Of all of the jobs on a homeowner’s agenda, lawn aeration is perhaps the most confusing. We all know it’s a must-do, but timing, especially in a place like Ocean County, can be a bit unclear. Do you schedule it when the world is springing to life, or winding down in the fall?
The truth is, every season has its place, but one stands out for a majority of neighborhoods. This article explains both spring and fall lawn aeration and the right time to schedule.
Why is Timing Critical?
Think of aeration as a heavy, struggling gasp of relief for your grass. The ground beneath constricts and becomes compact after some time. Treading on the ground, cutting your lawn, and even heavy rains can harden soil particles. When this happens, there is plug formation, which prevents nutrients, oxygen, and water from penetrating down to the grass roots.
Grass Without Care Looks Like This
Aeration drives out all the grass and dirt plugs that create gaps in your lawn. These empty spaces disrupt the hardpan to ensure your grass reaches the root zone and is able to get all the nutrients it requires to live and grow.
Spring Aeration
Spring is always looked at as a time of renewal. As the chill of the Ocean County winter fades, your lawn begins to grow and green up with new vitality. Aeration during the spring season is beneficial especially for lawns that experience severe soil compaction or have gone through a tough winter.
However, it also has a couple of important caveats and the first one is weed pressure. The holes you punch aren’t grass roots’ welcome mats but are perfect for weed seeds as well. Most specifically, crabgrass waits for the invitation to grow, and you could just be inviting it in by opening up the soil early in spring.
The second caveat is stress. Your lawn has to burn energy rehabilitating and filling in the holes after aeration. In the spring, the grass is already working extremely hard for its initial green-up. Soon enough, it will have to endure the intense heat and potential drought of a New Jersey summer. To expect it to repair itself during its most stressful time of year is asking too much. For all these reasons, spring aeration is generally a rescue treatment, rather than the feature act.
Fall Aeration
Most lawns in Ocean County would prefer the months of fall for aeration. The best time to get it done is late August to early October. The cool-season grasses grow the strongest in the summer heat such as the Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and fescues. Since grass is naturally attempting to establish roots, early fall aeration provides those valuable water, air, and nutrient channels. As a result, the grass will be stronger and healthier next year and better able to prepare for winter.
Along with that, fall aeration also complements another lawn requirement, over-seeding. Holes created by the aerator are ideal for newly seeded grass seeds to fall and rest, protected from damage and in direct contact with the soil for germination. Combined, this is the best way of filling in thin or balding spots and achieving a thick, green lawn that will naturally weed itself.
The fall weather is also more pleasant. There is less weed competition, and the warmer temperatures and consistent rains we seem to get in an Ocean County fall create ideal conditions for new seed and existing turf to establish themselves without the heat stress of summer.
Picking the Best for Your Ocean County Lawn
For your lawn in Ocean County, spring vs fall aeration is all about giving your grass the best possible shot at survival through our harsh Jersey Shore summers. Spring may be practical, but it also promotes the growth of crabgrass and weeds taking root. Early fall is the superior time for undertaking this project. The earth is opened up through the process of aeration, which allows the grass roots to breathe and become hardened in the winter. This creates a healthy turf that will be more drought- and heat-resistant in the summer the next year, thereby thickening the lawn and making it healthier.
Lawn aeration is a crucial part of maintaining your Ocean County home. For residents who wish guidance on this and other seasonal lawn maintenance practices, at H.T. Lawn & Landscaping LLC, we do recognize the unique needs of our local climate. Familiar with the soil and climate conditions in Ocean County, we can help you schedule the right services at the right time to enjoy a year-round healthy, and beautiful lawn.
