If you are new to lawn care you may be wondering what you can do to make your yard healthier and greener. If you have gone on walks around the neighborhood you may have noticed chunks of yard in perfectly round pieces resting on top of the grass. A quick glance may have you wondering if the owner is in some serious need of yard waste pick up. This process is aeration. A lawn aerator is used to remove small divots of grass and root out of the lawn. The round two-inch pieces will then slowly decay on top of the grass and feed the new grass. This process is very helpful in decreasing soil compaction.
“What is lawn aeration and overseeding?,” you may wonder. This is a two-step process. As explained, the aeration will help bring new life to your lawn. When you over seed your lawn, you are thickening the lawn. If the lawn is thickened with new growth it pushes out the possibility of weeds and crab grass taking over. It is best to aerate and over seed in the spring and the fall. If you have Bermuda grass and zoysia grass you will want to over seed in the spring months. These grasses are warm weather grasses and do best growing in the spring and summer months. You can over seed in the fall for tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass. These grasses are examples of cool weather grasses that thrive in the fall season.
Over seeding will also help new varieties of grass to become more resistant to insect attacks and lawn diseases. You should aerate your lawn and over seed it at least once a year. Depending upon the climate you live in, you may be able to do this twice a year in both the spring and the fall months. You can also treat your lawn with weed repellent and turf builder. These will also help maintain a healthy look to your lawn. When you are treating your lawn or having it treated by a professional lawn care company there are a few things you should research prior to lawn application. Always inquire about the products safety around pets and children. Some products are safe immediately while others are not safe to walk in for hours.
You can find a local lawn care company that will provide aeration and over seeding into your lawn care arrangement. Typically, these arrangements include treating the yard for weeds, a yard clean up, grass cutting services, aeration, over seeding and hedge work when needed. Many lawn care companies will offer various packages. Some packages offer weekly upkeep, and some offer seasonal upkeep. The type of lawn care package that you decide on is strictly decided upon the amount of DIY (do it yourself) work that you want to do around your own lawn. If you enjoy gardening and lawn work you may want to purchase your own aerator and lawn care supplies. This will allow you to do all the maintenance yourself. If you do not have storage available for lawn equipment or enough time to dedicate to your lawn; you may want to consider hiring a lawn care company.