Lawn aeration is a crucial step in boosting the health and growth of your Hudson, OH, Area lawn. If you are unsure of what aeration entails and when it should be done, you are in luck since landscaping companies will help you with that process and other lawn care tasks. Here is some advice on how and when to fertilize your grass.
Related: How Long Until You'll See Benefits of Lawn Aeration in the Hudson, OH Area
Tip #1: Understand Aeration
When you understand the function of lawn aeration, it can make more sense why this is a crucial step in boosting the good health of your grass. Aeration happens when a landscape professional brings a machine called an aerator to your lawn.
The aerator is heavy and has spikes or plugs on the outside. As they roll the aerator machine over the grass, the exterior plugs dig down into the dirt to pull small pieces out, leaving a hole in the soil.
They will go over the grass from several directions to ensure the soil has as many plugs as possible. While this does not hurt the existing grass, it can make your yard look messy for a few weeks.
Tip #2: How Aeration Helps
The reason aeration is so good for your grass is that the small soil plugs that are removed leave holes for some important lawn care additions. The first is that over the summer, the small grass clippings can block the roots from getting the sunshine they need to grow strong. These holes let the sun reach directly to the roots.
The second is that the holes provide a spot for the water from the irrigation or rain to reach the roots. The same issue happens with water as with sunlight. Since the grass mat has been disrupted, the water can reach the roots to boost their health.
Finally, many landscape and lawn care professionals recommend spreading new grass seeds after aeration to give your lawn a chance to thicken up with new grass growth. A thick, healthy lawn can be the best way to ward off pests and diseases.
Tip #3: The Importance of Fertilizers
All living things need nutrients but the soil can’t supply all the nutrients your grass needs. This is why lawn care professionals recommend an application of fertilizer to give the grass more nutrition.
Fertilizer is composed of three primary nutrients that your grass needs to thrive, especially in the growing season. Nitrogen is the most-used nutrient as it is responsible for the overall health of grass plants. As the grass grows, it needs food to form protein which is the building block of cells.
Fertilizer also contains potassium which helps the grass plants resist diseases. It is necessary to form strong roots and protect the grass plants from wilting in the heat of the summer sun. Finally, phosphorus is essential for the grass to use and store energy so the plants can grow normally.
Tip #4: When to Apply Fertilizer
Fertilizer can be tricky since too much can burn the grass while too little does no measurable good. The best time to apply fertilizer is in the fall when the soil is aerated so the plants can use the food to grow strong. Another springtime application of fertilizer gives the dormant grass a boost to begin growing once more.
