Frequently Asked Questions

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Aeration is physically breaking up the  soil. This can be done in a number of ways, the most common being the  use of a mechanical aerator, commonly called a “plug” or core” aerator.  They work by simply poking a hole into the soil, a few inches deep. The  core or plug aerator will pull a small plug of soil out, leaving it on  the surface. These can be picked up, but it is best to just leave them  there. They’ll break down on their own. 

There are many benefits to aeration. The  simplest way to explain it is, it’s like changing the oil in your  vehicle. Soil naturally compacts due to human and motorized traffic  (mowers, cars, feet, etc.), simple gravity, water pulling particles with  it as it percolates through, and others. 

Water and  nutrients cannot penetrate the soil, so they can’t get to the roots of  the plant. When you water or fertilize, far too much of it will simply  wash away. This wastes water and product, which wastes money. Plus it  may end up in a storm drain, and eventually our rivers, lakes, and  oceans.

The  plants can’t grow! Roots, stolons, and rhizomes from the grass plant  need space to move around so the plant can grow and reproduce. They  can’t get a good hold, and will spend all of their energy simply trying  to root, without accomplishing anything.

The  soil can’t breathe. There is a whole world of critters living in your  soil. Fungi, protozoa, worms, and countless other microbes are all  living and breathing down there. Like us, they produce waste products,  just like we do when we exhale. If these waste products can’t escape due  to compaction, they will build up, killing off the beneficial organisms  needed to keep the “soil engine” running smoothly. The organisms  themselves will help aerify the soil, so by keeping them happy, they  will do their jobs that much better. Biologically weak or dead soils  tend to be naturally compacted, so the cycle of compacted soil keeps  getting worse.

All  of these lead to thin, weak turf. This will cause weeds to take over,  make the grass more susceptible to diseases and insect infestations. You  want your grass to look good, and grass growing in hard, compacted turf  doesn’t look good at all.
Again, why aerate?? Because it’s the  cheapest, easiest, simplest way to keep your soil healthy. And, the best  defense against weeds, disease, and insects, is healthy turf.

 Well, the smart alec answer is, when the  plant needs it. For a lawn, most grass needs about 1” of rainfall or  equivalent per week. Some can go longer, depending on grass variety,  soil type, soil compaction, sun, humidity. A couple of good, deep,  watering cycles per week should do it. 

 Any time but at night. Wet grass blades  overnight can lead to diseases. Ideally, water just at sun up. This will  wash off any disease pathogens that may have formed with the dew, and  also allow the water to soak into the soil before the heat of the day  helps it evaporate. 

 Totally untrue. If you’re wilting from  the hot sun, so is your grass. Golf courses water during the prime  sunshine hours all the time. It’s the least efficient time, due to  evaporation, but it will cool off the grass, preventing heat stress. 

 One rule of thumb: It’s better to water  deeply and infrequently than water a little bit every day. If your grass  needs 1” of rainfall a week, run your system 3 times a week to put out  roughly 1/3” per cycle. How do you measure this? Place empty tuna fish  or cat food cans on the lawn and run your system. Measure how much is in  the cans and adjust timing accordingly. 

 Too much water can be just as bad as not  enough. Soil should be moist, not constantly wet. This can lead to poor  root depth (the roots will actually recoil, trying to find air. Yes,  they can drown), diseases, and lots of other problems. An hour or three  after watering, take a shovel, drive it into the grass, and look at the  soil. Don’t worry, just step on the disturbed grass to push it back down  after and it will be fine. Is the soil moist? How deep is the moisture?  The deeper the better. 

Good  for you. It is our most precious and most wasted resource. First,  follow the deep and infrequent watering rule. Keep your soil healthy.  Keep pH in normal ranges. 

Aerate regularly!!! 

Maybe  add some organic matter. Did it rain yesterday? Is it raining out right  now? Then why are you watering? Have a rain sensor added to your  system. This will override the system if no watering is needed. Already  have one? If it’s more than 5 years old it might need to be replaced. Is  the weather man calling for thunderstorms tonight? Run your system for a  quick “syringe” cycle. This will soften the soil a bit so the quick  torrential rain will be more likely to soak in rather than just running  off. Is your system running properly? Does that head way out back leak,  or maybe the spray pattern is off? Might need to adjust or replace the  head.

Switching  to drip irrigation for your flower and shrub beds will save LOT of  water, and make your plants healthier at the same time.

Well, could be a number of reasons.

Mowing  height? Do you mow at 1 ½” and the Jones’ lawn guy mows at the proper  3-4”? Mowing short is bad bad bad for the home lawn. It will dry out  faster. The turf will be thinner as a result. Weeds will have more  sunlight when they germinate so they’ll grow faster. The roots will be  shorter. The longer the blade, the longer the root (usually). Some lawn  chemicals break down under sunlight. They’re fine under a 3” tuft of  grass, but if it’s shorter…

Soil  pH. Do the neighbors test their soil and lime regularly? Low soil pH  can dramatically affect how your turf looks. Proper pH means better  microbial activity, nutrient uptake, and can affect soil compaction.  Many key nutrients can be bound up in the soil, unavailable to the  plant, if it’s too acidic. You can be wasting as much as HALF the  fertilizer you apply. The grass simply can’t get at it. How do you fix  it? Test the soil. Fix what’s broken. Odds are very good your pH is low.

Soil  compaction. Soil compaction is probably the #1 enemy of turf. The roots  just cannot penetrate. Neither can water. Or fertilizer. It will just  run over the top and into the storm drain or neighbors yard. Also, the  soil can’t breathe. There’s a lot going on in your soil. Millions of  bacteria and protozoa, miles of fungi strands, worms by the score. All  are living in your soil, doing their thing. If the soil can’t breathe,  neither can they. And they’ll die or move on to greener pastures. How do  you fix it? Several ways. Best and easiest is to aerate regularly. An  aerator will poke holes in your soil, pulling out small plugs. This will  alleviate the compaction quickly and effectively. This is also a great  time to add some organic matter. Spread some compost, add a good organic  fertilizer. The plugs will go away on their own. Regular aeration is  just good preventive maintenance for your soil, just like an oil change  for your car. Maintaining organic matter levels will naturally ease  compaction. Earth worms will help too with their burrowing. Organic  matter can be added via compost and compost tea, organic fertilizers, or  simply by leaving the clippings when you mow. Maintaining your pH will  help keep the “engine” running smoothly too.