Does your lawn look thin, patchy, or hard? It might need aeration. Aeration helps your grass grow thick and healthy by letting air, water, and nutrients reach the roots. At Heartland Grounds, we help homeowners and businesses keep their lawns in great shape despite Iowa’s clay-heavy soil. Here’s how aeration works and why it helps.
What is Core Aeration?
Over time, the soil under your grass can get packed down from foot traffic, mowing, and weather. When the soil is too hard, grass roots can’t grow through it, water has trouble soaking in, and fertilizer can’t reach where it is needed most.
Aeration fixes these problems. A special machine called an aerator removes small plugs of soil from the ground, leaving holes across the lawn. These holes help loosen up the soil and give roots more room to grow. The plugs are left on top of the grass and will break down naturally over time, returning nutrients to the soil.
How Aeration Helps Your Lawn
Aeration gives your lawn a better chance to grow thick and healthy by helping the roots get what they need: air, water, and nutrients. It is also a great first step before overseeding or fertilizing, because the holes allow seed and nutrients to reach the soil more easily.
Here are some of the ways aeration helps:
- Aeration loosens hard soil. Roots can spread and grow deeper when the soil is not packed tight.
- Aeration helps water soak in. Instead of sitting on the surface, water goes into the ground where roots can use it.
- Aeration lets fertilizer reach the roots. Nutrients travel through the holes and get to the right spot.
- Aeration breaks up thatch. Thatch is a layer of old grass and roots that can block air and water. Aeration helps break it down.
- Aeration helps grass grow thicker. With stronger roots and better access to nutrients, grass fills in and looks greener.
If your lawn feels hard under your feet, has puddles after it rains, or looks thin in spots, aeration can help it recover and grow better.
How Deep Should Aeration Go?
During aeration, we use a machine to remove small pieces of soil from your lawn. These pieces, called plugs, are taken from a few inches below the surface. The holes left behind help loosen the soil so your grass can grow better.
Aeration usually goes 2 to 4 inches deep. While a 2-inch depth is helpful for lawns with mild compaction, 4-inch deep aeration gives even better results. Deeper aeration allows more air, water, and nutrients to reach the roots, helping the grass grow thicker and stronger.
At Heartland Grounds, we use a professional machine that can reach up to 4 inches deep. That extra depth gives your lawn a better chance to grow strong, healthy roots and stay green throughout the season.
To get the best results, we recommend aerating when the soil has some moisture, such as after a rain or light watering.
How Often Should You Aerate?
Most lawns in Iowa should be aerated once a year. This helps loosen the soil, improve root growth, and keep the grass looking full and healthy.
Some lawns may need aeration twice a year, especially if the soil has a lot of clay, if the yard gets used a lot by kids or pets, or if water tends to sit on the surface after rain. These are signs the soil is packed too tightly and needs extra care.
The best times to aerate lawns in Iowa or across the Midwest are in spring or early fall, when the weather is cooler and the grass is actively growing.
Ready to Give Your Lawn a Boost?
Aeration is one of the best and most cost-effective things you can do to keep your lawn healthy and strong. It helps your grass grow deeper roots, absorb water better, and stay green through the season.
At Heartland Grounds, we use professional equipment to reach deeper into the soil and get better results than most rental machines. Whether you’re caring for your home lawn or a larger property, we can help you decide when and how often to aerate.