Recognizing and Treating Soil Compaction

Is your lawn struggling? Have you already checked your mowing habits and watering schedule? You may need to consider soil compaction, a common yet less obvious lawn problem that impacts several grass types. The good news is that once you identify soil compaction as the source of your poor lawn growth, you can easily fix it with a lawn aeration service.

What is Core Aeration?

Lawn aeration, or core aeration, involves making tiny holes in your lawn soil in order to loosen or break up the tight thatch layer. This will allow water, air and nutrients to penetrate more deeply into your soil and the nourish the grass roots. If you have Fescue grass, the early fall can be the perfect time to schedule this lawn aeration service.

Identifying Soil Compaction?

Is soil compaction really the problem of your lackluster lawn? To determine if core aeration can fix your lawn troubles, Soil compaction occurs under the ground surface, so it’s not always easy to detect. The best way to test is by inserting a special probe into the soil to about 36” to 48” depth.

The Value of Core Aeration

It may be confusing to see how your lawn is going to benefit from core aeration when you see the countless plugs of soil and holes scattered across your lawn. However, this single lawn service is not only quick, but it offers valuable perks for your turf over time, including:

• Loosens compacted soil and improves the availability of nutrients and water.
• Increases oxygen levels in the soil and encourages thatch decomposing organisms
• Stimulates root growth
• Boosts turf density
• Moderates water runoff
• Improves drought tolerance

Did your lawn seem stressed out all summer? We invite you to call our professionals at EarthCare Landscape Management. We can properly test your soil for compaction and offer affordable core aeration if needed.