Aeration is a term thrown around and recommended in gardening and plant care, be it indoor or outdoor greenery. But what does it really mean?
Essentially, to aerate is to poke holes or remove small plugs of turf from your lawn in a regular pattern. Aerating should be included in your regular lawn maintenance.
Want to know the importance of aeration? Find out with the Perth landscapers and irrigation experts at LHP Landscaping + Joel Irrigation by reading on.
Defining aeration
There are many benefits of poking holes or removing small plugs of turf in your lawn in a regular pattern. There’s also tried and tested professional ways to aerate to achieve desired results. More on that later.
How does aeration work?
- The purpose and process of aeration is to leave deep holes, going right down into the lawn’s root system.
- This is necessary to allow a way for air, water and fertiliser to get down to the roots, where it’s needed the most.
You might even find that your watering and fertilising requirements are lessened with proper, regular aeration.
Did you know that aeration also helps to break up thatch? Thatch is a layer of organic matter that accumulates on a lawn around the base of the grass plants. Thick thatch blocks water and fertiliser.
How to know if your lawn needs aerating
If you’re finding water puddles on your lawn after rain or a good, thorough watering – this points to excessive, thick thatch or soil compaction. This, in turn, means it’s time to aerate your lawn.
Good to know:
- If you want to check your thatch level, use a shovel and push it down about halfway into your lawn. If you had to put all of your weight on to the shovel, the soil is too compacted, meaning it needs a good aerating.
- Dig a small square in your grass and if you see what looks like dead roots between the grass and soil – take note that this is actually thatch. If it’s thicker than 1.25 centimetres, it needs tending to.
There are three main methods to aerate your lawn via hand aeration:
- Utilising a manual core aerator
- Manual spike aerator
- A fork (no, not a regular kitchen fork but a pitchfork or spading fork)
If you’re time poor or worried you won’t be able to aerate appropriately – you can rely on LHP Landscaping + Joel Irrigation.
Aeration and more with LHP Landscaping + Joel Irrigation
LHP Landscaping + Joel Irrigation offer aeration as part of our garden maintenance services.
With the capacity to service residential and commercial outdoor settings, we offer:
- Planting
- Pruning
- Mulching
- Weed and pest control
- Fertilising
- Irrigation and reticulation
- Lawn mowing and management.
You can always count on LHP Landscaping + Joel Irrigation to create and maintain beautiful landscapes.
Looking for a landscape gardener and irrigation specialist in Perth?
Look no further than LHP Landscaping + Joel Irrigation. Contact us today for everything you need to keep your lawn and overall garden in tip top health.