Aerate your Lawn this Autumn

Aerate your Lawn this Autumn

All summer long you’ve treated your lawn right; mowing frequently, fertilizing and watering. But are you forgetting an important lawn care step come fall? Aerating.

After putting so much effort into maintaining healthy turf during the growing season, make sure you’re doing the necessary work now to get your grass through the winter. Because not doing so could mean having nutrient deficiencies throughout next year.

Although it is important to aerate in both the fall and spring, if you have cool season turf, the plants will be increasing their root zones in the fall to prepare for the winter months making it a great time to aerate. Aeration opens the root zone, which allows for new growth; so, if you are also overseeding or applying slow-release fertilizer, it will help your turf survive the winter weather and prepare it for new growth and green-up in the spring.

As grass grows throughout the summer, a layer of thatch piles up on the surface of your soil. Thatch is a loose, intermingled layer of dead shoots, stems, and roots that develops between the green vegetation and the soil surface. Aerating your lawn allows air and water to break through the built-up thatch and ensures that nutrients can reach the soil beneath your grass. When nutrients penetrate deeper into the soil, they become available for the plant to use.

Some of our favorite summertime activities can increase the thatch layer as well. Walking on, playing on and mowing your lawn are all causes of soil compaction and stressed turf. Compact soil prevents turf from establishing a healthy root system and keeps water and fertilizer from reaching the roots, but aeration can help relieve this problem and others.

The best way to aerate your lawn is by using a liquid lawn aerator like Thatch Buster. It allows for easy and even application. helps build stronger turfgrass roots, improves resiliency and creates an overall healthier lawn. Most importantly, it improves the passage of water and nutrients in the soil. Every drop of water counts in the dry winter months ahead. Fall is the most crucial time to aerate.