Healthy soil contains porous spaces which deliver oxygen and nutrients to the root system of grass, trees, flowers and shrubs. Overtime soil becomes compacted. Whether by foot traffic, poor drainage, drought or even regular mowing, all lawns are gradually affected. Soil compaction is the equivalent of choking the roots of your landscape. Water and nutrients are trapped on the surface or wash away to the street. Insects and earthworms cannot penetrate the lower levels of earth. So bare patches, localized dry spots and lumps form across the surface of your lawn.
Simply tossing seed, soil and fertilizer onto your lawn will not fix these underlying issues. Lawn aeration is a great treatment for soil compaction. Aeration works by puncturing the soil surface and pulling small cores every few inches. The resulting holes immediately allow air flow to the root system. Eventually, as rainfall filters through the lawn, microorganisms will deliver nutrients throughout the tenderized soil. Insects and earthworms will return to your lawn (these are natural aerators). An invigorated root system will grow deeper and stronger. So, early fall is an ideal time to aerate. That is, a strong root system withstand harsh winters and a natural cycle of growth will occur in the spring.
From handheld sticks to massive tow behind units, lawn aerators come in many forms. The most popular Toro branded units operate like oversize lawn mowers. You simply walk behind the machine as it pulls cores from your lawn. Therefore, many homeowners can perform this valuable service on their own.
Since the job is easy to do and the best equipment is very expensive we encourage homeowners to rent aerators. We rent aerators for $95 daily or $65 for a 4 hour window. If you are curious about renting one of our aerators, please call soon as our schedule will quickly fill for the fall. Most landscape contractors offer aeration services in the fall.
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