Core aeration is a lawn care service that involves mechanically pulling up plugs of soil from your lawn to loosen compaction and make it easier for nutrients and other resources to reach the roots. While this process can be slightly invasive, it's highly effective at improving the overall health of your lawn. However, it's important to note that core aeration should be performed when it's strong enough to endure it, as it can stress it out if done at the wrong time. Additionally, core aeration leaves behind soil cores, which some property owners don't find very appealing, but they will eventually decompose and return nutrients to your turf. So, while there are pros and cons to core aeration, the pros far outweigh the cons, making it a worthwhile investment for your lawn in Florida.

What is core aeration?

Scattered soil cores across a lawn in New Smyrna Beach, FL, after aeration.

Core aeration is a lawn care service that involves using an aerator machine to mechanically pull up plugs of soil from your lawn. As the aerator passes over, it removes hundreds of 2-3 inch soil cores, creating tiny holes in the ground. This process is designed to address soil compaction and create channels that nutrients and other resources can use to reach the roots of your grass. By doing so, core aeration helps to improve the overall health of your lawn by making it easier for it to access everything it needs to thrive.

What are some pros and cons of core aeration?

There are both pros and cons to core aeration. One of the biggest pros of this service is that it's highly effective at loosening the hard, packed soil particles, making it easier for nutrients, water, sunlight, and oxygen to penetrate the ground and reach the roots of your grass. This can be especially beneficial if your lawn has been struggling due to poor soil conditions. Another pro of core aeration is that it can help to break up the thatch layer, which is a layer of dead grass and other organic material that can build up on your lawn over time and limit the flow of resources throughout the soil.

On the other hand, there are also some cons associated with core aeration. One of the biggest cons is that it can be an invasive process for your lawn. Because core aeration involves pulling up plugs of soil from your lawn, it can put minor stress on it. However, performing it when your turf is strong enough to endure it will allow it to heal and bounce back quickly.

Additionally, core aeration leaves behind soil cores across your lawn. Some property owners don't find these very appealing, but they will eventually decompose and return nutrients to your lawn. However, if you don't like the way they look, you can break them up with a rake or go over them with a lawn mower to speed up the decomposition process.

Core aeration should be performed in the spring and fall, as these seasons provide ideal conditions for your lawn to withstand it.

Schedule Our Core Aeration Service by Calling Us Today

At Leafy Landscapes, we offer a core aeration service to help loosen compacted soil and make it easier for nutrients and other resources to reach the roots of your grass. We perform this service in the spring, from March until May, and in the fall, from September to November, to ensure your lawn is strong enough to endure the process. Double-pass aeration is done to pull up double the soil cores and yield maximum benefits!

Core aeration is offered to residential properties in New Smyrna Beach, Port Orange, Ponce Inlet, and throughout the surrounding areas in Florida. Schedule this service by calling us at (386) 492-8862 today!