Aeration and Overseeding

It’s that time of year again when we need to get out to aerate your lawn. There are many benefits to performing this service. Your soil can become compacted over time, and the harder your soil becomes, the tougher it is for water to get through the soil, stunting grass growth.  Aerating your lawn breaks up the compacted soil, allowing water, air, nutrients, and fertilizer to easily reach the roots and promote deeper, stronger root growth. We utilize a roller-type core aeration machine with coring tines of ¾” diameter, and try to reach a depth of 1-2”. The holes made by aerating give the new grass seeds an easier place to germinate. Whether you have a fescue or bermudagrass lawn, aerating is beneficial.  

Now we get into overseeding and why you should or should not do this. Overseeding your lawn helps promote a thicker, healthier turf by adding new growth. Bermudagrass lawns are normally overseeded with fescue seed to promote a green lawn over the winter months when it becomes dormant. If you do not mind a tan lawn during the dormant season, this can be skipped. Fescue lawns need to be overseeded to help keep the turf weed-free and increase resistance to insect damage and lawn disease.  Fall is the perfect time to seed your new lawn or overseed your existing lawn. The fall months allow the seeds to germinate and establish their root system, even into the colder months. Warm days, cool nights, and moisture are what the seeds like best. If you try to get seeds to grow in the heat of summer, they will most likely not survive the stress of the heat and lack of water. As far as how much seed to use, we suggest 4 pounds of seed per 1,000sf. If you use too much seed, they will struggle as they compete for sunlight, water, and nutrients.

Here are some steps to follow as you aerate and overseed your lawn.  

1. Mow your lawn before aeration (a notch lower can enable better soil/seed contact).
2. Make sure no excessive grass clippings are present.
3. Aerate and dethatch your lawn.  
4. Broadcast a good starter fertilizer along with your seed. Check your local area fertilizer laws. 
5. If you have an irrigation system, set it to water in the new seeds.  If you do not have irrigation, plan to do this a day or two before you are expecting rain.  

Call us today for aerating and overseeding services!