As Summer rolls around, Bermuda and Zoysia lawns in Atlanta begin to thrive. As lawns come out of dormancy and the active growing season begins, it’s time for Aeration. We’ve said it before, and we will say it again: Aeration is so beneficial for your lawn every summer! However, as we all know, aeration is hard work, especially on a bigger lawn. Whether you decide to rent a machine or hire a pro, knowing what to do before and after aeration will get you the best results.
Aeration is no quick fix or miracle treatment. It’s an annual treatment that will greatly benefit the lawn over time. After a busy year with traffic on the lawn, weather, and other factors, the lawn becomes compacted. Aerating during the growing season will help the lawn breathe. It better allows the water and fertilization to get down to the roots. Not aerating each year can result in all your hard work going to waste when maintaining and feeding your lawn.
Preparing your lawn:
- Mow the lawn so the machine can pull deeper cores from the lawn
- Watering the lawn is crucial. A watering, or rainfall, prior to aeration will allow for better penetration from the aerator.
- Mark obstacles in the lawn, such as sprinkler heads, cable lines, termite traps, or other systems that could be damaged by the machine.
Caring for your lawn after Aeration:
- Leave the soil plugs on your lawn. These will disperse naturally back into the lawn over 2-3 weeks.
- Feed the lawn. Applying fertilizer will make sure the lawn receives those nutrients deep in the root systems. All Turf’s fertilizer continues feeding over time as well.
- Water the lawn. After fertilization, keep up with good watering on the lawn.
- Be patient! Remember, results take time. Aeration is long-term maintenance practice. Keeping up with it each season is the key.
All in all, aeration is super important to improving your lawn’s density and overall root health. Keeping a lawn green and lush is a process. Whether you decide to do-it-yourself or hire a company, you can trust All Turf Lawn Care to get your lawn in great shape. Our weed control and fertilization programs can provide a lush lawn all year long. Aeration is best combined with regular maintenance, so we offer that service to our customers enrolled in a lawn care program. We begin scheduling aeration for warm-season grasses in May, so contact us today to get on the schedule.
