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| Photo courtesy johnson.k-state.edu |
Aeration, or core cultivation, is standard lawn care. Aerating a lawn means supplying the soil with air, usually by poking holes in the ground throughout the lawn using an aerator. It reduces soil compaction and helps control thatch in lawns while helping water and fertilizer move into the root zone. A lawn can be aerated at any time the ground is not frozen, but should not be done when it is extremely hot and dry. Spring and fall are considered the best times for aeration. Heavy traffic areas will require aeration more frequently.
Aeration is most effective when actual cores or plugs of soil are pulled from the lawn. Holes should be two to three inches deep and no more than two to four inches apart. Lawns should be thoroughly watered the day before aerating so plugs can be pulled more deeply and easily. Mark all sprinkler heads, shallow irrigation lines and cable TV lines before aerating so those lines will not be damaged.
A lawn that is thin, injured or diseased may benefit from core aeration and over-seeding to thicken thin turf and to introduce better adapted turf grass seed varieties. Start by thoroughly core aerating the lawn, perhaps with two passes made at right angles to gain more holes than usual. To be successful, the seed must contact the soil and it must be kept moist for germination. Seed won’t germinate if it rests on a mat of grass leaves. The seed that falls in the aeration holes will contact the soil for germination and be protected from drying sun and wind to stay moist. Apply frequent, light irrigations to keep the seed moist during the germination period. Water for only a minute or two several times daily depending on temperature.
Disposing of the cores is a matter of personal choice. From a cultural perspective, there may be an advantage to allowing the cores to disintegrate and filter back down into the lawn. Mingling soil and thatch may hasten the natural decomposition of the thatch. The little fluffs of thatch and turf that remain can be collected and composted.
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