Aerating New Sod
If you're living in a newly built house in Richmond or other Central Virginia area, then most likely your yard was sodded, and if it's not looking too good, then you suspect soil layering. This happens when different types of soils are stacked on top eof each other. This is fairly common on large scale construction sites where they scrape off the existing topsoil layer and then replace it later or even worse, just lay the sod right on top of the clay base soil. The different layers prevent good water movement, which results in poor root development and compaction. Aerating breaks up the layering and helps the layers merge together and gives the roots more room to grow. For best results, do a spring and fall aeration for the first couple of years.
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