Foot health suffers if you constantly wear shoes that are too tight. Besides aching, your toes will be prone to fungi and bacteria. The "toes" of your lawn--its roots--suffer similar problems if the soil is compacted and the thatch (dead grasses) are too thick.

Aeration is a Key Element of Lawn Care

If your lawn looks wimpy even after regular watering and fertilizing, it may need air in its "toes." Like us, lawns need air to live and thrive. Dead grasses from mowing, and soil compaction from heavy soils or big snow loads create a thick thatch of dead materials that cut off the roots' air supply. About 1/2" of thatch is a good insulator that prevents the lawn's roots from cooking in summer heat, but anything more than that is starving it for air.

Lawn care for grass that isn't too bad or doesn't have extensive damage is to give it a "toe massage." Get a rigid metal rake and give the lawn a robust raking. Remove and dispose of all the dead material. For smaller areas you can also get special spiked shoe attachments that have 1-1/2" long spikes on them. Most lawns will get more benefit from an aerator rented from a building supply store, or from a lawn care services that remove 2" plugs about every 3" to give roots expansion room and air.

Clay soils benefit from twice yearly aeration. The lawn should be damp, not soaked. Sandy soils need aeration just once a year. Aerate warm season lawns right after the last spring frost. Aerate cool season lawns before the autumn growth spurt. Once the lawn recovers, take off your shoes and let your own tootsies enjoy your lawn's healthy "toes."