Today
I want to talk about aerating. Now is the time to begin some of the
spring rituals, now that the last snow is leaving. We can start by
core aerating the lawn after we have picked up all those tree branches
and pruned any broken branches. Core aerating is an essential
management tool for turf areas, especially those that have thatch or
subject to high traffic or clay soils.
Core
aeration helps improve the root zone environment by relieving soil
compaction while helping to control thatch accumulation. Plugs of
thatch and soil two to three inches long are removed by the aerating
machine and are left on the lawn surface. Go ahead and leave the cores
on the surface of the lawn. It may take a few days to several weeks for
the cores to disintegrate, but they will.
I do not recommend thatching or power raking a lawn as this opens up areas for weeds.
