Why You Should Aerate and Overseed Your Lawn This Fall

close up of grass

Aerating and Overseeding Is One Of The Best Things You Can Do For Your Lawn

A thick, green, lush lawn is part of the American dream. Aerating and overseeding your lawn in the fall is one of the most beneficial things that can be done to get those results.

Aerating Your Lawn Solves Two Problems

Aeration solves two problems that afflict lawns in our area; compact soil and thatch.  Our soils are clay based and are naturally compacted. Try pushing your finger through a concrete block. That is what it feels like for a tender root trying to grow through our soils. Aeration breaks up the soil structure and creates spaces for the roots to grow faster, deeper and stronger.

Thatch is a build-up of dead grass materials that lies below the living lawn. If left unchecked, thatch becomes a breeding ground for harmful diseases and insects. Aerating punches holes through the thatch and allows air to circulate. The more air that circulates, the faster the dead grass build-up breaks down.

Overseeding Thickens Your Lawn

Your lawn goes through a lot of stress; pet waste, excessive foot traffic, environmental factors, heat, shade and a lack of water. All of these things make it break down and can result in thinning and bare areas. Overseeding fills the bare areas of your lawn and thickens the existing turf. The process of overseeding basically introduces new plants to the lawn so that it can be thicker and hardier.

Overseeding Helps Prevent Weeds

Overseeding thickens up one’s lawn. A thicker lawn means there is less room for weeds to grow. Overseeding essential squeezes weeds out of the picture!

Long Term Benefits

The stronger and healthier a lawn is, the better it can out-compete weeds such us crabgrass, nutsedge, dandelions and others. By creating a healthy and lush lawn, the weeds have less space to grow and cannot readily get needed resources such as water and nutrients. Through aerating and overseeding, you are giving your lawn its best chance to thrive and be healthy.

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