Core
M. Tom Carrasco Leaf Landscaping
Grass Values
Does your property have thin, discolored, or weed-infested grass? Or maybe your homeowners want greener, thicker grass in the community? Removal of cores of soil through a mechanical process called aerification is a huge step towards perfect lawns. Aerification is the process of mechanically pulling cores out of the lawns (turf) to relieve soil compaction, increase oxygen exchange, allow roots to grow deeper, water to penetrate better (water conservation), and the grass to grow healthier overall. In our poor soil and poor water quality situation in southern California, this mechanical means of increasing the health of the turf is even more important.
Many people, professionals, and homeowners alike, believe that they can simply punch holes in the turf without removing a core of soil. They will use a machine or non- mechanized way to simply poke a hole in the ground believing it will have the same benefit as actually removing a plug of soil. This is false. Relieving compaction of the soil, which causes less root and water penetration, will not be solved without removing the soil core. Over a short amount of time, the hole that was just poked in the ground without pulling a core will close up quickly and the same issues will arise again. With that said, something is better than nothing, and removing a soil core is much more labor intensive. This core removal should be added to any landscape contract or scope of work if this is important to the community.
The time of year should also be specified as aerification during the wrong time of year could cause the turf to be damaged and/or dry out. This will cause even more problems to your grass areas. Evaporation is increased two-fold for a short period of time after pulling cores through aerification. Aerification during a warm day could cause turf damage. If the ground is too wet or cold the turf can be torn by the machine and recovery could be slow.
In general, the ideal months for aerification are late March through mid-April, as well as late October through mid-November. Increased watering for a week or so after aerification is important so that your turf does not dry out after this process. Putting down a fertilizer and other amendments like gypsum right after aerification will ensure a quicker and healthier recovery. Keep in mind that if you've put down a pre-emergent you've now just broken the chemical barrier keeping the weeds from growing. With added water and fertilizer, you may need to spray for any weeds that come up or re- apply the pre-emergent herbicide. Many professionals calendar their herbicides with their aerification. This is where the art of landscaping comes in. What's in your contract or scope of work?
10 May | June 2022
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