This is the big secret for a golf course-quality lawn

People often ask the question, "Should I aerate or not?” The question is most frequently asked by those who play golf, probably because they see the courses aerated at different times of the year.

Aeration will make the lawn stronger and healthier. It is a process of removing cores of soil throughout the lawn. The removal of the cores opens up the soil to relieve compaction. The open core will also allow water and air better access to the roots. Cores should be at least one inch deep, but can also be as deep as six inches. The deeper the core, the more beneficial. This is the generalization of the pros.

The cons of lawn aeration

The greatest con to aeration is that the process is a lot of work for the average homeowner. A machine needs to be rented – and this is the easiest part of the process. Operating the machine can be challenging. This is especially true in the dry conditions we are experiencing now. The machine will not be able to create the core if the soil is dry. Before starting, the lawn will require a deep soaking. This will need to be done on a regular basis over a couple of weeks, so you can get the moisture deep down into the soil.

Ready to aerate? Let's get started

Now you have decided you can handle aeration. You have the lawn well-watered and the machine rented. As you are operating the machine, you are now covering your lawn with these clumps of soil that are 3-4 inches long and 3/4 inch in diameter. The holes are three inches apart, so you have a lot of cores lying on the lawn.

Proponents of aeration will tell you this is part of the benefit. The cores will break down, adding more organic matter back into the holes, which is good for the soil. This will also create great conditions for planting grass seed. The seed will become attached to the cores and fall into the holes, which is a great environment for the seed to grow.

This is all good, but you have also created what can be considered a big mess. If you have all these cores of soil on your lawn, you are not going to want to walk on it. The kids and dogs won’t be able to play on it for a couple of weeks until they break down.

The solution, some would recommend, is collecting the cores. Now your work has doubled. Collecting the cores is just as much – if not more – work than the process of removing them. When you remove the cores from the lawn, it is then recommended that you backfill the holes with compost.

This is the best method in my opinion. Adding the compost will truly improve the soil with benefits you will see for a long time. This is a great solution when you have really bad soil.

Frequently people want to improve their soil by adding topsoil on top of the existing soil. Most of the time this is not feasible because when a lawn is graded there isn’t room to add multiple inches of soil, which is what is needed.

Aeration without a doubt can greatly improve the health of a lawn. I also think it should also be known that it is not an easy project for the average homeowner. It is made to look like it is as easy as mowing the lawn, but it is not. If you feel up to the project, I admire you. If you’re not, but still want to have it done, there are plenty of professional lawn companies who offer aeration as part of their services.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The big secret to golf course-quality lawn is aeration. The pros, cons