A resident of Hernando, Mississippi, Darren Downen is an accomplished entrepreneur who has provided hands-on leadership to several businesses over the years. Darren Downen is interested in all-weather grasses that make up many lawns in the South.
One of the inflection points in the life cycle of the lawn is aeration, which involves creating small holes in the soil that enable elements, such as water and air, to reach the grassroots. This provides the roots with the needed nutrients, enables the roots to form more deeply, and creates a stronger and more lush ground scape.
The classic sign of turfgrass in need of aeration is when water penetrates the surface with difficulty. Lawns that experience frequent foot traffic, as well as clay soils, are most likely to require aeration regularly. The best equipment to use is a mechanical core aerator with tines that are hollow and lift soil cores from the earth as the equipment moves across the lawn.
After aeration, leave these soil cores on the lawn and let them decompose. This natural process is typically completed in less than a month. At the same time, take time to loosely sprinkle peat moss, sand, or compost in the holes and fill them. This is also an ideal time for applying grass seed if more robust lawn growth is desired.
