Ever walked through a yard and seen a whole bunch of little cylinders of dirt and grass scattered throughout the lawn? That is the result of core aeration. Core aeration is important for 3 reasons:

  1. It reduces the thickness of the thatch
  2. It improves the health of your lawn
  3. It allows for new growth

It Reduces the Thickness of the Thatch

What is the Thatch?

Before we get to why it is important to reduce the thickness of the thatch, let’s talk about what the thatch is. The thatch is the layer of dirt between the grass and the top soil. It is comprised of grass stems, roots, and shoots that are both dead and living. The thatch layer needs to exist for a lawn to flourish, but the thickness of it needs to be controlled. Too little and the the soil below will start to loose moisture more quickly, too much and the grass will start to thin out because it can’t access the moisture and nutrients below. A healthy thatch layer is about a half-inch thick.

So, How Does the Thatch Build Up?

The thatch layer builds up when the elements that make up the turf take too long to decompose. This is a natural progression over time and thus the reason that aeration is necessary. Please take note that grass clippings typically do not contribute to an increase in thatch thickness because they usually break down quickly in the right turf conditions.

How Does It Reduce the Thickness?

The holes in the thatch will allow the thatch to decompose and reduce the thickness of the thatch. The air is able to reach the decompose along with water, grass seed, and fertilizer to help reestablish the lawn.

It Improves the Health of Your Lawn & Allows for New Growth

Aeration allows your lawn to heal properly. It helps the air and water decompose the dead material and absorb it back in and in combination with overseeding and fertilization, a healthy lawn can begin to flourish. When we aerate in the fall along with overseeding and fertilization, your lawn will come back fuller and with a much thinner thatch than before.

Every aeration treatment that Norwalk Seasonal Services provides includes overseeding.

Ready to schedule your Fall Aeration Treatment? Give us a call today!