Why Does My Lawn Need Core Aeration? [Explained]

Questions Answered:

• What is Core Aeration?
• How do I know if I need Core Aeration?
• What problems can Core Aeration solve?
• How often should I aerate my lawn?
• How is Core Aeration different from Triple Core Aeration & BlueSeed?
• Do I need to do any lawn maintenance after my lawn is aerated?

What is Core Aeration?

Core aeration is the process of removing thousands of small plugs of soil from your lawn, creating holes in the ground using state-of-the-art equipment to allow nutrients, water and oxygen to get into the soil and feed grass roots.

How do I know if I need Core Aeration?

Most lawns get very compacted over the course of the year from lawn mowers and foot traffic. If your soil is too compacted, it is hard for water and nutrients to get into the soil to feed your grass. Signs of compacted soil can include:

• Trouble piercing soil with a shovel. 

• Shallow tree roots.

• Puddles of water in low areas of lawn. 

• Presence of Broadleaf Weeds: they usually have a deep root system and are able to push through and survive soil compaction. 

• Excess thatch. Thatch is the layer of lawn between your grass and soil. Debris can build up here, blocking necessary water and nutrients from grass roots.

• Color: grass that appears to be 'off' colored can be lacking needed nutrients. 

• Moss. Moss thrives in areas with poor drainage. It is opportunistic and will grow where there is a lack of healthy turf. 

What problems can Core Aeration solve?

Thatch- Aeration helps loosen the soil and create holes through the thatch to allow naturally-occurring microorganisms into the soil to break down the thatch layer at a quicker rate. 

Soil Compaction- When lawns are too compacted nutrients, water and oxygen can't get into the soil. Aeration loosens the soil by pulling thousands of plugs from the ground. 

How often should I aerate my lawn?

We recommend that a lawn be aerated once a year. Lawns with a high clay content will benefit from aerating twice a year.

What time of year should I aerate my lawn?

Aeration should be done in the fall when temperatures have gone down and weeds are less active. If aerated in the spring or summer when temperatures are warmer, most of the new holes could fill in with crabgrass. 

How is Core Aeration different from Triple Aeration and BlueSeeding? 

Same equipment. 2 different methods. 

Core Aeration: A lawn is aerated one time to loosen compacted soil and allow room for water and nutrients to flow for new root growth. 

Triple Aeration & BlueSeed: A lawn is aerated 3 times to maximize the amount of holes for seed to sprout from. After aerating 3 times, we then spread grass seed over the entire yard. Lastly, we apply Humic Seed Starter to give new seeds an additional boost. 

Do I need to do any lawn maintenance after my lawn is aerated?

Nope! After your lawn is aerated there is no maintenance you have to do unless you wanted to throw down some of your own seed.

There will be plugs of dirt that the aerator will leave all over the lawn but these plugs will break down over the next few weeks.

Related Articles:

• Fall Seeding vs Dormant Seeding
• Fall Lawn Care Myths
• Top 6 Benefits of Fall Seeding

Since 2007, Green Meadow Lawn Care has provided homeowners throughout the greater Tolland, Connecticut area with premium fertilization programs, tick control, mosquito management, seeding & aeration and tree & shrub care.

Visit our Learning Center to find out more about how our services can help you or visit our Youtube Channel to view more in our Learning Center Series.

To speak to our Customer Service Manager, please call Dave (view Dave's video bio here) with any questions. Dave has been in the industry for 30 years and is always happy to help with his expert advice.  

860-870-5700