General Information about Lawn Care Aeration and its Benefits
There are actually two types of aeration - the core aeration and the spike aeration. For the General Information about Lawn Care Aeration, it is recommended that core aeration is a better choice. Professionals and researchers have proved it to be a better method on the basis of various experiments and advice homeowners and golf courses to adapt it. Spike aeration, on the other hand, is not that effective. Above all it increases soil compaction and hence is not recommended.
General Information about Lawn Care Aeration shows that aeration is necessary to combat compacted soil and heavy thatch. This type of soil prevents air, water and nutrients to reach the root zone and the grass plants are suffocated. Even though your lawn gets enough fertilization, water and care, it does not look satisfactory. That is when aeration is necessary to open up the thatch and help relieve compaction.
Process
Aeration is a regular part of the annual lawn maintenance program according to the General Information about Lawn Care Aeration. It can be done by a machine which is equipped with cylinder-like spoons, and it penetrates and shatters the soil. It is also called a plug-removing machine. Plugs of soil are removed and left on top of the lawn to decompose. In the process thatch and soil are pulled out of the ground. The soil gets opened up and the grass plants can breathe. This allows the roots to become healthier and deeper. You can rent a machine from most lawn care companies and carry out the process of aeration yourself.
Benefits
There are some clear benefits from aeration which could be categorized under General Information about Lawn Care Aeration. The movement of air, water and nutrients to the root zone are increased and the thatch is decomposed. Aeration helps to relieve soil compaction, stimulates new growth and improves drainage. A few aspects show an increase like the tolerance of heat and cold and the effectiveness of applied fertilizers and control products. Since the organic matter is incorporated into the soil a healthier lawn is the end result.
According to General Information about Lawn Care Aeration, the time of aeration should either be spring or fall. It should be done before the fertilization process. If you have earthworms in your soil, you can have a continual, natural and free aeration. If the soil is clay-based, it gets compacted easily and is more prone to weed infestations.
If the soil is badly compacted, it may require aeration several times over a few years. Power units are easier to use, but you can use manual aeration tools as well in areas which are too hard to access with machines. But the process may be slower and not effective.