What Is The Next Step After Aeration
After Aeration Overseed and Fertilize Immediately after aeration, your lawn is ripe for overseeding and fertilizing. The holes provide excellent soil exposure for seeds and deliver fertilizer directly to the roots of your grass. For best results, use high-quality seed and fertilize with Milorganite®.
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Argument : Aerating Helps Grass Grow But It Also Helps Weeds Grow Too
This argument revisits the importance of timing. My former professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, Mark Carroll acknowledged this issue in our email exchange.
Biggest down side to spring aeration is that it can promote the germination of annual grasses. I suppose if you do it early enough and then follow up with a herbicide within a week or two you can do it much annual germination.
Ph.D. Turfgrass Science
Our timing, March 1 March 21, is well before mid April . Our observation has been that crabgrass, the annual grass referred to, usually appears in May. Our program calls for a dithiopyr application in late April. Dithiopyr is a pre-emergent herbicide that stops weeds from germinating. Even better, dithiopyr has slight post-emergent properties that will kill crabgrass in its early stages.
When To Aerate Warm
Aeration is the process of breaking up the soil and thatch on a lawn, allowing water and nutrients to better reach the roots of your grass. This process can help grass grow faster and will improve its overall health. For warm-season grasses, including Bermuda, Buffalo, and Zoysia varieties, the best time to aerate is during the spring and summer months. This corresponds with the most active growing season for these grasses.
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What Is Lawn Aeration
Aeration is the process of exposing your soil to the air by removing plugs of soil from the turf. Its a common part of spring lawn maintenance.
The resulting hollows allow water and nutrients to move through the soil, increasing the quality and health of grass over time and resulting in stronger roots. Healthier roots can withstand the hotter temperatures and droughts that often accompany summer weather.
The Best Time To Overseed Grass
Overseeding means planting new grass to fill in any bare or worn patches. This is helpful for having a gorgeous lawn that looks thick and healthy all year long. The best time to overseed depends on two factors: where you live and what kind of grass you prefer.
Many homeowners in northern states choose cool-season grasses, and southern areas often select warm-season grasses. Each type of grass has distinctive growth patterns and needs, so make sure to speak with our lawn professionals if youre not sure what variety to choose. Here are the optimal overseeding times for several locations and grass types:
- Pacific Northwest : Plant new grasses about six weeks before the first projected snowfall. These are generally cool-season grasses.
- Southwest U.S. : Early spring is the best time for overseeding in these areas.
- Southern states : April, May and June are good times to overseed in this huge area. The best time may vary each year depending on soil temperatures. You want warm-season grass to have a cozy environment to germinate in.
- Northeast states : Due to the cold temperatures prevalent in these areas, its best to start planting grass seeds in August or September to give them some time to grow before winter hits.
- Midwest U.S. : Weather conditions vary quite a bit depending on how far north you live, but a safe bet is to overseed lawns by the end of August or early September at the latest.
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Lawn Aeration Tips For Idaho Utah And Washington
Over time, the soil underneath your grass will become compacted. Ongoing traffic year after year can lead to this problem. When the soil is compacted, the roots of your lawn cannot get the oxygen they need to thrive. Take a moment this spring to check for compaction. Of course, you cant feel your soil to check for this, but you can look for moss growing on the surface of the soil. This is the biggest indicator of compaction problems.
The solution for compaction is lawn aeration. Lawn aeration is best done in the fall for cool-season grasses, and in late spring or early summer for warm-season grasses, but knowing now that you will need it done is helpful. You can also talk to your local lawn care company about aeration as part of spring lawn care if you notice that you have a big problem.
When using a core aerator machine, we recommend marking any sprinkler heads you may have to avoid damaging them.
Spring Lawn Aeration Tips for Utah: Spring is the best time to aerate lawns in Northern Utah. Core aeration is the best way to let nutrients and fertilizer get to the roots. Once temperatures begin to rise in late spring, the soil should be about 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit when its time to aerate.
Spring Lawn Aeration Tips for Washington: Make sure your soil is moist before using a core aerator on your lawn. Both spring and fall are the best times to aerate your lawn in Washington State whether you live in Western or Eastern Washington.
Why Aerate Your Lawn
I have already mentioned one of the primary reasons why you should aerate your lawn. Aerating your lawn removes solid particles from the soil and allows soil nutrients to penetrate the root of your grass.
Other reasons why you aerate your lawn include
- If you use your lawn as a playfield for children and pets, there is a considerable possibility of the soil becoming compacted and solid materials pressed into the ground during the running around. Aeration is needed for such a lawn to grow healthier.
- Does your lawn dry out and absolves water easily. This could be as a result of an accumulation of excessive thatch. Using a shovel, remove a portion of lawn about four inches deep. If the thatch layer is larger than one-half inch, aeration is advised.
- Aeration is crucial if imported sod soil of finer texture lays over existing coarse soil. Imported sod inhibits water drainage as water is held on the surface of the imported sod. Aerating your lawn at this stage will break up the layering of imported soil to enable soil nutrients to penetrate to the plant roots.
- Aeration is also recommended in new homes for newly constructed lawns. During construction traffic, the topsoil of the lawn areas could be stripped and buried.
- Aerating also assists in preserving your lawn against a lot of common compaction problems, including drainage issues, bare patches, weeds, dryness, fungal disease, etc.
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Is It Okay To Aerate Lawn In The Spring
Yes, you can, and you should aerate your lawn in the spring. Deciding what part of spring, early or late, is the difficult part. Normally, a good rule to follow is to aerate in the early spring for cool seasoned grasses and aerate in the late spring for warm seasoned grasses.
You will want to choose the time when your grass is in its peak growth stage, which differs for each type of grass. This is because the grass will heal from the stress of aeration much better if it is during this peak. Also, you will get the best results when you complete the aeration process at the best time for your particular type of grass.
The best month for you to aerate your lawn is all dependent on this peak period.
Were Scheduling Spring Lawn Aerations
Great Expectations Lawn and Landscape is always able to schedule jobs in advance.
We are currently booking spring lawn aerations in 2021 in Fuquay-Varina and nearby. If youd like to get a free estimate and/or on our schedule, please request your quote now!
If you have any questions about aerating or want to add overseeding to your spring aeration, let us know when you contact us.
We cant wait to start caring for your lawn!
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Is It Better To Dethatch Or Aerate
Dethatching and aerating seem to do the same thing, but theres time for each. So should you dethatch or aerate? Core aerating not only breaks up thatch buildup but also relieves compacted soil.
Dethatching mostly loosens the top layer of soil and also removes the layer of debris from the soil. Dethatching can really help when overseeding your lawn.
Things To Do After Aerating Your Lawn:
When to Aerate Your Lawn, Bayer Advanced, Web. Accessed Jan. 28, 2016
Day, Julie, Spring Lawn Care Guide, TodaysHomeowner.com, Web. Accessed Jan. 28, 2016
Fresenburg, Brad S. Spring Lawn Care Aeration, Fertility and Crabgrass Control, University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management, Web. March 15, 2012
Juror, Richard and Wallace, Greg, Properly Aerating Lawns, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Web. Aug. 12, 2015
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Should You Aerate In Spring Or Fall
Aerating your lawn is an effective way to promote healthy root growth and keep the grass on track for a bright future. While there is little debate with regard to the effectiveness of aerating, you might find some disagreement on when the best time is to aerate. Should you do it in the spring or in the fall? We are going to dive into that discussion in the article below.
If youd like to get direct help determining when you are going to aerate your lawn, or if youd like to hire our team to complete the project for you, reach out to TLC right away for assistance. Aerating a lawn is a task that most homeowners can handle by renting the right equipment and clearing some time in their schedule, but there is nothing like the peace of mind that comes from knowing a professional team is doing the work for you. Either way, TLC is here to help contact us today or check out our gardening services.
Summer Aeration Can Cause More Harm Than Good
While cool-season grass is particularly strong in cooler weather, it is particularly vulnerable in warmer weather. Some lawns even get so stressed that they enter a summer dormancy to conserve energy and survive the heat. That makes summer a bad time to aerate these lawns, as any additional distress could cause more harm than good. Stressed grass will be more susceptible to disease and can even experience root damage if it doesn’t have the strength to withstand the heightened soil temperatures.
Overseeding is often paired with aeration to fill the plugs with new, healthy grass seed, resulting in a visibly more lush lawn in as little as 3-4 weeks.
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Should I Aerate Or Dethatch My Lawn First
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Both aerating and dethatching are important practices when it comes to proper lawn care. It helps with root penetration and easy flow of air, water, and nutrients in the core for better root growth. So, should you aerate or dethatch?
If your soil is healthy with enough microbial activity, you may only need to dethatch once a season and probably aerate once or twice a year depending on the type of soil you have.
If youre growing grass in sandy soil, youll need to aerate just once per season, but if it is clay soil, twice a season may be the best option for you.
Lawn Care : When To Aerate Your Lawn
Spring time! Flowers are growing green time! It is almost officially spring according to the calendar, hopefully the warmer weather follows. When the weather breaks, it is time for some yard work to make our lawns beautiful for the year. You may be looking at your lawn knowing it needs to be aerated, but you keep putting the treatments off because it seems too hard. Aeration is a simple way to give your yard a healthy lawn. You just have take the time to get it done. You can do it yourself by renting the equipment or you can pick up the phone and hire a professional lawn care company to do all of the hard work. Lets make this the year to aerate. Make your lawn happy and healthy again by relieving compaction. Core aeration is a great way to keep your lawn green and lush, so lets talk about when to aerate your lawn this year.
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Our Services Are Guaranteed
If you are not completely satisfied with an All American Turf Beauty application to your lawn, we will re-apply the application at no additional cost and continue the regular lawn treatment program. Alternately, we will fully refund your cost for the application and cancel any further obligation on your part.
To qualify for the guarantee, you must call All American Turf Beauty within 30 days of application.
The Benefits Of Spring Aeration
May 5, 2016
Your lawn requires a lot of attention and care in the spring season. Its a difficult time for your lawn as its the recovery period for the soil and grass to try to bounce back up after a long, cold season of compacted dirt and crushed blades and roots. One of the most beneficial steps of lawn care this season is spring aeration.
Luckily for Hometurf Lawn Care customers, aeration is included in our complete program!
Aeration in lawns is a process that lets your lawn breathe. Your lawn builds up a layer of thatch which is basically a dead layer of roots, leaves and other lawn waste built up and clogging up the breathability of your lawn. Aerating your lawn means that your lawn will be punctured with spikes, allowing air to move through the soil, or small cores of soil will be pulled out and deposited on top of the lawn to allow your lawn to function as it should.
Spring aeration is vital to the health of your lawn and beneficial in many ways. One of the biggest benefits to your lawns health is through relieving soil compaction. In the long, winter months, the soil is pressed down and compacted through snow and ice buildup. Once everything melts and begins to dry, your lawn needs some help to allow it to decompress and accept nutrients properly. Aeration helps relieve the pressure on the soil and absorb what it needs from both the nutrients you provide it and water it receives.
To wrap up, youll see benefits from:
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Can You Walk On Lawn After Aeration
You cant walk on the lawn after aeration because the seeds need time to settle and the soil can get too compact. Walking or mowing on a freshly-aerated lawn can prevent the seeds from growing and the soil from getting enough oxygen to grow.
If youre not sure if your lawn is aerated or not, you can check it with a soil test kit from your local garden center. The kit will tell you how much air is in your soil. If its too dry or too wet, it could be a sign that you need to aerate your grass.
How Does Core Aeration Work
A core aerator machine pulls out plugs of soil in your lawn to leave pockets for air and water to get through and leave room for root growth. It is important to use core aeration methods because using spikes to just poke holes in the ground could cause further compaction. The plugs of soil that were taken out by the aerator will break down and give more nutrients to your lawn. The cost of aerating your lawn depends on the size of your lawn. If you want to DIY or hire a lawn care company, there are other treatments you want to do with aeration.
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How To Aerate Your Lawn
Aerating equipment comes in three main types, from small manual versions to larger tractor-like or pull-behind machinery:
- Spike aerators simply poke a hole down into the soil with a solid, spike-like tine. Some homeowners wear spiked aerator sandals” strapped to their shoes to aerate as they do yard work. While these can help on a small scale, spike machines can make compaction worse by pressing soil together around the holes.1
- Slicing aerators have rotating blades that cut or slice through grass and thatch and down into soil. Like spike aerators, slicing aerators leave soil in the ground, but they create pathways for air, water and nutrients without causing more compaction.
- Core or plug aerators, typically preferred by lawn professionals, use rows of hollow tines that remove plugs of soil from your lawn and deposit them on top, where they break down. The size of the plugs and the holes they create vary in width and depth, depending on the machine used.
You can hire a lawn service to aerate for you or do it yourself like a pro. Equipment rental companies and lawn and garden stores often rent aerator machines and provide basic operating instructions for the model you choose. Aerating is a lot like mowing as you work back and forth across your lawn. Concentrate on any known problem areas, like pet runs or backyard baseball diamonds. Make several passes in different directions to help ensure optimal coverage and benefits.