Core aeration is a lawn care service that greatly benefits the health and appearance of your turf. It involves running an aerator machine over your lawn to remove cores of soil from it to loosen compacted soil and make it easier for nutrients and resources like sunlight, water, and air to reach the roots of your grass. This service should be scheduled once per year, preferably in the fall here in Ohio, but it can be scheduled in the spring if needed. Once the service is complete, there will be cores of soil on your lawn. You should leave them alone to decompose because they will return the nutrients they contain back to your lawn.

What does core aeration do for your lawn?

Core aeration is an important lawn care service that helps to loosen compacted soil and makes it easier for nutrients and other resources to reach the roots of your grass. When you have your lawn aerated, small cores of soil are pulled up from your lawn. These cores act as passageways through which essential resources can easily access the roots of your grass. A well-aerated lawn has improved access to nutrients and can absorb more of them, leading to stronger, greener grass blades and a healthier lawn overall.

What is the core aeration process like?

During the core aeration process, a machine called an aerator traverses your lawn to pull up small plugs (or cores) of soil. Typically, the machine only needs to pass over your lawn one time to ensure it's properly aerated, but sometimes a company will pass over your lawn twice. As the cores of soil are pulled up, they will left on your lawn.

When should core aeration be scheduled?

Core aeration should ideally be scheduled in the fall, preferably in September. That's because your lawn will be at its strongest point due to the cooler weather, so it will be able to endure the process without sustaining too much damage. Additionally, you want to perform core aeration early enough in the fall so that the roots of your grass will have enough time to recover before winter arrives. However, if you skipped out on fall aeration, this service can be scheduled in the spring if needed.

What should you do with the cores of soil after core aeration?

After your lawn has been aerated, the cores of soil will remain on your lawn. You don't have to do anything with them besides leaving them alone so that they can break down. As they break down, the cores will release nutrients back into the soil that will help strengthen your turf. While they may not be the prettiest thing to look at, they won't take too long to decompose so don't remove them!

If you want to speed up the decomposition process, you can break down the soil cores with a rake or you can run them over with a lawn mower.

Give us a call today to schedule our core aeration service!

If you're looking to address soil compaction and help your lawn access vital nutrients and resources, we can help. At Lawn Control Center, we offer our core aeration service in the fall to help prepare your lawn for the upcoming winter. We also offer overseeding alongside our core aeration service to help thicken your lawn and fill in any patchy or bare spots. Our services are offered to commercial and residential property owners, as well as HOAs, in Columbus, Westerville, Lewis Center, OH, and throughout the surrounding areas. Give us a call today at (888) 421-0601 to schedule our core aeration and overseeding services! We look forward to working with you to help you achieve a beautiful, lush lawn!