SHREVEPORT, La. – If your once-lush lawn has lost its vigor, lawn aeration might be the remedy it needs, according to Brett McCann of Growing Solutions.
“There are lots of telltale signs,” McCann said. “If your lawn used to look good but is starting to decline, or you’re seeing moss or algae and poor drainage, that’s often a sign that a compacted layer has formed at the surface. It’s holding water instead of allowing it to drain down through the soil.”
Compacted soil, especially heavy clay, can suffocate grass roots, even under ideal growing conditions. “The grass just starts to thin out,” McCann added.
That’s where aeration comes in. A lawn aerator pulls small plugs of soil from the ground, leaving behind holes that allow oxygen, water, and nutrients to reach the roots more effectively.
“The better the root system, the better the top growth,” McCann emphasized.
To boost the results of aeration, McCann recommends applying fertilizer or other nutrients while the holes are still open. “That product is going to get down to those root systems and cause that grass to grow very, very quickly,” he said.