The Process of Lawn Core Aeration and Overseeding

With this summer’s cruel heat, lawns are taking a major hit. To keep your lawn looking beautiful, lush and green, core aeration, a process highly recommended by industry professionals, may be necessary to revive a stressed out lawn. The process essentially provides the lawn roots and soil with oxygen that will stimulate healthy growth by: Improving water infiltration Loosening compacted soil Increasing oxygen to roots Improving nutrient availability Stimulating root growth Reducing thatch Culprits of a Dry Lawn Foot traffic will compact the soil over time, this squeezing of soil chokes the lawn and it becomes starved for water, nutrients and air. Any lawn that receives a high amount of foot traffic is most at risk of depleting the root systems essential nutrients. Dry heat and insufficient watering can also stress a lawn. Depleted moisture levels over a long period of time will surely cause a lawn to have a scorched earth look and feel. The Process of Core Aeration Core aeration is mechanical processes performed in the late summer or early fall. The process removes plugs of soil from the ground and leaves them on the surface of the turf. These holes allow the roots to breathe receive air and water and immediately stimulates root growth. The plugs themselves contain microorganisms that will feed on the organic matter and aid in the prevention of soil compaction. It’s not the prettiest sight but after a couple of weeks your lawn will regain its health and look – your property will be completely transformed. Over-Seeding Option It’s highly recommended to use the small holes created by core aeration to your advantage and over-seed the lawn immediately after any core aeration is performed. This will eliminate any bare spots, revitalize grass growth and implement new disease and bug resistant grass. After Care for Recently Aerated Lawns After aerating a lawn, continue giving the lawn one inch of water twice a week. Also, do not cut the lawn for two week. Aerating your lawn at the right time with the proper equipment can ensure that you have a beautiful yard, every season of the year. The Result Core aeration will give your property a second chance after being affected by the harsh climate or other environmental factors. Core aerating your property is an important step to ensuring your lawn has a beautiful and long lasting life. Truesdale Landscape Services will make sure your lawn is aerated at the right time of year and with the best care. We have professional equipment and expertise that will provide your lawn with all of the essential support it needs. Email or call us today. Keep These Tips in Mind If dealing with newly planted lawns, wait at least a year to aerate so that the grass is well established. Avoid aerating during drought or high heat. Aerating in these conditions, will stress the lawn by allowing the soil to dry.  Aeration can spread weed seeds and portions of weedy roots so make sure to control weeds before beginning to aerate.  Aerate prior to fertilizing or reseeding your lawn because aeration creates openings for nutrients and seed to penetrate soil.

Drastic Dry Heat

Plants and lawns have taken a major toll this summer due to the drastic heat waves. The combination of high temperatures and lack of rain this season have been putting properties under a tremendous amount of stress. For those of you who take pride in having a green lush yard you need to double your effort when dealing with this summer’s heat. With the temperatures being as hot as they are, 50 percent of water actually evaporates before it soaks into the ground so watering at the right time for the right amount of is a must. The best thing to do is water early in the morning and/or late in the afternoon when the sun is low. 

When a lawn appears to be straw colored and crispy you should attend to it right away because the growth tends to be stunted. A sure sign that any lawn is suffering will be the appearance of brown spots where the water is not reaching. The easiest solution to keeping your lawn green is sprinklers. If you do not have in ground sprinklers, the generic hose fitting sprinklers work just as well. 

Not only are lawns taking a major hit this summer but so are everyday plants. It can be easy to forget that plants need just as much water as a dry lawn. Not only do newly planted items need to be watched carefully but so do well-established trees and plants. This means that the plants you have had for years and normally never had to worry about are even at risk. If you start to notice your plants yellowing starting from the bottom up, that is a sure sign it is water deprived. Other signs of dehydration are wilting, dropping, and browning leaves. Homeowners in the New Jersey area should be extra concerned if they have evergreens or a Japanese maple on their property because these are especially sensitive to the summer heat and are vulnerable to sun burning. 

Keeping your yard healthy is not a complicated task; the simple fact is your property needs hydration just like every other living species. Watering is an easy job that only takes a short period of time from your day. Leave your sprinklers on 30-40 minutes a day in each spot and you will have a stunning healthy property. It is easy to forget to water but scheduling it into a daily plan will ensure your yard will stay beautiful, even during the driest temperatures.