As a lawn ages, increased soil compaction can occur. This is a result of foot traffic, sports activities, pets, vehicle traffic and other forces that harden the soil and eliminate pore space in between soil particles. Without this pore space, air and water flow dramatically decrease.
Because of this vital microbial activity ceases and the soil begins to die. The result is poor top growth, increased summer stress and die-back, increased erosion, and soil that is pale in color and hard as a rock.
Core aerating your lawn annually is an excellent way to avoid the pit-falls of soil compaction. Core aeration can benefit your lawn by:
• Increasing the activity of soil microorganisms that decompose thatch.
• Increasing water, nutrient and oxygen movement into the soil.
• Improving rooting.
• Enhancing infiltration of rainfall or irrigation.
• Helping prevent fertilizer and pesticide run-off from overly compacted areas.
In fact other than proper mowing and watering techniques, annual core aeration is the most beneficial activity you can do for your lawn.
However, many of our customers complain that even though they aerate annually, they still have problem areas where compaction is ever-present and the turf “just won’t grow.”
Simply put, even though aeration is important and good, aeration alone is not a solution to creating fertile soil out of our tough clay soils.
For that you need to FILL-THOSE-HOLES!
At the groSMARTLawnandGarden.com we have put our 250+ years of combined turf science experience together to offer a line of products designed to permanently improve the structure of tough Virginia soils and allow you to grow better turf.
We recommend using Renovate Plus
Renovate Plus is a powerful amendment that will open tight soils, speed turf recovery, and stimulate soil biology without a big nitrogen push. This combination allows for oxygen movement through the soil and promotes an active microbial generated nitrogen cycle. It is ideal to “save” those hard to grow areas.
Renovate Plus is a blend of organic and mineral amendments including kelp meal, compost and humic acids that make up a sustainable microbial food source. The mineral component of Renovate Plus includes greensand, hard and soft rock phosphate, and calcium that prevents de-mineralization of the soil and allows for roots to take up nutrients as needed.
Renovate Plus is applied in a broadcast spreader to the lawn area immediately after aeration. Dragging a rake over the lawn to ensure FILLING THOSE HOLES with Renovate Plus after wetting will begin the process of improving the condition of your soil. Once the Renovate Plus is spread, continue to apply Enhanced Calcitic Lime, groSMART Turf Type Tall Fescue Grass Seed and Anderson’s Slow Release Starter Fertilizer (18-24-14).