Aerating - A Breath of Fresh Air for your Soil

Autumn officially starts on 22nd September.  The weather is getting cooler, so it is time to start getting your paddock ready for winter. 

HELP YOUR SOIL BREATH

One way to help your grass through winter is aeration. This operation introduces air into your grass, by using long blades which penetrates the ground leaving slits around 3-6 inches deep. 

After the long summer of drought, dry and warm weather, the surface of your paddock has become hard and compacted.  Aerating helps the air circulation in your grass as it  releases the carbon dioxide to enter roots and in turn allows new oxygen to go in.  It will also help break through piled-up thatch in high-maintenance areas.  

Aeration alway helps with drainage, allowing any surface water to drawdown into the soil, keeping the grass roots moist and prevent puddling on top surface.

If you have over-seeded your paddock this year, it is advisable not to aerate your paddock.  If you aerate after over-seeding, you can run the risk of pulling out young, newly germinated plants.

Autumn/Winter is the ideal time to aerate your paddocks, as your paddocks will not be entirely grazed.  This gives the soil and the turf chance to regenerate.