Two of the most important things to keep your lawn beautiful are aerating and overseeding. It is a combined service that can do wonders for your lawn. Following are some of the most important things that you will want to know about aerating and overseeing your lawn. Aeration is one of the most neglected tasks in lawn care. If you want a professional-looking lawn but do not choose this process, you will not get the high-quality result you hope for.
The Benefits Of Aeration
Almost all lawns will benefit from aeration, and a great lawn demands it. Lawns suffering from heavy foot traffic, excessive thatch (>1 inch thick), or grown on heavy soils will benefit most.
Here are some benefits of aeration…
- Improved air exchange between the soil and atmosphere
- Enhanced soil water uptake
- Improved fertilizer uptake and use
- Reduced water runoff and puddling
- Stronger turf grassroots
- Reduced soil compaction
- Enhanced heat and drought stress tolerance
- Improved resiliency and cushioning
Grass Root Systems
Lawn aeration is the process of making small holes by pulling out small soil plugs (or core) throughout your lawn. Core aeration allows air, water, and fertilizer to better reach the root zone. This stimulates root growth to create healthier, stronger turfgrass plants. Healthier roots mean a healthier lawn.
Soil Compaction
Aerating can help relieve soil compaction, and spring is an excellent time to do it. It reduces compaction from regular mowing and traffic such as lawn games. It opens up space to allow air to get to the roots. Compacted soil does not allow for proper circulation of oxygen, water, and nutrients. Aeration also helps improve fertilization treatment. Because the soil is loose, the fertilization will be able to penetrate the soil.
Break Up Thatch
Lawn aeration is not only the most effective way to eliminate thatch, but it is also one of the best things you can do to improve your lawn’s health, and that’s why we recommend aeration as a valuable component of any comprehensive lawn care program. Thatch build-up can be another reason why oxygen, water, and nutrients are not penetrating the soil. Removal of thatch can also make your lawn less susceptible to pests and disease.
Overseeding At The Same Time As Aeration
Typically, overseeding 48 hours following aerating is a best practice, as this will give the seed the best chance of getting into the soil. Spring and fall are good times to aerate, fertilize, and overseed your lawn so air, water, and nutrients can really penetrate deeply, softening the soil, and promoting root growth. Use a core aerator when the soil is moist and soft, not dry, and not muddy.
DIY Aeration And Overseeding Are Difficult
Yes, you can aerate and overseed yourself but here are some questions that you should consider before trying. Not only is the process a bit more difficult to perform than people realize, but it will likely also produce lackluster results.
The questions to consider…
- Do I Need Equipment to Aerate My Lawn? There are different aerating tools that you may consider for aerating your lawn. These tools can be quite strenuous and require much effort from your hands to work the aerator into the soil. These aerators are not recommended to use on a large lawn because they can cause fatigue, strain, and are very time-consuming. These tools will cost anywhere from $25 to $50. Pricing will vary by model and location, but as a general rule expect a quality gas-powered core aerator to rent for around $65 for a half-day or $100 for 24 hours.
- How Long Will It Take To Aerate My Lawn On My Own? The amount of time spent on aerating your lawn will vary on how big your yard is. For a medium-sized lawn (roughly 7,000 square feet), a rolling aerator should take about 30 minutes to 1 hour to aerate a lawn. Using a hand aerator on your whole lawn can take a lot of time out of your day to complete correctly.
- Lawn Aeration Guide: Setbacks of DIY Aeration A lawn that is adequately aerated will help to make your property look healthy and green. Homeowners who try to aerate themselves usually have problems that they do not know how to resolve. If you experience poor results, you will probably try another DIY lawn project to see if it helps or call a lawn service company, which means you have just paid twice.
- Lawn Aeration Guide: Lawn Care Professional Or DIY Aeration Knowing the ins and outs of aerations will help you achieve the full, healthy lawn you desire. A professional lawn care company will know the right equipment, the best way to aerate your lawn, and understand your unique property’s needs. While certain tasks like mowing the grass or watering the lawn can be performed successfully by handy homeowners, some advanced techniques are best left to professional care. Homeowners often decide that they would rather just invest in professional lawn aeration and reseeding which is going to get them better results. Most professional services go over the process twice. They call it double pass aeration. And it gets the best results. It means more holes, more cores, and better results. Taking the DIY approach makes it overwhelming to do a double pass.
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About Green & Grow
About Green & GrowGreen & Grow is a full-service lawn care company specializing in lawn mowing, fertilization & weed control, aeration & seeding, insect control, and more!