Aerating your lawn on an annual basis is recommended if you wish to have a lush, green and healthy lawn. This service is normally performed in late winter or very early spring, but fall aeration is also recommended for high traffic areas and for heavily compacted lawns.
Core aeration involves perforating the soil either mechanically (by machine for larger lawn areas) or physically (by hand aerator for small areas not easily accessed by machine). This activity results in ‘plugs’ of soil being removed from the lawn which are then left on the surface to dissolve and filter back into the ground. The holes allow the surrounding soil to shift, thereby alleviating compaction. This better allows water, air and nutrients to reach the root zone of your lawn so that it can grow more vigorously and better fend off pests such as the European Chafer. Lime is also applied at this time to adjust the pH of the soil to a more favourable balance for the grass since we live in an inherently acidic climate on the west coast.