Our lawns get a lot of use over time. We work on them, play on them, enjoy friends and family on them, and relax on them. With all that use, it’s important to make sure that the soil in your New York lawn doesn’t become compacted and dried out. Does your yard have large thin or bare patches? Have you noticed that the soil on your lawn is dry and spongy?
It might be time to think about core aeration and overseeding for your lawn, and the professionals at Griffin Organics have all the tools and experience to help keep your lawn healthy and looking its best.
Causes of Thatch Or Compacted Soil
Several factors can cause the soil in your yard to become compacted. One common factor is heavy foot traffic from kids and pets. Another potential cause is how or when the grass in your lawn was initially laid down. If your house is under new construction, the topsoil in your lawn could have been severely impacted by traffic from construction vehicles. Additionally, if your lawn was created with strips of sod, soil layering caused by a mix of soils of different quality and texture may be disrupting your lawn’s ability to drain water and keeping grassroots from developing properly.
All of these factors and many others can contribute to the creation of thatch, a layer of mostly dead, and some live grassroots that sit between the leaves of grass above the soil level and the grass plant’s root systems. A small layer of thatch, usually less than a quarter of an inch, is good for your lawn. However, too much thatch can be harmful. Thick layers of thatch can prevent adequate air, water, and nutrients from getting to the roots of the grass in your lawn. Over time, this problem can cause the grass to grow thinner, and eventually, grass plants will die.
Benefits of Aerating And Overseeding Your Lawn:
- Helps to separate compacted layers of soil and thatch in your lawn
- Creates space in the soil structure for new root growth
- Allows air, water, and nutrients to better access the roots of your lawn’s grass
- Improves the long-term health of your lawn, encouraging better growth and a healthier, fuller appearance in conjunction with overseeding
How Core Aeration and Overseeding Works
Although there are several ways of aerating a lawn, core aeration is the most effective method of breaking up dense layers of compacted soil and thatch. This method works by a machine that mechanically punches small holes in the soil, about one-half-inch to three-quarter inches in diameter and one to three inches long, and pulls up plugs or cores of compounded soil and thatch. These cores lay on the surface of the soil, and are naturally broken down over time or can be broken up with a lawnmower or rake after they have completely dried out.
After aerating your lawn, the next step is overseeding with grass seed. Overseeding is planting new grass seed over the existing grass in your yard. This helps to fill in any patchy spots of grass and to make sure that your lawn stays full and lush. It is best to overseed after core aeration, as a newly aerated lawn has the best conditions for new grass growth. Without aeration, many grass seeds wouldn’t make it past the thatch layer and would quickly dry out and be wasted. With aeration, the grass seeds will easily get into all the aeration holes and germinate in the newly rejuvenated soil.
Early fall is the best time to overseed your lawn in New York. The cooler weather conditions at this time are perfect for grass seed germination, and most weeds that might compete with young grass seedlings for nutrients and water have started to die off. Don’t wait until mid-fall to overseed, however, as temperatures might be too cold for the seeds to germinate.
Preparing Your Lawn for Aeration
Before core aeration, you should make sure your lawn is fairly short and well-watered. Cutting the grass short makes it easier for the aeration machine to get cores out of the soil and allows the machine to pull deeper cores. Watering your lawn about a day before aeration helps to break up the soil slightly, making the soil easier to aerate. Another important step before having your lawn aerated is to make note or mark anything that lies under the surface of your lawn, such as sprinkler heads or tree stumps. This will help the core aerator avoid these areas and prevent potential damage to your irrigation system or the aeration machine.
Contact Griffin Organics About Your Lawn Aeration and Overseeding
If you want to make sure your lawn’s grass is as healthy and as it can be, contact Griffin Organics about core aeration and overseeding for your yard. Core aeration and overseeding is just one of the many turf enhancement and other lawn care services that we offer to southeast New York residents.
We Offer Lawn Care Services in Southeast New York
Whether your lawn needs patching up or a complete redo, the experts at Griffin Organics are here to help. We service these cities and more!
You can call 914-788-9622 to schedule a consultation or reach out to us on our contact page for more information. Visit our website to view all of our lawn, tree, and shrub care services, keep up with us on our Facebook page, and check out our monthly blog for more informative articles on taking care of your yard!