Boosting the health & vitality of your lawn in preparation for our hot Atlanta summers is just one of the many benefits to aerating your warm season lawn.
If you’re an Atlanta homeowner, you know how important it is to keep your yard healthy heading into summer. Once the heat is here, a weak lawn is difficult to turn around. To prepare your Zoysia or Bermuda lawn for summer it is essential to aerate and topdress as your lawn comes out of dormancy. In this article, we’ll review the benefits to aerating your Zoysia or Bermuda lawn and why it is essential to fortify your lawn against the pressures of our hot summers.
Contact us online, or call us today at (770) 998-8444 to get started!
What is lawn aeration?
Lawn aeration is the process of creating small holes in the soil to allow water, air, and nutrients to penetrate deep into the roots. This is usually done using a special tool called an aerator that either removes small plugs of soil from the ground or punches holes into the soil. By doing this, the soil is loosened up, and compacted soil is broken apart. This is important for any lawn, but particularly Bermuda which is a spreading grass type that can become quite compacted restricting oxygen in the root zone. For Zoysia lawns it helps to remove thatch and dead grass to make room for new growth.
What are the benefits to aerating your warm season lawn?
A healthy green lawn is key to beautiful and manicured landscape. Let’s look at how aeration and topressing increase oxygen flow to the root zone, remove thatch and compaction, and level uneven areas, to enhance the health of your turf.
Combining aeration with topdressing on warm-season grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia is crucial to ensuring a healthy lawn and can reduce the need to chemical treatments to treat common turf issues later in the season. A healthy lawn is less susceptible to disease. Don’t let the summer heat take a toll on your lawn.
Improve soil quality
Aeration helps to improve soil quality. By creating small holes in the soil, you are allowing more oxygen to reach the roots of your grass. This helps improve your lawn’s overall health by promoting better root growth and nutrient absorption. Aeration is essential in yards where the soil can become compacted due to heavy foot traffic or drought conditions.
Reduce water runoff
Another benefit of lawn aeration is that it can help to reduce water runoff and increase water retention. When soil compacts, water can’t penetrate the surface easily and runs off. This can lead to wasted water and an unhealthy lawn. By aerating your lawn, you are creating space for water to seep into the soil, which can help reduce runoff and increase the amount of water your lawn retains. Aeration is crucial in Georgia, where we often experience periods of drought and heavy rains. Topdressing will help level your lawn and put vital nutrient back into the soil where erosion has occurred.
Reduce thatch buildup
Aeration can also help to reduce thatch buildup. Thatch is a layer of dead grass, roots, and other organic matter that accumulates on the surface of your lawn. This can prevent water and nutrients from reaching the roots, leading to a weak and unhealthy lawn. By aerating your lawn, you can break up and reduce the amount of thatch buildup, allowing for better water and nutrient absorption and promoting healthy growth. Excess thatch can also exacerbate drainage issues by creating water runoff. Your lawn is often an important part of rain water management on your property, and de thatching, just like clearing a drain, ensures water is able to percolate through it as opposed to run off or pool.
Partner with Ed Castro for superior results
If you’re looking for a way to give your yard the boost it needs, our team of experts is here to help maximize your enjoyment of your landscape this summer.
Call us at (770) 998-8444, or fill out a contact form on our website.
Photo by ECL