Your lawn uses nitrogen from the soil to help it grow. As more time passes, the nitrogen supply in soil gets depleted. Luckily, the air around us contains a ready supply of nitrogen which can be absorbed into the soil. However, soil is constantly compacting and this makes getting past the very top of the soil a difficult task for the nitrogen particles. This means that something growing in this soil will not get the proper nutrients for it to be strong and healthy.
Another problem for your lawn is thatch. Thatch is made up of old grass blades and anything else that can find it's way to your lawn and get stuck, covering the top of the soil. Thatch can choke out your grass and make it even more difficult for nitrogen particles to penetrate your soil.
Aeration can bring relief to your lawn in all of these problem areas. Core aeration involves pulling approximately one to three inch plugs of soil from your lawn. This allows nitrogen to get deeper into your soil so your grass can have as much as it needs to grow. This relieves the compaction that can make your soil unyielding and difficult to grow in. Thatch can be decreased greatly by aerating your lawn.
Core aeration can be done at any time, but it is generally best to do in either spring or fall. Aerating in the fall before snow covers the ground gives the soil all winter to absorb nutrients before grass grows again in spring. Aerating in the spring helps more to loosen thatch and compaction that has occurred during the winter under the weight of snow. Many people opt to do both spring and fall, but we won't push it on you as necessary just to make an extra buck. Our general recommendation is once a year in spring or fall.