Everyone wants thick lawns teeming with greenery and life. But what if you find yourself with a lawn with compacted soil that won’t accept any seeds much less nourish them? Short of interrogating your customers about watering practices and fertilizer treatments, you can simply consider the basics. It may be time to do some soil aeration.

First, ask yourself the following questions. Does the lawn look like machines or cars have been on it? If there are tire tracks in the lawn, the soil may be more compact in a lot of spots. Are there weeds despite the fact that the owner uses only fertilizer with weed prevention features? The fertilizers and the weed prevention agents may not be reaching some areas in the soil. The same situation may be the cause for the presence of pests despite that the customers told you they use pest control.

You should do some tests before going for the option of aeration. If you spray the lawn with water and puddles form on the lawn, you may need to aerate. The same is true when water pools are present in the lawn after a downpour. There may also be bare spots amidst the grass, despite that the seeds were distributed uniformly. The soil might have compacted, and you need to aerate to make the soil more habitable to seeds. If you want to test the lawn soil quickly, you can simply try using a stick to penetrate the soil. If the soil won’t budge under the pressure, you need to loosen it up.

Wet days are terrible for aeration. You will also be messing up the lawn without going anywhere near improving it. However, you also don’t want the lawn to be too dry, or else you won’t be able to aerate properly. Observe the weather and choose a good week to aerate.

You will need an aerator attachment for your mowers. If you don’t have one, you can rent one. In fact, it is recommended to rent first before buying your own so you can determine what features you really want.
Aerators with spreaders will let you spread out the plugs or cores easily. If the soil is mostly clay, you will need longer spokes. With spikes, you can penetrate the soil, even when it’s rather dry or hard. If the soil is too dry, you can sprinkle water first. The objective is to create a good soil environment for aeration. If you plan on mowing the soil, attach the aerator.

Aeration will help with the flow of air, water and minerals to the roots of the plants. It also helps the earthworms, which in turn help with keeping pests off and add to natural fertilization. Your efforts will also lead to a decrease in weed number.

You can overseed right after you aerate the soil. Do this if you want to fill the bare spots during autumn, for a better looking lawn during winter. Core aerating the lawn will help you prepare the soil for seeding. That’s why seeding must be done right after aeration to maximize the effects of aeration on seeds. Lawns meant for cool weather grasses must be aerated during fall because of the grass’ delicate nature.

Interested in starting a Lawn Care Business? Click here to learn more about our Lawn Care Business Guide.