After the heat and dryness of the summer, your lawn might be looking a bit lackluster. You might think it’s too late to enjoy the lush green lawn you once had, and you’ll just have to wait until spring. Actually, that’s not the case. Aerating your lawn and coupling it with overseeding can give you the green you’ve been missing! Keep reading to discover how.
How Lawn Aeration And Overseeding In Fall Restores The Greenery
With the leaves dying and falling from the trees, you might think it’s counterproductive to try and green up your lawn during autumn. However, cool-season grasses, which we use here in Michigan, actually do best when temperatures are in the fall range. Here’s why.
Benefits Of Fall Aeration
Lawn Aeration Reduces Soil Compaction
Soil is most likely to be compacted in fall. All the thatch build-up and foot traffic over summer compress the soil, making it hard like concrete and less hospitable to turfgrass. When soil is hard instead of loose and airy, the roots don’t have room to expand and grow. This is a big problem to have in the fall. When summer ends, grass focuses more energy on expanding its root system rather than growing tall above the soil. When soil is loose enough, this isn’t a problem. But if it’s too hard, it won’t be able to do this. Not to mention, it won’t be able to absorb oxygen, water, nutrients, and sunlight properly.
To make matters worse, if your soil is already compacted going into winter, all that snow piled on top will only compound the problem. Come next spring, your lawn will be at a great disadvantage. You can avoid this problem, however, by having core aeration performed. If you’re not familiar, core aeration is the process of drilling thousands of tiny holes in your lawn using a specialized tool called an aerator. By injecting these small holes, the soil will be relieved of both compaction and thatch build-up.
Like compaction, thatch build-up is another problem that is at its worst in the fall. “Thatch” is the term that describes all dead organic material in your lawn. Typically, it’s dead grass clippings, but it could also be things like small bits of twigs, dead flower petals, or fall leaves that have started to decay. Having some thatch in your lawn is beneficial – it helps trap moisture. But when it becomes too thick, it can smother your lawn, like compacted soil.
Fall Aeration Won’t Kick Up Dormant Weeds
Broadleaf weeds go dormant in the fall, which means by aerating now, you won’t have to worry about inadvertently bringing them to the surface during core aeration. (This is something that can happen with spring aeration, which is why it should be paired with weed control.) And as an extra precaution, you can ask your lawn care service technician about applying pre-emergent weed control after core aeration. With the soil already opened by, it’s the perfect time to apply it! The granules will establish in the soil more readily and will be able to target any lingering weeds before they have a chance to sprout.
Benefits Of Overseeding In The Fall
The second secret to a green lawn in the fall is overseeding. It goes hand in hand with lawn aeration service. As we mentioned above, the lawn is already opened, which makes it the ideal environment to deposit grass seed into. And it just so happens that the grass varietals we use here in Michigan like autumn best.
Cool-Season Grass Is Primed And Ready
If you didn’t know, turfgrass comes in two varieties: cool-season and warm-season. The names refer to the time when the grass seed is best able to grow and thrive. Michigan’s climate is best for cool-season grass. So even though it might seem strange to apply grass seed when every other plant is winding down, if you overseed now, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy a lush green lawn this fall. There’s plenty of sunny days that aren’t excruciatingly hot, and the nights are cool but not freezing. Together, your new grass will have ample light and moisture. Remember when we said grass focuses on root growth in fall? By seeding your lawn now, you’ll not only enjoy one last burst of green, but you’ll also get to enjoy a lush green carpet before the neighbors next spring!
Get Professional Lawn Service Near Walled Lake
It’s not too late to enjoy a green lawn this year! Get professional lawn aeration from Top Lawn! We’ll break up that troublesome thatch layer, so your turfgrass has room to breathe again. Plus, our fall fertilization services will give your grass the nutrients it needs to make it through winter – and it’ll green it up too! Don’t wait until next spring to see the green – call (248) 956-6022 or leave us a message online. Don’t forget to recheck our blog page next month for more info on caring for your lawn and garden! In the meantime, you can connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!
