Lawn aeration is an often-overlooked lawn care service. However, regular aeration can significantly improve the health of your grass. You cannot expect to get a full, lush lawn without it. Most lawns need to be aerated at least once a year, twice if the yard gets a lot of foot traffic.

Fall is the ideal time to schedule lawn aeration services because it’s right around when your yard’s soil is most compacted. All that time spent in the yard throughout spring and summer causes the soil to become tightly packed.

Lawn aeration involves a specialized machine that punches small holes in the soil to loosen it up. It may not seem too important, but it will make a major difference in the longevity and health of your grass.

Here are just a few of the top benefits of lawn aeration:

1. Allows soil to breathe

Over time, your lawn gets compacted due to foot traffic, patio furniture, and general use. Tight, compacted soil prevents air from reaching the root system. Your lawn needs to breathe! Aeration loosens up soil without tearing up your gras

2. Facilitates fertilizer and water absorption

Loosening up soil also makes room for fertilizer and water. When soil is overly compacted, fertilizer will simply sit on top of the grass, which doesn’t do much good for the overall health of the blades. Water is better at seeping into the soil, but without aeration, even heavy rains will have a hard time penetrating soil.

3. Strengthens roots

All of the additional air, fertilizer, water, and nutrients that can travel through freshly aerated lawns help roots grow stronger. Lawn aeration also gives roots room to spread out, grow deeper, and improve the overall health of the grass.

4. Reduces puddling and water runoff

When water can’t soak into compacted soil, it’s not just the roots that suffer. All that water has to go somewhere. This usually leads to unsightly puddles in your yard or even soil runoff. Both problems can cause significant damage to your lawn over time.

5. Supports over seeding

Over seeding is the process of adding grass seeds on top of the existing lawn. In order for overseeing to be effective, the lawn needs to be properly prepped to receive the new seeds. Lawn aeration opens up the soil and allows seeds to have direct contact with the soil. Pairing lawn aeration with overseeding is a great way to grow a dense and healthy lawn.

6. Prepares grass for winter

While it’s tempting to give up on your lawn care when it’s about to go dormant for winter, this is actually when your lawn needs some extra TLC. In fact, aeration is one of the most crucial steps in prepping your lawn for winter. Aerating the lawn and applying fertilizer before the cold weather rolls in allows the roots to soak up a boost of nutrients. Think of it like a vitamin shot for your lawn to protect it from the harsh winter weather. Aerating your lawn in the fall is the best way to ensure that your grass will come back health in the spring.

Don’t neglect your lawn! Contact Hackmann Lawn to schedule your lawn aeration and overseeding services now.