Jan 31st 2007. I can't believe what I saw today. A company was
out aerating lawns today knowing that it will freeze in the next few days.
Letting the grass roots freeze is a big No No. That is the
difference between Smart Home Services and the larger companies. I like to
provide an honest service at the right time versus the right service at the
wrong time. We offer aeration starting March 1st. and will continue to
provide it until temperatures reach 100 degrees. We will aerate again in the
fall until September 30th.
Did you know that Smart Home Services is one of the top
five aerating companies in Austin Texas. The only difference is, I will beat the
price of the other four.
*** Aeration service normally preformed
within 3 days of your phone call. Half price aeration with the purchase of a
front and back yard purchase of top dressing ***
Dillo dirt top dressings is aerations best
friend.
*** 10% off Fertilizer with Front and Back
Yard Aeration***
*** Please water on 1 to 2 days before
aeration. ***
Don't use a
company that does not use core aerators, spiked aerators compact the ground ( such
as other pest & lawn companies ), core aerators remove the ground giving your
yard a much needed breather, we can also fertilize the day of aeration also.
These plugs will not be as
long if you don't water before I come.
Minimum charge is $70.00
Regular square lots start at $85.00 with
fertilizer $105.00
Corner lots range from $95.00 to
$105.00
with fertilizer up to $145.00
Cul-de-sac
lots range from $95.00 to $120.00 with fertilizer up to
$150.00
Some large yards may range from
$100.00 to $120.00 with fertilizer $165.00
Half acre lots start at $160.00
approx. 22,000 Sq. feet
Acre lots start at $320.00 approx.
43,000 Sq. feet
Flagging sprinkler zones is extra $1.50
a zone.
What is aeration?
Technically speaking, aeration is the naturally occurring process of air
exchange between the soil and its surrounding atmosphere. Practically
speaking, aeration is the process of mechanically removing small plugs of
thatch and soil from the lawn to improve soil aeration. Textbooks often refer
to the practices of soil aeration as soil cultivation (coring, spiking, and
slicing). The aeration process is also commonly called core aeration in the
lawn service industry, and homeowners often refer to it as aeration or core
aeration.
What are the benefits of core aeration?
Core aeration helps the lawn's health and vigor, and it reduces maintenance
requirements. The following are other benefits of core aeration:
Lawn aeration improves air exchange between the soil and atmosphere.
Lawn aerating enhances soil water uptake.
Lawn aeration improves fertilizer Uptake and use.
Lawn aerating reduces water runoff and
puddling in some cases but re-leveling with Top Dressing or Re-sodding will
fix major problem areas.
Lawn aeration improves turf grass rooting.
Lawn aerating reduces soil compaction.
Lawn aeration enhances heat and drought stress tolerance.
Lawn aerating improves resiliency and cushioning.
Lawn aeration enhances thatch breakdown.
The type of aeration equipment used influences the benefits
obtained from core aeration. Equipment with hollow tines removes soil cores.
Equipment with open tines divots the soil surface. Aeration equipment varies
in tine size up to 3/4 inch and in depth of penetration up to 3 inches (
If properly watered 1 to 2 days before aeration), Aeration done to
yards that are dry may pull 1 inch plugs and/or just puncture the ground. When
the grass is watered ahead of time the ground sticks together and comes out of
the aerator tine ground like butter.
Penetration depth depends on soil type, soil moisture, tine
diameter, and the weight and power of the aerator. For example, tines
penetrate sandy soils easier than they penetrate heavy clay soils, and
penetration is better in moist soils than in dry soils. In general, turf
responds best when core holes are close and deep.
A 3/4" aeration tine with 6" spacing and a
penetrating depth of 3 inches removes about 1.2 percent of the soil's volume
in the 3 inch profile. The closer tine placement removes more soil, exposes
more soil surface area for water and fertilizer uptake, and it alleviates
compaction quicker than the wider tine spacing.
The Machine
Why is core aeration necessary?
In most home lawns, the natural soil has been seriously
disturbed by the building process. Fertile topsoil may have been removed or
buried during excavation of the basement or footings, leaving subsoil that is
more compact, higher in clay content and less desirable for healthy lawn
growth. These lawns need core aeration to improve the depth and extent of turf grass
rooting and to improve fertilizer and water use.
Intensively used lawns are exposed to stress from traffic
injury. Walking, playing, and mowing are forms of traffic that compact soil
and stress lawns. Raindrops and irrigation increase soil density by compacting
soil particles and reducing large air spaces where roots may readily grow.
Compaction is greater on heavy clay soils than on sandy
soils, and it is greatest in the upper 1 to 1 1/2 inches of soil. Aeration
helps heavily used lawns and lawns growing on compacted soils by improving the
depth and extent of turf grass rooting, allowing better water uptake, enhancing
fertilizer use and speeding up thatch breakdown.
Most home lawns are subject to thatch accumulation. If
thatch is left unmanaged, it can lead to serious maintenance and pest
problems. For example, thatch accumulation of more than 1/2 inch on Kentucky
bluegrass lawns impedes water, fertilizer and pesticide effectiveness. Core
aeration reduces thatch accumulation, minimizes its buildup and modifies its
makeup by incorporating soil into the thatch. As soil is combined with the
thatch debris, soil organisms are better able to break down the thatch and
reduce its accumulation.
Thatch accumulates faster on compacted soils, heavy clay
soils and sub soils that are disturbed during building processes than on
well-aerated soils. Therefore, lawns require frequent aeration to prevent
thatch buildup. Most home lawns growing on heavy clay or highly compacted
soils require annual aeration to restrict thatch accumulation.
When should lawns be aerated?
Annual aeration is beneficial for most lawns. Lawns growing
on heavy clay or sub soils, and lawns exposed to intense use benefit from more
than one aeration each year. In general, benefits from core aeration increase
when tine spacing is closer and penetration is deeper. Most turf grasses
respond favorably to aeration when it is properly timed.
Both spring and fall are ideal times to aerate cool season
turf grass such as Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass. In most cases,
spring aeration is performed between March and May, depending on the
locations, turf grass species and intensity of use. Fall aeration is done in
late summer and early fall, usually between August and November. Aeration
before or at the time of late season fertilization enhances root growth
responses and improves spring green up and growth.
It is best to aerate warm season turf grasses such as Zoysia, Bermuda grass
and St. Augustine grasses in mid-spring to summer Avoid aerating when
warm season grasses are dormant. This may encourage cool season weed
competition. In addition, avoid aerating warm season grasses during spring
green up. It is best not to aerate warm season lawns until they have received
their first mowing in spring.
Although aeration is beneficial for lawns, it also can open
up spaces for weeds such as crabgrass and annual bluegrass to invade the lawn.
It is best to aerate before you apply pre-emergence herbicides, rather than
after. Aerating after a herbicide application can reduce the chemical barrier
formed by the herbicide, thereby allowing some weeds to germinate and grow in
the lawn. Applying fertilizer after helps the lawn compete against weed. Water
the lawn after aeration, particularly in areas where drought and high
temperatures are common.
What can you expect?
Immediately after aeration, your lawn will be dotted with
small plugs pulled from the soil. Within a week or two, these plugs of thatch
and soil break apart and disappear into the lawn
About 7 to 10 days after aeration, the aerification holes
will be filled with white, actively growing roots. These roots are a sign that
the turf grass is responding to the additional oxygen, moisture and nutrients
in the soil from the aeration process.
On compacted soils and on lawns with slopes, you should see
an immediate difference in water puddling and runoff after irrigation or
rainfall. After aeration your lawn should be able to go longer between
watering, without showing signs of wilt. With repeat aerations over time, your
lawn will show enhanced heat and drought stress tolerance.
Don't expect miracles from a single aeration, particularly
on lawns growing on extremely poor soils. Most lawns benefit from annual
aeration. Lawns that receive this care will be healthier, more vigorous,
easier to maintain and have fewer pest problems than lawns that are neglected.
What are the
results?
Performed annually by Smart Home Services, aeration means better response from the water and
fertilizer that are applied to the lawn. It means fewer problems with insects
and fungus disease. All of which translate into a greener, thicker lawn to
enjoy all season long.
Did you know that Smart Home
Services is one of the top five aerating companies in Austin Texas. the only
difference is, I will beat the price of the other four.
Technical credit:
Some of this material was taken from a brochure written by Dr. Robert Shearman, turfgrass professor at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE. The brochure, E258050, is Copyrighted by Ransomes Corporation, 1996. All rights reserved.
Some photos are from All About Lawns.
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