Lawn Care: When To Aerate

It may be time to aerate your lawn if your lawn shows signs of wear and water isn’t reaching the surface. Here are some lawn care tips you need to know.

Backyard soccer games, hundreds upon hundreds of laps by the dog, hot temperatures, and that all-too-competitive father/son badminton match have probably left their mark. The result is thinning grass and soil that feels hard underfoot. You could give your lawn a breather — literally.

Lawn Care: Aeration Tips

Aerating refers to the act of digging holes in your lawn, so that oxygen, water, and nutrients can penetrate deeper. You can also aerate soil that has been hardened from summer heat.

When is it time to aerate your lawn?

Aerating lawns when they are actively growing is the best time to do it. Depending on the climate, this is the best time to aerate.

Cool-season grasses, such as fescue and rye — August through October

Warm-season grasses such as Bermuda or St. Augustine, can be aerated in the warmer months of May through June.

Is my lawn in need of aeration?

Clay soil lawns are more likely to get compacted from heavy foot traffic. Is rainwater able to run off your lawn and not soak in? After a few days of heat, did your lawn become brown? It might be time for you to aerate.

Another way to check is to dig into a square foot of your lawn and see how deep the roots are. It’s time for you to aerate if they reach less than 2 inches deep into the soil.

Before you Aerate

The best aerating machines have hollow, metal tines. These tines penetrate the soil and pull the soil plugs from the lawn. The tines can be made to penetrate the soil deeper through lawn watering at least two days before they are applied.

Give the grass about one inch of water. This is how you measure the watering when you’re doing your lawn care in Myrtle Beach. Put a small tuna container in the middle of your lawn, and then turn on the water. You’ve watered enough when the can is full.

Flags can be used to mark any lawn obstacles or sprinkler heads. These flags will be important to ensure that the machine is operated safely around them so the aerator doesn’t eat them.

Call Conner’s Lawn Care Service now if you need help in maintaining your lawn.

Conner’s Lawn Care Service
Myrtle Beach, SC
843-504-4901
http://connerslawncare.com/