Help Your Lawn Reach Its Full Potential This Fall With Core Aeration

The soil beneath your grass can get compacted, interfering with its ability to absorb water and other important nutrients. If you find that your grass is not healthy no matter how much you water or fertilize, then aeration might be the key to improving your lawn. Core aeration, the process of decompressing compacted soil to make room for essential resources, is best done in the fall, especially in northern states like South Dakota. Skipping aeration leaves your soil compacted, which could lead to further complications. For the best results and a healthy, full lawn, you can follow up aeration with overseeding, which will fill in any bare patches with new grass so that you have a uniform lawn.

What is core aeration?

Thatch is an accumulation of dead grass shoots, roots, stems, and other organic material. Every lawn should have a little bit of thatch, but if it grows too thick, it will prevent water and nutrients from being absorbed. When this happens, core aeration can make space in your soil. This process is done with an aerator machine that removes 2-3-inch "plugs," or cores, of your grass and soil. The removal of these plugs allows your roots better access to oxygen, water, and nutrients by relieving the soil's compaction. When these plugs are harvested, they are left behind on the lawn to decompose. This decomposition returns the plugs' nutrients to the soil. It is recommended to leave plugs on your lawn for this purpose.

When should you aerate your lawn in South Dakota?

Since South Dakota has cool-season grass, the best time to schedule an aeration service is in the fall. Fall provides ideal conditions for cool-season grass because soil temperature is ideal for growth. Additionally, fewer weeds take root, which means there is less competition for resources.

It is suggested to do an aeration service in early fall because aeration isn't necessarily a gentle process. While taking cores of soil from your lawn is extremely beneficial, your lawn will need time to recover from the soil removal. Fall provides the best conditions for your soil and grass to recover easily before the winter season arrives.

What happens if you skip aeration?

Your soil becomes compacted throughout the year, especially when there is heavy foot traffic, like in the summertime. This occurs naturally, but sometimes it can get bad enough that grass might become stunted, unable to grow or access enough nutrients and other resources. With an unhealthy lawn comes susceptibility to turf disease and other issues. So while core aeration can solve your problem of a stark lawn, it can also help prevent a host of larger issues — and more expensive ones.

Combine aeration with overseeding for best results.

If your grass has bare patches or you have noticed thinning in some places, then consider combining an aeration service with overseeding. Overseeding involves an even spread of seedlings across a lawn, helping to fill in any missing patches of grass. If you follow an aeration service with overseeding, the seeds can drop into the holes left behind, giving the seeds better contact with the soil. Your seedlings have more potential to take root and germinate more efficiently when there is good seed-to-soil contact.

Contact us and schedule core aeration for your lawn!

If you're looking to improve the look of your lawn, we here at The Yard Barbers provide core aeration services to Sioux Falls, Harrisburg, Tea, and other areas throughout South Dakota. Fall aeration begins in August and ends in October, and it is recommended to be done annually. While core aeration can be done independently, scheduling an additional overseeding service will ensure that your grass grows thick. You can call us at (605) 370-5084 to schedule or inquire about services and how to get your lawn green, glowing, and gorgeous!