Lawn aeration is the process of creating air channels in your lawn so that air can freely pass into the soil and circulate around the grass roots, improving the value of your landscaping and supporting annual over-seeding efforts.

Reduced air levels and restricted air circulation in the soil means that the grass roots are less able to take up oxygen. Reduced soil pore space also leads reduced levels of nutrient uptake from the soil. Oxygen is a vital input into a plants growth cycle. If the ability of water to infiltrate the soil is limited by soil compaction then the water will not infiltrate as deeply into the soil as normal, this means the lawns roots will not develop as deeply and so the lawn will be more at risk from drought and other environmental stresses. Soil compaction also means there is greater resistance against the roots as they try to develop to greater depths. Poor development of roots below the soil will result in a poor lawn condition above the soil.

There are other factors besides soil compaction that may give us reason to aerate our lawn. If our lawn contains a considerable build up of thatch then we can use core aeration to help break down the thatch. This process occurs as the cores of soil that are left on the lawn surface by core aeration introduce soil micro organisms into the thatch layer. These micro organisms breakdown the layer of thatch and return nutrients to the soil.

Lawn aeration may be necessary on heavy clay soils to help soil air circulation and water filtration.

Specializes in residential and commercial lawn care and land maintenance. With over 20 years experience in the lawn care business in St. Louis you can be sure your lawn will look great.

St. Louis Lawn Care can have your lawn professionally striped like the outfield in Busch Stadium, or like a fairway on a nice golf course.