Most companies fertilize plants in the spring with liquid fertilizers. While this is fine for new trees and young shrubs, it does little for mature trees in turf. Recent studies are indicating that high fertilizer levels and excess moisture through irrigation can actually encourage disease and insect infestations.

Mature trees in turf lack oxygen more than any other element. In a recent  study, aeration, regardless of what was put in the holes, did more for mature trees than any of the studied levels of additional liquid fertilizers, and did not increase disease incidence.

 The fine hair roots, commonly called “feeder roots” are aerobic... they must have oxygen. With the compaction just from running the lawnmower over the turf thirty times a year, our lawns are nearly devoid of oxygen just a few inches down.

 Aeration as we do it, (2” holes, 8” to 12” deep), allows roots to spread to a depth they otherwise could not. Through aeration, you can effectively double or triple the available area in which roots can survive. The concept is the same as turf aeration, only with larger holes, and to greater depth.

 We then do use an organic fertilizer, not because the source of nutrients is superior, but because the carrier, or bulking agent is. Most fertilizers use clay as the carrier. Adding clay does not help our soils. We’re interested in permanently improving the structure of the soil, and there is no better way of doing so than aeration, with organics.

 Aeration is also the only way to overcome soil compaction from construction. It’s imperative to aerate extensively once the final grading is done, and to continue for several years until the trees are stabilized.