Grass roots must have air (oxygen) to be healthy. When soils become compacted there is little room for air or water to be present. Under ideal conditions the soil should be composed of 50% solids, 25% air and 25% water. Core aeration removes several plugs per foot to allow air and water to enter the soil, resulting in a compaction - reducing swelling of the soil. Aeration can benefit every lawn. When you see any of the following indicators you should consider aerating: heavy clay soils, weeds like knotweed, purslane, plantain, crabgrass, excessive runoff and puddling, newly sodded lawns, especially peat sods. Newly sodded lawns can be aerated as soon as they are well rooted: (8-10 weeks). Lawns can be aerated anytime there is adequate moisture, but the best times to aerate are in the late spring and early fall.

Lawn aeration involves the removal of hundreds of small soil "plugs" from a lawn. A machine extracts cores of soil roughly 1/2" in diameter by 1" to 3" long as it is driven or pushed over the turf. The holes poked into the turf provide a direct path for air, water, and nutrients to reach the grass roots. These soil plugs, which can be raked over the surface of the turf, will break down, thus accelerating thatch decomposition and the return of nutrients to the soil.

Additional Aerating Tips

1. Fall and spring are the best times to aerate. Aerating in the fall just prior to fertilizing helps insure that the fertilizer reaches deep down into the grass roots.
2. Aerating just prior to over seeding aids the seed germination process by reducing the chance that seeds will be washed or blown away.

Why should you aerate?

Aerating helps to insure that air and water get down to the root zone. It is especially helpful during extremely dry and extremely wet conditions. For example, during periods of heavy rainfall, aerating allows air to penetrate deeply into the soil to dry up excess moisture. Aerating also helps to reduce thatch. The extracted soil cores contain microorganisms that "feed" on dead and decaying plant material (thatch). When the microorganisms come in direct contact with the thatch layer, they break it down, releasing valuable nutrients back into the soil.