The Benefits Of Aerating and Overseeding Your Lawn

Spending quality time outdoors in our backyards with friends and family is part of what makes Ohio summers so special. If you are spending a lot of time walking and playing on your grass it could take its toll. Soil compaction is a real issue here in the Buckeye State and can cost homeowners a lot on yard maintenance if they don’t know the signs and symptoms.

Soil compaction happens when too much traffic packs the soil down or when excessive thatch buildup prevents water, air, and nutrients from getting down into the roots of your turf. This will cause your grass to appear weak and dehydrated. But traditional lawn care methods will not help it in this situation since the compacted soil is preventing them from reaching the roots.

Core Aeration

The answer to eliminating thatch and loosening up the soil is to core aerate your lawn. Core aeration is the process of using a specialized machine to extract hundreds of tiny plugs from your turf. This allows for lawn fertilizer, water, and air to flow back into the soil, loosening it up and breaking up thatch at the same time.

How To Know If Your Lawn Needs To Be Aerated

To figure out if your yard is a good candidate for core aeration look for these signs:

Pooling Water

Water pooling in areas of your yard and staying for long periods of time is not good. It’s unsightly and will be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. This is happening because the soil under the pool is too compact to absorb the water.

Spongy Grass

If your grass feels spongy or squishy underfoot it’s a sign you have excessive thatch buildup.

Hard Soil

Test your soil by sticking a screwdriver into the ground. If it’s dry and does not easily penetrate to the hilt then your soil is compacted.

Overseeding

Core aeration is just one step in creating a beautiful and healthy lawn. Overseeding is the next step and is the process of reseeding your lawn with other types of grasses over your existing lawn to improve its appearance and resistance to pests and disease. Overseeding, when combined with lawn aeration, will significantly improve the health and thickness of your lawn. A thick lawn can also block sunlight from reaching dormant weed seeds and prevent them from germinating. Other benefits of aeration include:

Reduced Erosion

A healthy and thick root system holds soil in place and reduces soil runoff.

Enhanced Appearance

Aeration and overseeding can give your grass a more uniform appearance and stay green longer into the fall.

More Tolerant To Disease And Pests

Reseeding lawns with more tolerant varieties of grasses will reduce the chances of lawn decline due to insects and diseases.

Cleveland’s Aeration Experts

Is your grass looking weak and emaciated? It could probably stand to be aerated. Core aeration and overseeding are part of a proper lawn maintenance routine. Call Rankin Lawn Care today and set up an appointment for core aeration. We will send out one of our lawn technicians who can easily walk you through the entire process with you.

Call (330) 935-2900 or request more info on our website.