In gardening, aeration is creating small holes in the soil to allow air, water, and nutrients to penetrate the roots of plants.
Key Takeaways
- Soil aeration reduces compaction and improves water and nutrient absorption.
- Aeration boosts oxygen, supports microbes, and enhances root growth naturally.
- Core, spike, and liquid aeration methods each offer unique lawn care benefits.
- Best aeration timing depends on grass type and seasonal growth patterns.
Why Is Soil Aeration Important?
Soil aeration alleviates soil compaction and allows plants to better benefit from the resources you provide them with.
Foot traffic, natural settling, and heavy machinery can compact the soil, reducing its pore space and limiting the movement of resources within it. Aeration undoes that by creating a more favorable environment for root growth by:
- Increasing oxygen levels in the soil, which roots need to grow and absorb nutrients effectively,
- Allowing water to penetrate the soil more easily and distribute to plant roots better,
- Providing microorganisms that decompose organic matter and release nutrients with the necessary amounts of oxygen to thrive, and
- Breaking down thatch buildup that covers your soil surface.
Aerating your soil regularly will increase its fertility, boost grass growth, and help to make your plants healthier and more resilient. It’ll also eliminate the risks of water runoff and erosion.
How to Aerate Soil?
The most common methods of soil aeration are core, spike, and liquid aeration.
Core Aeration
This method involves using a machine called a lawn core aerator, which has hollow tines, to extract small plugs of soil from the ground. Water, air, and nutrients penetrate the holes these plugs leave, allowing the roots adjacent to them to better absorb them.
The plugs themselves are left on the surface and decompose naturally over time, and they also reduce soil compaction.
Liquid Aeration
This method seeks to improve soil structure and health without using invasive mechanical tools. It involves applying a solution that typically contains a mix of surfactants, humates, and other soil conditioners via a garden sprayer or hose end applicator.
These ingredients penetrate and break down compacted soil, creating microscopic channels, resulting in an increase in soil porosity and microbial activity.
Spike Aeration
Spike aeration involves using a tool with solid tines or spikes to poke holes in the soil. This method is less effective at reducing compaction compared to core and liquid aeration, but the holes enhance water infiltration and air penetration nonetheless.
When to Aerate Soil?
The best time to aerate your lawn depends on the type of plants, the soil conditions, and the climate.
Cool-season grasses, like fescue grass, grow actively in cooler temperatures. So, the best times to aerate lawns with them are early spring and early fall. In contrast, warm-season grasses, like St. Augustine, reach their peak growing seasons between late spring and early summer—aerate them then.
Or benefit from SunCo Lawns’ expert lawn service. Experience the difference with our revolutionary natural aeration and Soil Builder solution. Contact us to schedule a visit and enjoy the healthy lawn you deserve!
Check Out These Terms!
- What Is Lawn Aeration? Learn more about lawn aeration, from the tools used to the processes involved in transforming your garden into a lush landscape!
- What Is Liquid Aeration? Achieve a thorough understanding of liquid aeration and how it differs from other methods here.
- What Is Core Aeration? Learn what core aeration involves and what makes it the go-to aeration method for many gardeners!
