Although it can be difficult to see, having compacted soil can become a big problem for your lawn. Soil is considered compact when it is not porous enough to allow water and nutrients to penetrate it properly. You may see sections of your property with thin or no grass that have hard, dense dirt, but this can be occurring in areas where the grass seems healthy too. This is a problem because it can cause poor drainage. This is when grass needs water, but cannot absorb it because the soil is too compact to allow it to drain down into the roots, causing puddles in the lawn. And of course, water that stays on the surface of the grass for too long can promote fungal growth. Besides water, compacted soil makes it difficult for fertilizer and other nutrients to get to the grassroots. Another issue can be shallow grassroots. If the soil is dense and compact enough to stop downward root growth, grass cannot thrive. Over time, grass will become thin, weak and eventually die off due to lack of food and water. Trying to maintain a healthy lawn in extremely compacted soil is like trying to get grass to grow on concrete.
Compacted soil happens naturally over time but can be accelerated in areas of high traffic or long term pressure like cars, trailers or pools kept on the lawn for an extended period of time. Be mindful of these and change things up if you see your lawn is developing signs of compacted soil. A sure way of avoiding compaction is annual or at least bi-annual core aerations. Core aeration, as opposed to spike aeration, actually removes thatch and compacted soil from the lawn instead of just poking holes in it. The machine powers through the thatch layer and into the soil, removing 2 inch deep and 1 inch wide cylindrical plugs more room for oxygen, creating room for oxygen, water and nutrients. Lawn Doctor’s Core Aeration is best done alongside our Overseeding to help supplement the areas of lawn that have thinned out due to compacted soil with some new growth. By aerating and overseeding, your lawn will be free from compacted soil as well as many other common lawn problems.
