When you are looking to maintain a beautiful lawn, there are various basic lawn care tasks and services that must be performed in order to achieve perfection. Some of these tasks that may come to mind such as mowing, fertilizing and watering are important, but only the tip of the iceberg. While maintaining consistency and best practice when it comes to basic lawn maintenance is vital, it is also important that the soil beneath your grass is receiving the same care and attention. This is where aeration comes into the picture. Aeration allows air and water to get down into your soil, and provide necessary nutrients. This leads us to our first important question.
What is Aeration?
If you have never heard of aeration, this is for you. Lawn aeration is the perforating of your soil with small holes that allow air, water and other nutrients to penetrate through to the roots of your grass. The primary reason lawn aeration is so important, is that it alleviates soil compaction. When your soil compacts, whether due to foot traffic or heavy snow, it prevents the proper movement of nutrients within your soil. Debris, thatch, and built up grass can also all contribute to this issue.
Why Should I Aerate my Lawn?
One thing homeowners often struggle with is determining what constitutes a need for lawn aeration on their property. There are a few reasons your lawn might need aeration. Your lawn is likely in need of aeration if it receives heavy foot traffic, especially if your lawn is the de-facto playground for the neighborhood children. If heavy clay is standard in your area, that might be another reason. Generally speaking, if your soil is compacted, you need to aerate your lawn. You will be able to tell as your soil will be firm, and water will pool where it previously would have absorbed. Your lawn care provider should also be able to tell you if, and why your lawn may need aeration.
When to Aerate my Lawn?
The best time to aerate your Pittsburgh lawn is going to be in the spring or in the fall. Spring aeration prevents weeds and prepares your lawn from prime growing season. Never aerate a dormant lawn, as active growth allows your grass to quickly recover and fill in the aerated holes. In the same vein, aeration is going to be easiest when your lawn is moist, whether from rainfall or irrigation. Your lawn care provider should be able to help you determine the proper timing for lawn aeration.
DIY vs Professional Service
Aeration is a tough task, requiring professional grade equipment for the best job to be done. Similar to other lawn care services, you can do it yourself, however you run a large risk. The quality of equipment available is varied, and you will have to rent or purchase this yourself. A professional landscaping company is going to be able to perform every aspect of the service with expert care and experience. You don’t want to run the risk, so contact your lawn care provider in order to have the peace of mind that your lawn is taken care of. At Dream Greener, we provide full-service residential lawn care and landscaping services, with years of experience. If you need your lawn aerated, or need to make this determination, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Dream Greener Lawn & Landscape is led by a staff of service experts, each with ten years or more of professional experience, focused exclusively on lawn care & maintenance, landscaping and snow & ice management. Locally owned and operated, we are proud to serve the greater Pittsburgh area. Give us a call today at (412) 835-1035.
