What is lawn aeration

Lawn aeration is the process of removing clumps, or plugs of soil every few inches from your lawn. It is usually done when the soil is compacted due to heavy walking, or if your soil has high clay content. This allows the grass to expand more and achieve deeper rooting, promoting healthier and stronger lawns.

Do I need to aerate?

If you think you may need to aerate your lawn, you should perform a simple test first. Remove about a square foot of lawn from the area you think needs aeration, and look at how deep the grass roots go. If they are only 1-2 inches down, you may need to aerate. Take care to note what season it is as well, since warm and cool season grasses tend to have different root lengths at different times. Cool season grasses have shorter roots in the summer, and deeper roots in the spring, while warms season grasses are usually the opposite. If you notice short roots, but the grass area isn’t really walked on or used a lot, it may be a seasonal effect and aeration is probably not needed.

How does aeration help?

When your lawn becomes compacted due to heavy use, it does not absorb water and nutrients as well. This can cause water pooling, which can damage lawns, and shallow rooting. By aerating, you increase the water and nutrient absorbtion, and improve the overall health of your lawn. This also prevents chemical runoff when you fertilize or put herbicide down, and allows for better water irrigation.

How do I aerate?

Aeration is most easily done with a motorized aerator. You can either rent an aerator from a garden and lawn center, or pay a professional to do it. It probably isn’t worth it to buy an aerator outright since you won’t need to aerate very often.

When you begin to aerate, your soil should be moist, but not wet. You’ll want to water your lawn 2-3 days before you begin aerating. If it has rained recently, be sure the grass is not soaked. Aerate in at least 2 directions to insure you get complete coverage as well. Leave the soil plugs you aerate on the lawn as well, as they will be absorbed back into the soil for added nutrients. If your lawn is extra compacted, you can apply a thin lair of manure and rake it into the aerated holes for added nutrients.

Is artificial turf right for me?

A viable alternative to planting, growing and maintaining a lawn is to invest in artificial turf. There are some very obvious benefits to installing artificial turf, but it is not a decision to be made lightly. The most obvious reason for deciding against installing turf is the large expense associated with it. Having one square foot of artificial turf installed can cost up to , meaning you will spend well into 6 figures for it. But if you approach the decision thoughtfully, you may find out that it is the right decision for you.

Benefits

Before expanding on the negatives of an artificial lawn, let’s look at the positives. First, you will never have to mow your lawn again. No more lawn mower maintenance, gas, or time spent mowing. Over the course of a natural lawns life these can add up, not to mention emissions from the mower polluting the air.

You will also save money on fertilizers and herbicides. Nothing is growing, so you won’t need to be concerned with soil nutrients, grass disease, or pests eating your lawn. This can also benefit your surrounding environment, since you won’t have any chemicals running off your lawn.

There is no need to water an artificial lawn either, so you needn’t be concerned over a drought or water restrictions being placed on you. You’ll also save some more money on energy and water utilities since you won’t be using as much.

Disadvantages

While it is certainly tempting to sign up to get your new artificial lawn installed, there are some disadvantages as well. First and foremost, is expense. An artificial lawn should be treated like an investment in your home. With a full install costing into 6 figures, not everyone can afford it. While you will be saving money as time goes by because you will have less maintenance to do, these up front costs are still significant.

Another con of turf is it is not quite the same to play and run on. If you have ever played a sport on artificial grass, you know how painful a rug burn can be. There won’t be as much playing with the family dog, or playing soccer with the kids.

Weigh your options

Only you can decide if artificial turf is a good investment. It can be helpful to approximate the yearly cost of lawn maintenance (new mowers, gas, herbicides and pesticides, and be sure to factor in your time), and multiply it by the time you expect to be living in your house. Then compare it to the cost of installing artificial turf and you will have good empirical data to base your decision on.

Plugging

Planting with plugs, or plugging, is the process of taking 2-4 inch wide pieces of sod and putting them in holes equally spaced throughout your yard. The sod can either be round or square cut, and can be purchased from local sod farms in trays that are pre-cut. You probably won’t need to do plugging unless planting a warm season grass.

Advantages

-Establishes faster than sprigging and seeding

-Less expensive than sod when using holes greater than 3 inches apart

Disadvantages

-Requires a lot of time and effort. Digging small holes throughout your hard isn’t a fun process

-Has to be planted prior to your grasses prime growing season

-Shares disadvantages of sod

Planting

When you are ready to begin planting, either dig small holes or rows in your yard. Rows should be 6-12 inches apart, and should be dug prior to receiving the plugs. Once you have your rows or holes dug, place the plugs in and apply a high phosphorous start fertilizer around the base of the plugs. After you finish a row, fill in any displaced dirt around the plugs. If you choose to do individual holes, a bulb planter will make the planting go quicker than digging each hole by hand.

Once your lawn is planted, water every day for around a month, then every other day for another month. Make sure animals don’t get into your yard and dig up any plugs or disturb your lawn. When your lawn is established (you can’t easily pull up the plugs) you can start mowing the lawn. Do not bag the clippings though, as mowing will help your lawn to spread out faster.