A lush, healthy lawn is a big part of creating a beautiful property. However, summer heat, backyard barbecues, and kids running through sprinklers can do a number on your yard.
One way to address the issue is through aeration and overseeding. When performed correctly, both practices can yield stunning results.
Reduces Water Runoff
When your lawn is covered with bare spots, finding a solution that will help it grow thicker is essential. One of the best ways to do this is by getting professional lawn aeration and overseeding Arlington VA services.
Aerating your lawn creates holes throughout your yard by removing small soil plugs (called “cores”). This process helps to break up compaction, allowing oxygen and water to penetrate the soil and stimulate root growth. It also enhances nutrient absorption and helps to reduce thatch buildup.
While it’s possible to aerate your lawn, hiring a professional service is the best option for most homeowners. This is because a professional will be familiar with the equipment and able to handle it more efficiently than most do-it-yourselfers. Additionally, a professional can spot other lawn problems that need attention and suggest additional services.
Reduces Soil Compaction
Your lawn can suffer from severe soil compaction after all the backyard barbecues, kids running through sprinklers, and regular mowing. Compressed soil restricts grassroots expansion and prevents water, air, fertilizer, and other nutrients from penetrating the ground.
Aerating your yard breaks up this compacted layer of soil and increases pore space. It also helps break up thatch – a layer of dead organic material that builds up between the grass and soil surface and can prevent oxygen, water, and nutrients from reaching grass roots. By using specialized equipment to extract cylindrical plugs of earth from the lawn, the aeration process releases thatch and creates small holes throughout your yard, making it easier for grass to thrive. The extracted soil plugs then break down, enriching the soil and providing the essential nutrients grass needs to grow.
Increases Nutrient Absorption
Like a facial for your face, lawn aeration is a fantastic way to get all the nutrients into your roots. Reducing soil compaction allows oxygen and water to flow freely into the grassroots, providing your lawn with everything it needs to thrive.
Adding overseeding after core aeration helps fill bare areas and thicken the turfgrass. Seeding is only effective when the seeds are given easy access to the soil, and aerating is an ideal way to achieve this. This is because the holes created by aeration provide excellent air and water exchange for the new seedlings to grow. This means they are more likely to grow thick and healthy and to resist pest damage and disease.
Reduces Weed Growth
When your soil is compacted, grassroots need help accessing water and nutrients. That’s why lawn aeration is so important. The process pulls out plugs of dirt (think flower seeds planted in concrete), which helps redistribute essential air, moisture, and nutrients throughout the root zone.
Overseeding adds new grass seed to fill bare spots and thicken your turf. This can help starve out opportunistic weeds like crabgrass, nutsedge, and broadleaf species.
The best time to overseed is in the fall, after aeration. The warm days and cool nights create the perfect conditions for seed germination and help the new grass establish itself before winter weather. This gives your commercial property’s lawn a fresh look and increases disease resistance that can devastate a healthy landscape.
Increases Weed Control
Grass that is thick and healthy fights off weeds more effectively. When a lawn has a proper balance of nutrients via regular fertilization, is mowed to the correct height of 3.5 to 4 inches, and receives aeration and overseeding at least once annually, it is less likely to have weeds.
Aeration loosens compacted soil, giving roots access to oxygen and water and promoting strong root growth and dense grass. It also improves thatch management, enhances drainage, and maximizes spring greening.
Aeration is often paired with overseeding, which introduces new grass seed into bare or thin areas of your lawn. The holes the aerator creates allow for good seed-to-soil contact, ensuring germination. Overseeding provides a dense lawn that crowds out weeds and helps the turf fight off disease and stresses.
