Core Aeration
Aeration is one of the quickest ways to improve your lawn and get it into a healthier state, in a short time thousands of “cores” are pulled up from your lawn which will be taken away. The holes that are left will allow your root system to grow and fill them in, while also allowing nutrients to access the root systems more easily as well. Spring time is fantastic to aerate, however it can be done throughout the warmer months with positive effects as well.
Benefit of Core Aeration
– Thatch is Broken Up
Your lawn is continually building up a thick layer of surface thatch which prevents the uptake of water, oxygen and fertilizer. An annual mechanical core aeration effectively eliminates this problem by breaking up the thatch barrier while the soil cores lift micro-organisms to the surface which speed up the decomposition of the remaining thatch.
– Compaction is Relieved
Aeration is the only proven method for relieving topsoil compaction. Hard, compacted soil will result in pooling of water, insufficient transfer of oxygen and nutrients and diminished microbial activity. An aeration service in Perth can be likened to tilling garden soil in preparation for new planting.
– Free Top Dressing
The aeration process leaves thousands of soil cores sitting on the surface of your lawn essentially giving you a top dressing. The cores will dissolve back into your lawn during the next rainfall but, in the meanwhile, they will help preserve moisture in the turf.
– Drought Protection
Hard, compacted soil leads to a shallow root system. Aeration promotes deep root growth which gives your lawn greater drought tolerance during the summer
– Water Savings
Compacted lawns with thatch build-up become hydrophobic! These lawns repel water no matter how much you water them. With an aeration, your watering efforts will not be in vain and you will save money in the process!
– Weed Resistance
Aeration allows water, oxygen and nutrients to reach the root level promoting new growth. The new turf growth will fill in the lawn and thereby crowd out weeds attempting to spread.
– Insect Resistance
Insects thrive in thick thatch build-up. As the aerator punches thousands of holes into the thatch layer, it breaks down the ideal environment for insect infestations.
– Increases Fertilizer Uptake
In addition to promoting water and oxygen transfer to the root system, aeration will also enhance the uptake of fertilizer where it’s needed: at the root level. Get maximum return from your fertilizer investment by aerating in the spring and fall.
– New Turf Growth
A steady introduction of healthy, new lawn shoots each year will keep your lawn vibrant and resistant to harmful weeds and insects. However, these new lawn shoots require room to grow. The thousands of small openings created by the aeration provide just what your lawn needs.
Vertimowing
What is Vertimowing?
The concept of vertimowing is something that almost all lawn owners are familiar with. Unlike the usual mowing activities to only cut the long-grown grass, this is a process that requires the lawn removal of thatch that grows near the surface of the lawn. A specialised machine is put to use where a large area of the grass is covered, and the thatch is removed from the lawn.
What causes thatch Build-up?
Thatch under the surface of the grass doesn’t grow in a single day. It takes days and months to fully grab a base for itself and slowly starts to affect the lawn and its overall health. Here are a few things that are known to contribute to their presence.
- Sprinkling excessive amount of fertilisers every time
- Cutting the grass too high during the summer months
- Postponement of mowing activities
- Excessive watering of the lawn
The side-effects of thatch build-up
This service of vertimowing in Perth may be needed for your lawn if it has become spongy with a thick layer of thatch (dead grass) build up or is just looking old and tired in need of a start over. Whenever you water the soil, the water will not go deep down and simply evaporate from the surface while decreasing the longevity of the grass. Consisting of dead biomass, thatch is known to prevent the lawn soil to absorb water, fertilisers, sunlight and leads to the growth of pests and microorganisms.
More time and effort is required to maintain a lawn with excess thatch, due to the lack of water and nutrients making their way to the soil. Your grass is like any plant in it needs to breathe, and having too much thatch can suffocate it over time.
I offer half-priced core aeration to go with a vertimow to encourage customers to have it done as it helps with the lawn recovery process.
Vertimowing can be done from September right through to March or April dependant on temperatures.