The winters we have here in Iowa can take a toll on your lawn, which is why your grass needs all the help it can get as it wakes up from winter dormancy and prepares for the growing season. If you're looking for a lawn care solution that doesn't involve chemicals, core aeration is going to be your lawn's best bet.

Core aeration is a mechanical process that includes pulling plugs of soil from your lawn to reduce compaction. It allows nutrients and resources to easily access the roots of your grass, which can help your grass grow strong and healthy. Core aeration works great on its own if you're looking to keep chemicals completely off of your lawn; however, it's worth mentioning that aeration will also enhance the efficacy of other services like fertilizer and weed control treatments.

What is core aeration and how does it work?

Core aerator machine plugging cores out of lawn in Altoona, IA.

Core aeration is the process of loosening up your soil to give essential nutrients and resources better access to the roots of your grass. Typically, a lawn care professional will travel across your lawn with a machine called an aerator, and this machine will pull up 3-inch plugs, or "cores," of soil from your lawn. These cores act as channels or passageways which allow resources and nutrients to easily reach the roots of your grass!

Keep the cores on your soil after the aeration process is done. The cores will eventually decompose and recycle nutrients back into your soil.

Core aeration will help bring your grass back to life after the winter season.

Now that we know how core aeration works, we can talk about exactly how it will encourage a lush and strong lawn come summertime. Water, sunlight, oxygen, and essential nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are all essential resources that will have direct access to the roots of your grass after core aeration. Because of this, your grass will establish deeper and stronger roots in your soil. These deep roots will strengthen your grass on the surface, allowing each blade to grow strong and healthy after it emerges from winter dormancy. You'll find that your grass will be more resistant to diseases and able to tolerate higher stress periods throughout the year because of its strong, established root system.

Core aeration can make other lawn care services more effective!

Luscious green lawn in Clive, IA.

Not only does core aeration help create a strong and healthy lawn, but it can also make other lawn care services like fertilization and weed control treatments more effective. When you apply fertilizer to a newly aerated lawn, the product will fall directly in the passageways created in the soil. This means that the nutrients from the fertilizer treatments are delivered directly to the roots of your grass, rather than having to wait to soak down into the soil.

The same goes for weed control treatments. Whether it is a pre-emergent or a post-emergent treatment, the product will be able to be sent directly to the root system, taking care of any weeds that are growing on your lawn much faster than if it had to wait to soak down into your soil.

Give us a call today to rejuvenate your lawn with our spring core aeration service!

Scheduling core aeration for your lawn this spring is the perfect way to bring your grass back to life after the cold, winter months. We'll run our aeration machine over your lawn to create those passageways in your soil that allow key nutrients and resources to reach the roots of your grass. We service both commercial and residential properties in Des Moines, IA, as well as in surrounding cities like West Des Moines and Ankeny. Call us today at (515) 289-2020 to bring your lawn back to life this spring with our core aeration service!