What Is Core Aeration?

Aerating your lawn entails using a core aerator to remove cores of soil from the lawn; about 10 plugs per square foot. Removing cores is obviously organic because there are no chemicals involved, it is all mechanical. You can rent the machines at the local tool rental shop for about $50 for a half day and it helps if you go in with your neighbors and rent one together. Just make sure you have a pickup truck on hand!

What Does Core Aeration Do?

Aeration has many many benefits, but the two best are thatch control and soil compaction reduction. Thatch in the lawn is the layer of dead grass, leaves and other debris that reside just above the soil line. Some thatch in the lawn is needed because it helps retain soil moisture, shades the root system, and prevent erosion. But too much thatch built up in lawn (more than 1/2 inch thick) can and will cause problems.

The biggest problem with having too much of a thatch layer in your lawn is the issue of root development. A thick lawn is only thick because it has a thick root system. A problem occurs, however, when your thatch layer is so thick that water can’t penetrate properly, especially in the summer. If water can’t soak in deep, grass roots turn upward to get that water, and they become shallow and will thin out over time. The more grass roots that die from shallow conditions, the thicker and thicker the thatch layer becomes. it’s a cycle that causes major damage. Every walk on a spongy lawn? That is almost always an indicator of a thatch issue.

By core aerating your lawn in the spring and fall, you are effectively punching enough holes in the thatch layer to keep it under control. In very extreme cases, the aerator may be taken over the lawn several times in order to ensure good thatch control.

I almost never recommend power raking because it rips up 100% of the thatch and as your remember, we do want some thatch in there.

As far as the compaction, that happens mainly in areas with clay-based soils. The constant freeze-thaw during winter makes the soil very hard, but also the drying out in the summer makes this condition worse. The harder and more compacted the soil, the more difficult it is for grass roots to compete and spread. If you aerate and remove cores, you allow the lawn’s roots to spread and relax in a sense. This also allows air, water and nutrients directly into the root zone.

If you are planning to use corn gluten meal as crab grass control, make sure you aerate BEFORE you spread it down. You also may want to spread a nice coating of milorganite over the lawn directly before the aeration. This will push the organic fertilizer down into the soil deep.

Wanna know what to put on your lawn all season from start to finish? Wanna use a program that works AND is easier on the environment? Get my lawn care schedule here.

With that in mind, here are the most basic of lawn mowing tips that ALL homeowners should follow.

Lawn Cutting Tips: Proper Mowing Height

The first thing I want you to know is that mowing height is very important. In fact, it is the most important of all the mowing tips you will read here. This is why:

I want you to imagine cutting your fingernails. If you clip them lightly, you are good, but if you cut too deeply, what happens? yep, nasty! Same thing with your grass. I want you to only take a small amount with each cutting, meaning no more than 25% of the grass blade should be cut in a single trimming. So if your lawn is 4″ tall when you are ready to cut, you should take it no lower than 3″ when completed.

Now, this is the other part of mowing your lawn tall, and that is to keep it right around 3″ all year long. If you are unsure of how to really measure for lawn height like in the video below, then just set your mower wheels on the second to the highest setting and forget it. That is the safe way to go… mow tall, trust me!

Once you are set with the mowing height, now I need you to consider the rest of your lawn mowing practices.

Lawn Cutting Tips: Sharp Mower Blade

You may not realize it, but a dull mower blade will do wonders to make your lawn look brown. This is is because the dull blade rips and shreds the the grass blades instead of making a super clean cut. If you are mowing just your lawn as a homeowner, then you are usually safe getting your lawn mower blade sharpened at the beginning of each season. Just keep an eye out for the typical ripped tips to know whether you need to get a sharpen or not.

Of course, I recommend you keep two sets of mower blades on hand anyway, just in case. This way, if one set needs to get sharpened, you have a spare.

Lawn Cutting Tips: Lawn Mower Horse Power

This is one that most folks don’t think about , but it is very important. You must have a lawn mower that has enough power to cut a thick lawn properly. If your mower is under-powered, it will clog and heave and the grass blades will be damaged, but not cut and this is not a good situation. These days, I recommend a mower that is a minimum of 5 horsepower.

You also should consider the quality of the mower and the depth of the deck. A deeper deck will allow more freedom beneath and less grass buildup. This is usually more important if you have a mulching lawn mower.

Remember guys, cut it right and you’ll be all good!

This is a special guest article on organic lawn treatments by my friend Barbara. She is an avid organic home gardener and loves lawn care too!

Organic lawn treatments have gained broader acceptance in recent years and organic lawn fertilizers have become ever more popular as a result. Part of the reason, surely, is attributable to the eco-friendly green movement, but the real scientific benefits, which are hard to dispute, have played an important role as well.
Although slower acting, Organic Lawn Treatments are superior to synthetic lawn fertilizers in a number of important areas.

Organic Lawn Care Treatments: Better Turf Building

Organic lawn treatments have slow release mechanisms “built in” to them. They do not immediately release nitrogen and other nutrients and minerals to the soil. Rather, due to their complex, natural chemical composition, the grass roots themselves “feed” when they are “hungry” from the available nutrients. This results in better, more vital root development and more fibrous roots.

Organic Lawn Treatments: Improved Soil Content and Texture

Organic lawn treatments release live beneficial microbials and bacteria into the soil and areate the soil so that more oxygen is available to plant roots through the soil. Additional root growth (see above) also creates a more varied, healthy soil environment, creating a natural pest and disease resistent soil and roots within that soil.

Low Environmental Impact

The natural, easily assimilated ingredients of organic lawn treatments contain no toxins and will not pollute soil or water. The ingredients are naturally occuring nutrients and minerals and have not been “synthesized” for artificial formulas to feed the grass. The slow release of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium create no biohazards for fish, wildlife or people because they are never present in such concentrations that would make such a harmful result possible.

Organic Lawn Treatments: No Grass Burning

Related to the foregoing, the presence of nitrogen in complex naturally occuring molecules which are only broken down slowly by plant activity (“feeding”), means highly concentrated nitrogen infusions, the chemical reaction which causes “burns,” to the grass are impossible.

No Soil Compaction

The natural ingredients of organic lawn fertilizers come with “husks,” “mucus membranes” and “pellets” which prevent their running together and solidifying in the soil. They have a natural fibrosity and resistence to compaction, unlike synthetic chemical fertilizers, which can pool and solidify into cement-like sections of ground, rendering it, in effect, “poisoned.” Such a deleterious effect is chemically impossible with organic lawn fertilizers.
Use of organic lawn fertilizers is on the rise, dramatically, and it’s easy to see why. As word spreads about their incontrovertible benefits over synthetic fertilizers, gardeners are easily convinced that they are the best choice, not only for their lawn, but also for our green planet.

If you are here and wondering what organic lawn treatments are best, or you want to know when to apply organic lawn fertilizers to the lawn for best results, then get my book on organic lawn care!