Healthy Lawns – Aeration and Lime Application

DATE
January 10, 2015
CATEGORY

Core aeration is the mechanical removal of small cores of soil from the lawn using an aeration machine. It is often described as the most important thing you can do to create a healthy, thick and robust lawn. Aerating your lawn provides the following benefits:

• Oxygen gets to the roots and the soil allowing it to “breathe”

• Fertilizers and nutrients get access to the root system

• Water is able to better soak the soil and reach the root system

• Helps to break up thatch

• Tight, compacted soil is loosened up allowing the root system to grow

Lime

Lime is produced from limestone, mined, crushed and processed into a granular form used to neutralize acidity in soils. Soil ph is a measure of the soils acidity or alkalinity. Soil acidity increases with increased amounts of rainfall, bases like calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium are leached out of the soil and replaced by hydrogen.

Lime applications provide the following:

• Provides an inexpensive source of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg)

• Improves microbial activity (which produces organics)

• Improves nitrogen availability of P and Mg

• Lime aids in the use of phosphorous (P) which promotes root growth

• Liming increases soil structure and increases rates of air and water infiltration

Calcium aids in plant cell wall formation and structure and helps regulate nutrient uptake through the roots and movement throughout the plant. Calcium is necessary for early root growth and new top growth. The lack of calcium will result in poor root development, deformed terminal leaves and overall yellowing and drooping leaf structure.

Magnesium (Mg) is essential chlorophyll synthesis and nitrogen metabolism. It helps formation of amino acids, vitamins, sugars, oils and fats and promotes early growth, uniform maturity and winter hardiness

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