Lawn Coring
Lawn Coring
A guide to coring your lawn
As spring approaches in New Zealand, it’s time to prepare your lawn for the warmer months ahead. One essential task for ensuring a lush, healthy lawn is coring, also known as aerating. It involves removing small plugs of soil from your lawn to alleviate compaction, enhance root growth, and improve overall grass health.
Why core your lawn?
Coring provides several benefits that contribute to a vibrant and resilient lawn:
Improved soil aeration: Compacted soil restricts the movement of air, water, and nutrients to the grass roots. Coring creates channels that allow these essential elements to penetrate the soil more effectively.
Enhanced root growth: By reducing soil compaction, coring encourages deeper root growth. Stronger roots mean healthier grass that can better withstand drought, pests, and diseases.
Increased water absorption: With improved soil structure, water can infiltrate more efficiently, reducing runoff and ensuring that your lawn remains adequately hydrated.
Nutrient uptake: Coring facilitates the uptake of nutrients from fertilisers and organic matter, promoting greener and more vigorous growth.
Timing:
August and September are the perfect months for coring your lawn in New Zealand. Here’s why:
Optimal growth conditions: As the weather warms up in late winter and early spring, grass begins to actively grow. Coring during this period allows the lawn to recover quickly and take full advantage of the improved soil conditions.
Reduced weed competition: Early spring coring helps grass establish itself before weeds become more prevalent. A dense, healthy lawn can outcompete weeds, leading to fewer issues later in the season.
Preparation for summer stress: Coring now prepares your lawn for the stresses of summer, such as heat and drought. Enhanced root systems and improved soil structure help grass endure these challenging conditions.
How to actually do it:
Follow these steps to core your lawn effectively:
Choose the right equipment: You can either rent a mechanical core aerator or use a manual coring tool. Mechanical aerators are more efficient and suitable for larger lawns, while manual tools are better for small areas.
Mow your lawn: Before coring, mow your lawn to a shorter height than usual. This makes it easier for the corer to penetrate the soil.
Water your lawn: Water your lawn thoroughly a day or two before coring. This softens the soil, making it easier to remove the cores.
Start coring: Operate the core aerator according to the manufacturer’s instructions, covering the entire lawn. Aim to remove soil plugs that are about 7.5cm to 10cm apart. If using a manual tool (like this one available from NZLA), insert it into the soil and pull out the plugs in a similar pattern.
Remove debris: After coring, leave the soil plugs on the lawn. They will break down naturally and reintegrate into the soil, adding organic matter. You can also lightly rake the lawn to help distribute the plugs. If you’re top-dressing your lawn with sand, it’s best to remove the plugs from the lawn. This can be done in several ways: rake them up, use a rotary mower with a catcher to collect them or use a leaf blower to blow them into surrounding gardens.
Fertilise and seed: After coring, apply a balanced fertiliser to provide essential nutrients. If your lawn has thin or bare patches, overseed these areas to encourage new growth. NZLA has a range of premium lawn seeds available.
Water regularly: Keep your lawn well-watered in the weeks following coring to help the grass recover and establish strong roots.
By coring your lawn before spring fully arrives, you set the stage for a healthy, robust lawn that will thrive as the weather warms up and throughout the summer months.
