Brookfield Village HOA, Inc.

Fall Lawn Maintenance: Aeration Really Helps!!!

Aug 15, 2008

How's your lawn doing? We were really spoiled by all that early spring rain! What was once thick and green is now dry and crispy.

This is the perfect time to help your lawn recuperate and get strong before the winter months.

This fall, please consider having your lawn aerated. The BVHA is currently getting bids for neighborhood-wide aeration at a discounted rate.
There are several companies to choose from, so we are making sure all parties are licensed and insured and will do a high-quality job on our yards. Look for information in the coming weeks about how to sign up.

Never had it done before? Here is some information on what it does:


Aeration is the best way to reduce thatch. Thatch is actually a tightly intermingled mat of dead and living stems, leaves, crowns and roots that forms between the soil surface and grass blades. Contrary to popular opinion, thatch is not caused by leaving clippings on your lawn (which are typically 90% moisture and break down quickly).


Some thatch is perfectly normal. However, excess thatch creates a host of problems that includes shallow root development, nutrient imbalances to insect and disease infestations.

Aerating is one of the best things you can do for your lawn. It improves drainage, stimulates growth, helps relieve soil compaction and increases the effectiveness of fertilizers.

Aeration is the process of removing small plugs or cores, from a lawn. These plugs are about 2 - 3" deep and leave holes about 4" apart. The plugs are deposited on the soils surface where they will disappear in about 2 weeks. It is important not to remove the plugs from the yard as they contain microbes that help break down the remaining thatch.

Aeration should be considered at least once a year, and twice if you lawn has a heavy thatch layer or is compacted due to heavy use.

After aerating your lawn, it is the perfect time to fertilize or even plant new seed if it's not too hot.