Blue Marble

Have you ever taken a walk around your neighborhood and looked down in utter dismay that the neighbor you knew was a total slob wasn’t picking up after their dog? After steaming over this and mumbling your judgements you continue your walk to find that what you thought was dog excrement everywhere turns out to be just turf and soil! These disturbing little pieces are there to show you that the landscaper is doing something right – AERATION!! So on your way back home from your walk, mumble some apologies towards your neighbor and remember not to be so quick to judge next time and they’re probably a really great person.

You could definitely mumble some compliments to your landscaper, though! They are performing this task in order to get rid of thatch and make sure the grass is as pristine as possible. Are you thinking, what is thatch? I did too when I first heard the word. Simply put, thatch is a layer of both living and dead vegetation that can hinder the proper growth of the grass. It lies between the soil underneath and the all living vegetation above. Those who maintain the grass use tools to form holes for aeration. This creates gaps for the living, green vegetation to properly spread through and grow properly. It’s almost a way for the living to “choke out” the dead and unwanted vegetation on that layer of thatch.

The best times of the year for aeration are early spring or fall if the grass is cool for this season, and late spring if the grass is warm for this season. Be ready! It’s aeration season!!