If you’ve lived in Colorado long, you’ll recognize the familiar sound of an aerator machine in the spring and fall months, as folks are getting their annual obligatory aeration service done for the season. But what is the point of all those little “goose poops” all over your lawn anyway? Are you just having your lawn aerated because your neighbor is aerating their lawn or is it really necessary? The short answer: Yes it is very important to not only have your lawn aerated but to have it done properly.
What is Lawn Aeration?
The fun answer, the act of turning your lawn into an area that looks like a million geese just threw a giant party. The boring answer: Aeration is the physical removal of cores of dirt, allowing air, water, and nutrients to better penetrate the lawn.Why is Lawn Aeration so Important in Colorado?
Colorado is blessed with clay! We can make pots to eat out of and even houses to live in with all of our free clay soil. Unfortunately, our clay-rich soils result in heavily compacted lawns that are suffocating due to a lack of air. Aeration allows the soil to breathe again and in Colorado aeration needs to be done at least once a year, if not twice. Compacted soils are common in Colorado, but excessive compaction can be caused by heavy foot traffic on the lawn or over watering a lawn.How Often Should You Aerate Your Lawn?
The question of how often to aerate your lawn comes down to a few factors. For most lawns, we recommend that core aeration occurs at least once a year. Twice a year aeration is not overkill, it will produce even better results for a lawn, so if you are looking for the best lawn in the neighborhood we recommend at least two aerations per year. If you have a small lawn with many dogs or kids, two or more aerations should be a standard. If your lawn is severely compacted from overwatering or improper lawn watering techniques you need two aerations and a sprinkler audit. For very compacted lawns that haven’t been aerated in recent years, it is best to perform a double aeration, to pull twice as many plugs in the lawn.
