• admin
• August 2, 2023

As Summer winds down, it’s the perfect time to give your lawn some much-needed TLC. Fall lawn care goes beyond raking leaves and preparing for colder weather. One of the most impactful practices you can adopt is lawn aeration and overseeding. This simple yet transformative process offers a plethora of benefits that contribute to the overall health and beauty of your lawn.

When Should I Aerate My Lawn? ⌚️

There isn’t an exact prescribed time that you should aerate your lawn. Typically, it’s best to do it in the Spring and Fall, simply because you will see a greater effect due to the grass responding better because it is in a healthy state. We are also seeing more rain during the Spring and Fall, so the holes that are made in the ground will make a greater impact than they would in the Summer.

We often recommend doing a Fall aeration because it is best to be paired with overseeding. Planting grass seed is most effective and successful in the Fall due to the great weather, so therefore, aeration is most popular in the Fall season.

What Does Core Aeration Do? 🚜

Lawn aeration involves perforating the soil with small holes to facilitate the movement of vital elements—nutrients, water, and oxygen—deeper into the ground. Over time, your lawn’s soil can become compacted due to heavy foot traffic, mowing, and weather conditions. Compacted soil acts as a barrier, restricting the flow of essential nutrients and preventing roots from accessing the water they need to thrive. Aeration creates pathways for these crucial components to penetrate the soil more effectively, ensuring that your grass receives the nourishment it requires to grow strong and vibrant.

A mechanical core aerator, is a machine that has tines that push down into the ground. When the tine pulls out of the ground, it brings the plug with it. Typically this creates a small hole about 2-3 inches deep. The act of aerating the soil is something that is done in agriculture practices as well. This is allowing the plant to grow healthier. A mechanic core aerator machine can be rented or purchased and can be handled by walking or riding. This Ryan Lawnaire machine is a very popular walk behind machine and something similar can be rented out at a shop near you. However, be ready for some manual labor. Walk behind aerators are no joke, which is why many people choose to hire this service out to a company that can use a ride on machine instead.

How Will Aeration Benefit My Lawn? 👍🏼

Strong roots are the foundation of a healthy lawn. Compacted soil limits root growth and can lead to shallow, weak root systems. However, fall lawn aeration stimulates root development by providing roots with increased access to oxygen, moisture, and nutrients.

As the holes created during aeration allow roots to spread and grow deeper, they become more resilient and capable of withstanding various environmental stressors, such as extreme temperatures and drought conditions. This results in a lush and vigorous lawn that can endure the challenges of the changing seasons.

What Grass Seed Should I Use for Overseeding? 🌾

The grass blends that work best in Central Iowa would be any type of Fescue, Ryegrass and Kentucky Bluegrass. While all of those grass varieties will grow in this area, there are specific types that work better than others, and are going to thrive much better. It’s important that when you overseed your lawn, you know what type of grass seed you are using, and that you make sure that it is a certified seed. If you want to overseed your own lawn try finding a grass seed blend that has some Kentucky Bluegrass and Turf Type Tall Fescue seed in it. When reading the label on the back, make sure it doesn’t say anything about having weed seed in it. A product like this one 👉🏼 GCI TURF COOL BLUE is a fantastic seed that has certified seed that will stand up strong in our climate.

At Warren Lawn, we understand that aeration is just one part of the equation for a lush and resilient lawn. That’s why we’ve taken lawn care to the next level by pairing our aeration services with the finest blend of grass seed. Our carefully curated mixture features grass varieties that are specially chosen for their ability to withstand heavy traffic, resist drought, and thrive under stress. This means that your lawn will not only benefit from improved nutrient intake and healthier root systems through aeration but will also enjoy a robust, beautiful appearance year-round.