Understanding Aerating And Scarifying

Giving your lawn and the soil beneath aeration is an essential part of keeping it healthy and for the most part, that means handling any thatch that grows. Thatch and compacted soil are two of the two main reasons aeration and scarifying are needed. Thatch is the layer of living and dead material on the soil in your lawn between the soil and the grass. If your turf is creating more organic debris than is broken down or removed then thatch starts to build up. Some thatch is a good thing as it helps protect that lawn from very hot or very cold conditions and extreme fluctuations in the level of moisture in the soil. But if there is too much lawn scarification, Glasgow service can help take care of that, otherwise, there can be too much water, not enough oxygen and it encourages pests and disease.

Lawn aeration allows the lawn to breathe

Ideally, you would have a service perform the lawn aeration in the Spring and in the Autumn to allow your lawn to breathe better. It can be a simple process where you poke holes into the soil, called spiking, but this will not be deep enough for lawns that need core aeration. The lawn thatch should be raked deeply rather than just the top layer. Deeper lawn aeration, Glasgow and elsewhere means the compacted soil gets broken up so that nutrients, air and water can permeate down further. Areas that get more foot traffic will need more frequent aeration than other areas.

How do you know if your lawn is a candidate for aeration?

Here are some things to look for when determining if it needs aeration, though if you have invested in a lawn service they are the ones who will best judge this.

• If you have children, adults and pets running or walking around on the lawn often this compacts the soil so it needs aeration.
• If your home is newly constructed and the lawn was part of that build it is likely construction traffic will have affected the topsoil, not just compacting but stripping the topsoil too.
• If when you walk on it or touch it there is a spongy feel and it is dried out, that is a sign of too much thatch which needs lawn scarification Glasgow and elsewhere.
• Sometimes people establish their lawns using a sod that leaves a fine layer over the soil underneath that is more coarse. This layer prevents proper drainage, can lead to compacting and affects root development. Aerating will break that thin layer and fix the issue.

When to aerate

Lawn aeration Glasgow depends on the type of grass. If the lawn is a cool-season grass then early Spring and Autumn are best. Warm-season grass should aerate in the late Spring and then Autumn. Basically when the lawn is growing the most. The grass growth means healing happens and open areas can be filled. To learn about the process talk to your lawn service experts.