Core aeration is a lawn care service crucial for improving your turf's overall health and vigor. This process involves mechanically pulling up plugs of soil from the ground using an aerator. As a result, it loosens compacted soil and reduces thatch build-up, plus creates passageways for nutrients and resources like sunlight, oxygen, and water to reach the roots of your grass more easily. However, while it's highly beneficial, you want to ensure you do it when your lawn is strong enough to withstand it. Because of this, it's best to perform it in the spring or fall here in Minnesota - or both. Either way, you'll want to schedule core aeration annually so that it stays at its best.

Core Aeration Relieves Soil Compaction & Reduces Thatch Build-Up

Over time, your soil can become compacted due to frequent foot and machinery traffic, and while it's natural, it hinders your lawn from absorbing the resources it needs to stay healthy. Fortunately, that's where core aeration comes in! Core aeration is the process of mechanically pulling up plugs of soil, effectively relieving compaction by loosening it.

Not only that, but it also helps reduce thatch build-up! The thatch layer consists of organic materials like dead grass stems and roots that accumulate between the grass and soil. If it becomes too thick, it can cause a long list of issues, such as blocking resource movement throughout your turf and serving as the perfect spot for lawn diseases to develop. When you core aerate your lawn, it breaks up this layer and thins it out.

Core Aeration Makes It Easier for Nutrients & Resources to Reach the Roots of Your Grass

Since core aeration involves pulling up plugs of soil, it also creates tiny holes in the ground. These holes serve as passageways for nutrients and other resources, such as sunlight, water, and oxygen, to more easily penetrate and reach the roots of your grass. With improved access to everything it needs, your lawn can absorb more and reach its full potential. Additionally, it'll help keep it resilient to stressors, such as drought, insect infestations, and lawn diseases.

You can pair core aeration with overseeding, as the holes created provide the perfect spot for the seeds to fall into and get excellent contact with the soil!

When should you perform core aeration?

While core aeration is highly beneficial, it can stress out your lawn if done at the wrong time. Because of this, you only want to perform it when it's strong enough to endure it and recover quickly afterward. Here in Minnesota, we have cool-season grasses, so you'll want to aerate in the spring, fall, or both. These seasons provide cooler temperatures and ideal conditions to withstand the process. Additionally, spring aeration will get your lawn in optimal condition to survive the hot summer, while fall aeration will help it reach its healthiest in preparation for winter dormancy.

Whether you opt for aerating your turf in the spring, fall, or both, you'll want to schedule this service annually. After all, it experiences numerous stressors throughout the year, and performing it annually will ensure it continues to reap the best access to resources, keeping it healthy, beautiful, and resilient.

Call us today to sign up for our core aeration service!

At LawnCrafters, we offer our core aeration service to help your lawn reach its full potential! Our team can aerate in spring and fall to ensure we do it when it's at its strongest. We also recommend scheduling this service every year to keep your lawn in top condition. We proudly serve residential and commercial properties, as well as HOAs, in Mankato, North Mankato, St. Peter, MN, and nearby areas. Call us at (507) 414-8393 to sign up for our core aeration service today!