The best way to achieve a beautiful and well-maintained lawn is to keep your lawn aerated. Having your lawn aerated will keep your grass looking healthy and free from diseases. In order to do this, you need to know when the best time is to aerate your lawn.
The very best time to aerate your lawn is twice a year just before periods of high growth that is early spring or fall. This is when temperatures are the coolest and the grass can actively grow even after it has been cut. The type of grass you have is a key factor in deciding when to aerate.
There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when it comes to aerating your lawn. Keep reading to get all the details that you need to have a gorgeous expanse of green gracing your front yard.
What is Aeration?
This is perforating small holes in the ground, usually done by a spike aerator, to allow water, fertilizer and other materials to easily get to the roots of the grass. Roots need oxygen from air and water to grow and absorb nutrients.
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Benefits of Lawn Aeration
This allows the grass to have deeper roots and strong stems and also reduce the compactness of the soil and allow easy access to nutrients and water in the soil.
Aeration improves your lawn by:
- Creating a stronger root system.
- Increasing the movement of air, water, and nutrients in the soil.
- Preventing run-off of fertilizer and water
- Allowing better absorption of rainwater or irrigation.
One major advantage of aeration in the fall is that it will make your overseeding efforts more successful. Seeds planted in the spring face competition from aggressive weeds that require the same nutrients as your lawn, inhibiting the proper growth for your lawn.
Type of Grass
The type of grass that you have will be very important when deciding which time of the year to aerate your lawn, to allow the grass to heal and fill in the open areas pulled out.
- When you have cool-season grass like ryegrass and bluegrass, it is best to aerate during their growth periods during spring and fall.
- With warm-season grass like buffalo grass and Bermuda grass aeration is best employed during the warm season, which is early-autumn and late spring
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How Long After Aerating Should I Overseed?
Within 48 hours of aerating you can overseed your lawn. This is after you have properly fertilized your lawn and watered the soil leaving it soft and moist. This will allow the seeds to settle and easily germinate.
An important note to remember is that aeration followed by overseeding done in the fall greatly increases your chances of success leading to a full lawn when winter comes. This is because seeds planted in the spring have more competition from weeds that fight for the same water and nutrients to germinate and grow. In the fall they generally don’t grow much and the aeration can pull the weed seeds to the surface and remove them from the soil completely.
When Should I Aerate and Overseed my Lawn in the Fall?
Aeration should be done early enough in the fall to allow the grass to recover and grow fast enough to survive the cold winter that follows.
How Often Should I Aerate My Lawn?
The frequency that a lawn is aerated is determined by the amount of traffic it sees. Generally, a home lawn should be aerated every other year for the best effect.
Enjoy the Benefits of Aerating Your Lawn
Pay close attention to your lawn care with proper aeration, overseeding, fertilization, and regular watering to keep your lawn looking beautiful, green and thick.
Remember to be patient when you aerate, it takes time for the seeds to grow and germinate and for the lawn to grow. Keep looking after your lawn and you will have the best looking lawn in town!
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