You can do everything right for the turf on your commercial property — water it adequately using an irrigation system, make sure it gets nutrients including organics and fertilizer, and mow it with sharp blades at the right height. But if you neglect aeration, none of these things matter.
Core aeration is the process of mechanically removing small plugs of thatch and soil from the lawn. It leaves behind cores (we admit, they resemble “goose droppings”) that eventually break down and disappear back into the lawn.
But it's more than just breaking up thatch, which is that layer of dead plant tissue/grass that you’ll find between the soil and the green grass. Aeration, as its name implies, benefits your commercial turf in the following ways:
It creates a better air exchange between the environment and soil.
It improves a lawn’s ability to soak in water and nutrients.
Aeration will result in stronger grass roots, which you’ll eventually see and feel.
As experts in commercial lawn care in Northeast Ohio, we don’t think it’s a stretch to say that professional lawn aeration will save your turf. But do you know when to aerate your lawn?
Now is the time to consider this commercial lawn care service. Here's a closer look at five seriously beneficial reasons to aerate your lawn in Northeast Ohio this fall:
Rain, irrigation, and anything that puts pressure on the lawn contribute to compaction. When you have compact soil, there’s not a whole lot of breathing room for roots to get the air, water, and nutrients they need to grow strong.
Aeration stops the compaction cycle and alleviates soil compaction. That way, all that good stuff you’re feeding your lawn will actually reach the roots and result in a healthy, green lawn.
Your professional landscape contractor can provide a healthy program of organics to feed your lawn, but your lawn will not benefit from all of that goodness if thatch prevents nutrients from reaching the grass roots.
Aeration improves fertilizer “uptake” and use, meaning your lawn could actually require less product because the turf is utilizing all of the nutrients applied.
Thatch acts like a sponge, and you can actually feel whether your commercial property has thatch if you step on the turf and it has a spring to it.
When you water compacted turf with thick thatch, that layer of decaying and dead plant material soaks in the water and moisture does not reach your turf’s roots. So rather than penetrating the soil, water stays at the surface. This creates a perfect environment for fungal diseases, which love wet environments.
Aeration breaks up thatch and allows water to soak into the soil, so you’ll actually prevent lawn disease.
We explained the sponge effect that thatch has on a commercial property. It keeps water in — and depending on the rainfall, or your irrigation schedule, your lawn could hold standing water if thatch is thick.
Aeration can prevent run-off and drainage problems on your property by ensuring that the water you apply to the lawn goes where it is supposed to: down to turf roots rather than flowing into storm sewers or creating puddles.
Northeast Ohio winters have been brutal, and we’re hearing that this coming season is going to be frigid (again). Professional lawn aeration prepares your turf for stress by triggering healthy root growth at the end of the growing season.
We recommend aerating your lawn in the early fall, September and October before the ground freezes.
Fall is a great time to aerate your commercial lawn and to overseed bare or damaged areas of your lawn so grass can grow in before winter. Aeration and overseeding can help prevent the need for total lawn renovation, which might be necessary if the lawn is beyond “spot treatment.”
We can help you determine if this is the case. Contact us any time at 440.641.2041, or fill out this simple contact form and we’ll get in touch with you.
Images: Blue lawn aerator, Aerator close-up
