Core aeration is a highly beneficial service for your lawn in Iowa, as it involves pulling up plugs of soil to loosen compaction and make it easier for nutrients and other resources to reach its roots. However, after it has been aerated, there are a few things you should do to ensure it recovers quickly and reaps the most benefits from the process. First, you'll want to water it thoroughly and deeply immediately after to prevent the soil from drying out. You should also avoid heavy foot and machinery traffic for some time afterward to allow it to recover without any additional stress. Finally, you'll want to leave the soil cores on your lawn to decompose, as they'll return nutrients to it as they do.

Water Your Lawn Thoroughly & Deeply After Core Aeration

Grass in Des Moines, IA, being watered by a sprinkler.

One of the most important things you should do for your lawn after core aeration is to water it thoroughly and deeply immediately afterward. The holes created during the process allow water to reach the root zone more easily, improving your turf's access to this vital resource. This is crucial because it prevents the soil from drying out, which can hinder its ability to recover. Not only that, but watering it will also help the soil settle after it's been perforated.

It's best to aerate your lawn in the fall, as it's at its strongest and can withstand the process.

Avoid Heavy Foot & Machinery Traffic on Your Lawn After Core Aeration

Another thing you should do for your lawn after core aeration is to avoid heavy foot and machinery traffic for some time afterward. After all, the aeration process is slightly invasive and puts minor stress on your grass, so it'll need time to recover. When there's a lot of activity on your lawn, it can put additional stress on it, hindering its ability to bounce back and reap the most benefits from core aeration. Because of this, it's best to avoid walking on it or using machinery, such as a lawn mower, for a bit to give it the best chance of recovering quickly.

Leave the Soil Cores on Your Lawn to Decompose After Core Aeration

Recently aerated lawn with soil cores in Des Moines, IA.

After core aeration, you'll notice small soil cores scattered across your lawn, which were pulled up during the process. While they may not be the most aesthetically pleasing, you'll want to leave them alone to decompose naturally. That's because they'll return nutrients to your lawn as they do, allowing it to return to a healthy state sooner. However, if you really hate the look of them, you can use a rake to break them up or go over them with a lawn mower. Not only does this make them less conspicuous, but it also speeds up the decomposition process!

Call us today to schedule our core aeration service!

At A+ Lawn & Landscape, we offer our core aeration service to help your lawn reach its full potential! Our team will pass over it with our aerator machine to pull up plugs of soil, loosening compaction and creating passageways for nutrients and other vital resources to reach its roots more easily. We perform this service in the spring and fall, though the latter is the optimal time to ensure a quick recovery. What's more, you can pair core aeration with overseeding to fill bare, patchy areas with new grass growth! We've been exceeding expectations with our services for 35 years, and we look forward to doing the same for you next.

We offer our core aeration service to residential and commercial properties, as well as HOAs, in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, IA, and surrounding areas. Call us today at (515) 289-2020 to schedule this service!