Monday, May 9, 2011

Does Your Lawn Need Soil Aeration

By Myrtle Gonzales


Garden Aerators are a solution for lawn that suffers from excessive thatch develop and soil compaction which prevents or at least makes it tough for air and water to reach down to the lawns root systems. By way of the procedure of lawn aeration you are simply helping out to let air, water and fertilizer down to the roots and deposits valuable micro-organisms on the lawn surface.

The main purpose of aeration of lawns is to make certain easy absorption of water, oxygen and nutrients to the lawn roots system and increases the vitality of the soils microorganisms. Based on the soil type of the lawn you may do this yourself with a ordinary garden fork or or a core aerator tool. If your lawn is more then a acre them you may want to get a contractor in to do the job or you can purchase core lawn aerators that are usually hired.

Early Spring or Autumn to aerate your lawn area as this is the natural time when the plants to establish their root systems, based on the type of grass variety you have. This method requires that holes or cores are done using a manual lawn aerator, which is has a T-bar with 4 hollow pipes. Insert it into the ground and pull out some soil. Core aerators have an advantage over spike forks for the reason that they actually dig a core of soil leaving a gap that can be plugged or filled with a mixture of top soil and fertilizer and then a good watering.

Lawns that have a problem with thatch it is a good practice to leave the cores on the lawn, allowing them to work back into the grass. Lawns may be fertilized and seeded immediately after aeration. Soil aeration make sure that the plant receives oxygen for root growth and takes care of soil compaction which improves water and fertilizer penetration. Using a core aerator is the best way to reduce thatch buildup and to decrease compaction of the soil in heavy traffic area. One of the difficulties with core aeration devices is that a substantial amount of soil, grass and roots in the form of cylindrical plugs are left on top of the soil. for the soil plugs to break down.

Ways that core aeration can improve your lawn; Decreases water requirements for vigorous grass Save water waste by increasing water infiltration, this helps with water run-off. Helps with water puddling and overflow. Improves lawn thickness, vigor, and on the whole health Improves penetration for compost into the root zone. Helps improve the recycling flow of air, water, and fertilizer. Rejuvenate the turf by permitting the roots to cultivate deeper. Promotes a greener, weed free lawn.




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