of summer leave clay soil especially hard and dense – certainly not ideal conditions for a flourishing Fescue lawn. Aeration takes care of that and provides an additional benefit as well: It prepares the ground for overseeding.
Why Fescue lawns need to be overseeded
Unlike Bermuda and Zoysia, Fescue does not self-spread. To fill in bare and thinning spots, overseeding is essential for Fescue lawns and goes hand-in-hand with aeration. The small holes from the aeration process allow the new seeds to take root firmly in the soil so that they can grow into the beautiful, mature Fescue lawn you want.
Aeration and overseeding is an essential part of a successful lawn care regimen. By ensuring that your grass can receive vital nutrients, you can help your lawn stay healthy and lush throughout the year.