Lawn Aeration Guide
Inside this article
- What is lawn aeration
- Why do we recommend aeration of lawn?
- When should you aerate?
- How often should lawn aeration be done?
- How to aerate your lawn
- Extra tips to improve your soil
What is lawn aeration?
Aeration is the process of breaking up the soil beneath your grass to allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate the roots.
Why do we recommend aeration of lawn?
Your grass needs space in the soil to absorb water and nutrients which enables it to perform at its best. Aeration helps the roots to grow down deep and produce a dense and thriving lawn. The main reason to aerate is to fix soil compaction.
Compaction usually means the soil has too many solid parts in a certain space, which prevents the circulation of air, water and nutrients within the soil. Aerating the soil helps to prevent many other common lawn problems such as bare patches, weeds, dryness and issues with drainage.
When should you aerate your lawn?
The best time to aerate warm-season grass varieties such as Sir Walter DNA Certified, TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda, Zoysia Australis, Eureka Kikuyu or Sir Grange Zoysia is during spring and summer while they are in their active growth stage.
When should you aerate your lawn?
It’s not recommended to aerate in the cooler months of the year as the recovery time of the grass will be quite prolonged, and your lawn will struggle to keep up with the added stress of an aeration.
Always try to aerate at the same time you are fertilising or performing any other major lawn care operation such as dethatching and top dressing. Such activities are best performed in the active growing seasons (for most areas is mid-to late spring & summer).
How often should lawn aeration be done?
Depending on your soil type and lawn use, you may need more frequent aeration. If you have a heavy clay base the soil will generally become compacted more easily and should be aerated at least once a year.
For a sandy lawn, you can aerate once a year, or once every two years. If you live in harsher climates, it may be a good idea to aerate twice a year to encourage turf growth and health.
Traffic on your lawn creates compaction, so any high wear areas may need more frequent aeration compared to a lawn that is hardly used.
How to aerate your lawn?
The process of aerating your lawn is broadly broken into four phases: preparation; aeration; fertilisation and topdressing. To aerate your lawn, follow these steps:
1. Dethatching your lawn
