Tips for a Greener Lawn…aeration!

I’m sure you have come home from work and wondered what’s the secret to a perfect lawn.  Your neighbors have a great looking lawn, but your property is struggling a little bit.  Once you make it through this article, you will know why aeration is the secret sauce and how to do it on your own.  Here at Green’s Lawncare, we want to empower you to be able to do the work yourself and then if you feel a bit overwhelmed you can call in the reinforcements.  Aeration and Over-seeding is something many homeowners pass on as it is a specialty service that does cost a bit more money.  If you are looking to do it yourself, you can save a few bucks along the way and get a great workout in!  So lets dive right into it.

Why do we Aerate and Over-Seed?

Below you will see a short interview I participated in with IndyStyle, a WishTV show.  We discuss the importance of aerating and overseeding.  In our main service area’s (Broad Ripple, Meridian Hills, Meridian-Kessler, Nora) we are seeing a lot of compaction, thin/bare area’s in the lawn, and these are all items that can be helped by aerating the lawn. 

Here, give this video a watch…

So what are the benefits of aeration?

• Aeration alleviates compaction (just like a farmer has to til his land, we need to do something similar to our lawns to grow strong roots)
• Aeration allows Oxygen to enter the root structure
• Aeration allows Nutrients to enter the root structure
• Aeration allows Water to enter the root structure
• Aeration builds deeper, more complex root systems
• Aeration/overseeding grows a thicker lawn
• Aeration helps PREVENT weed growth (by growing a thicker lawn)

For the DIY’ers out there…How to do an aeration and over-seeding like a PRO!

Aerating and Over-seeding your property is not as difficult as it may seem.  It is a specialty service, but it is fairly straight forward.  You will more than likely need to rent a core aerator from the local rental shop and you will also need to pick up some high quality grass seed and a seed spreader.  That’s it!  If you can obtain these items, you are golden.  It is a bit labor intensive, but a little sunshine and sweat never hurt anyone.

Steps for Success:

1. Obtain a core aerator (if you have a fence make sure it can fit through the gate).
2. Buy grass seed.  I recommend going to a specialty seed supplier and ask them what is best for your area.  Here in Central Indiana, Turf Type Tall Fescue is the best you can get your hands on.  It grows great, holds its color, grows deep root systems, and spreads to fill in bare areas.  Read the bag, instructions will tell you the rate to apply the seed for over-seeding.  Remember, TOO MUCH SEED IS NOT BETTER!
3. Don’t forget a spreader!
4. Mow the lawn first!
5. Next, start off by aerating the perimeter of your lawn, just like mowing.
6. Then you are going to make vertical passes until you have completed the entire lawn.
7. Don’t rake up the plugs! (see image below)
8. If you really want to do a through job, we HIGHLY recommend a second pass going the opposite direction.
9. Don’t worry, you are not destroying the lawn.  You are helping it breathe!
10. Once the lawn is aerated, you will need to follow the seed instructions and apply grass seed at the proper rate for overseeding.
11. Make sure not to get seed in the mulch beds or you will be picking grass out next spring!

Watering Schedule:

The aeration and over-seeding process is now complete.  Stay off the lawn as much as possible and mow when the grass every couple weeks if possible.  You will need to keep the new seed moist in order to protect your investment.  If you are interested in proper watering guidelines, check out a YouTube video we made here. With new seed you will want to water a little more often than normal until it establishes itself.  We recommend 2-3 times per week for the first month after the aeration is complete.

We can help!

If this seems a bit overwhelming, Green’s Lawncare & Property Services can certainly help!  We have years of experience and the right tools to get the job done efficiently.  We buy only the be seed so that you will be thrilled with the results.  If you happen to live in our service area (Broad Ripple, Meridian Kessler, Meridian Hills, Williams Creek, Nora) we can certainly help you.  With a specialty service, we do expand our radius a bit to service more homes.  Please feel free to fill out a Request Estimate form online or give us a call to get a FREE estimate today.  You can reach us by calling 317-748-3153.