LAWN CARE
By Ryan Whisner
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Aeration Helps Keep the
Th
GRASS GREEN
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alking, playing, and mowing stresses lawns over the course of a season. It is an important to give your customers’ lawns and properties the care and attention they need. Aeration is an essential component of maintaining a healthy root system and growth of grass on a property. Understanding the best times and best equipment to get good results are crucial for landscapers to know. Here’s a look at a few factors to consider on making the most of the aeration process.
Timing
The best time to aerate really depends on geography and grass type. “Timing is very important for maximizing turf health so equipment operators
should do their research based on grass type and seasons,” says Gina Putnam, director of sales and marketing Schiller Grounds Care, manufacturer of Classen Turf Care Products. “One definite recommendation: don’t aerate when grass is dormant, such as the winter months.” A customer in the Northeast would aerate at a different time than others in the Southwest. “The growing season of each grass type is usually the best time to aerate but the most important practice in improving turf health IS to aerate,” Putnam says. “Allowing air, water, and nutrients to pass through to the roots ensures they grow deeper and ultimately produce a stronger, more healthy lawn.” If you have cool season turfgrass such
Aerators come in a vast array of options, from tow-behind to walkbehind to stand-on models such as the RYAN Lawnaire ZTS.
RYAN
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as Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, both spring and fall are ideal times to aerate. Ron Scheffler, RYAN senior product manager, says in spring, aeration should be done between March and May. “Perform fall aeration between August and November,” he says. “Aeration before or at the time of late season fertilization enhances root growth and improves spring green-up and growth.” Conversely, for warm season grasses such as zyosia grass, Bermuda and St. Augustine, aeration is best in midspring to summer, or May to July. Scheffler suggests avoiding aerating when warm season grasses are dormant, as it may encourage weed competition. In addition, he says avoid aerating
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APRIL 2021
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www.greenindustrypros.com
3/31/21 9:32 AM
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