WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Aerating the lawn

The snow is finally gone and we're beginning to see some signs of the grass greening. Yes, this is a great time of year to really work on your lawn to get it off to a good start. You can rake it to get the thatch out and maybe put a little fertilizer down. But the biggest thing you can do this time of year is aerate your lawn.

Compacted soils in lawns lead to thin grass cover and poor growth. Which leads to weed growth. If you aerate it, by taking those plugs of soil like you see on the golf courses and ball fields, it lets the water, fertilizer, and air down into the root system. If you have a healthy root system, you have a healthy grass growth on top.

You can rent an aerating machine from a local rental store. That's good for a big lawn. But if you have a really small area that is compacted, you can use some special tools.

The first aerating tool is a simple one. It's like an iron rake. You just put your foot on it and press it into the ground and you'll create little holes so that water, moisture and nutrients get down to the roots.

If you really want to get innovative, you can use lawn aerating sandals! You just strap them to your shoes and walk around on your lawn like this. The 3-inch spikes make holes in the grass for you. It's a great way to aerate the lawn and get some exercise! Send your spouse out, put them on the dog... whatever works! Aerate the lawn, it's the best thing to do this spring for your lawn grass.

By Charlie Nardozzi