Natural Green Lawn

Core aeration is the single most important thing you can do to your lawn, and the best time to aerate your lawn is the fall. Now seriously listen to me guys: if you want to have a thick, green, healthy lawn, core aeration is the foundation. If your lawn looks bad right now, then get a core aeration done this weekend.

Lawn Aeration Benefits

Aerating the lawn is a process whereby cores of soil are pulled up from the turf using a machine that is a little bit bigger than a lawn mower. The machine has tines on it that pierce down into the lawn and actually pull out cores that are each about the size of a roll of dimes. This accomplishes a couple things:

1) Hard compacted soil (especially clay soil) is effectively loosened when cores are removed. When you remove the cores, the rest of the soil “gives way” and becomes literally “aerated.” In addition, the extra space created allow the turf roots to expand. An expanded root system is a thicker root system – and thicker roots make a thicker top!

2) Aerating the lawn helps control your lawn’s thatch layer. Thatch is a layer of organic material in every lawn that resides just at the soil line. It is made up of dead grass material, leaves and other stuff and serves many good purposes. However, when the thatch layer gets too thick, it can cause problems. It will stop water and nutrients from getting deep into the soil, as well as harbor disease. It also creates shallow rooting. When you aerate, you are punching holes in the thatch, enough to keep it managed properly.

3) Aeration allows nutrients and water to hit the root system direct. Since you are going to open up the lawn when you aerate, you might as well throw some good nutrients down on the lawn at the same time. You will never get as good of penetration then at the time of aerating. Follow my instructions in my book to know what to put down.

Those are the main reasons to have your lawn aerated this year. Even if your lawn is super thick and healthy already, you should aerate it every fall.

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Wow, what a boring title right? But trust me, after reading this, you will understand the single most important part of piece of the natural lawn care regimen.  Is that too dramatic? Well, lawns are important… at least to me!

How Often Should I Aerate My Lawn?

Aerating your lawn is the single most beneficial thing you can do every season. That’s right, I said “every season.” Some folks have taught that aerating the lawn only needs to be done every couple years, but for grass that is treated naturally, we need to give it that healthy boost every spring and every fall if we can. And honestly, even if you do use commercially available synthetic fertilizers and weed and feed products, aerating your turf twice a year is still a very good cultural practice. So, not to belabor this point, but PLEASE aerate your lawn every spring and every fall without fail.

What Exactly Is Lawn Aeration?

Glad you asked! Aeration is the process whereby a machine that is a little larger than a lawn mower is fun over the lawn and cores of soil are actually removed from the ground. These cores are about the size of a half-roll of dimes, or about 2″ long. By removing cores of soil, we very effectively relieve soil compaction, allowing the turf roots to expand and thicken. In case you didn’t know, a thicker lawn root system reveals a thicker top grass plant… and a thick lawn is what we want guys!

You have to be sure that when you either rent an aerator or have your landscaper do it, that you actually get a “core aerator.” So many times I have come across people who rent machines or buy tools that only poke holes in the soil. While this is going to be helpful, there is a lot more to aeration than just “poking holes.” Removing cores is what truly relieves compaction.

In addition, removed cores are deposited back on the soil surface where soil organisms are redistributed throughout the turf area. These organism feed on thatch layers in the lawn, helping to control it!

Can I Overseed With Aeration?

yes yes yes you can! In fact, it is a great idea to overseed your lawn just before you aerate. Take your regular lawn fertilizer spreader and fill it full of fresh seed mix. (I usually recommend a mix of perennial rye and KY bluegrass). For an existing lawn, you should apply between 3 and 4 lbs of grass seed for every 1,000 square feet of lawn space. Once you have spread the seed, run the core aerator over the lawn and keep it all wet for about 7 days with light and frequent waterings. This process included with the overseeding is best done in the fall time.

That’s really it guys, that simple. There are many advantages of natural lawns, but if you don’t aerate, you will be hard pressed to experience them. So when you set off to take on your organic or natural lawn program, be sure to include aeration in the mix, without fail! Of course, if you want to know how I treat my own grass naturally, step-by-step, you can pick up my e-book right here, right now for just $7. yep, cheap but full of info… it gives you a complete lawn care program for the entire year. Check it out will ya?