With plenty of rain this summer, most of us are still in full-on mowing mode in July. But Dryer late-summer weather will be here before we know it. Hotter temps can lead to end-of-summer brown spots and bare patches in our lawns. After the booming growth period of midsummer, late summer/early fall is a perfect time to focus on enriching our properties through aeration and overseeding. These tried-and-true techniques help us keep our lawns healthy and beautiful and lay the groundwork for a robust spring lawn.
How Do Aeration and Overseeding Work Together?
Aeration and overseeding are two processes your landscaper uses together for a healthier lawn.
- Aeration involves making small holes in your lawn to allow air, water, and nutrients to reach your lawn’s roots. Your landscaping team uses a core aerator machine to remove small soil plugs from the yard and create new holes. This process:
- Loosens compacted soil.
- Helps water and fertilizer reach plant roots.
- Provides room for new grass seed to grow.
- Aeration also breaks down thatch, the layer of dead grass that can build up between the soil and your lawn.
- Overseeding involves putting down new grass seed to re-energize our lawns after the peak growing season is over. When we overseed shortly after aeration, the fresh holes provide an ideal place for the new seeds to land and germinate. Overseeding allows us to restore worn areas in our lawn with beautiful cool-season grasses. It also helps us start the growing season next spring with a thick, healthy lawn that’s more resistant to weeds.
When Is The Best Time For Aeration and Overseeding?
Late summer or early fall is a perfect time to take care of aeration and overseeding. The warm days and cool nights provide ideal conditions for seed germination. Weeds like crabgrass have died off and won’t compete with your new grass for nutrients. But the soil is still warm enough for new seeds to germinate. You want to skip a few weeks of mowing after you overseed, so waiting until lawn growth slows makes sense. Epling Landscaping and Lawn Services offers aeration and overseeding services from late August to early September through October 15 22. After that, nighttime temperatures are too cold for seeds to germinate. We also provide fall fertilization between aeration and overseeding.
Do Aeration and Overseeding Really Help?
If you have a thinning lawn or bare spots, the difference after early fall aeration and overseeding can be dramatic. If you’ve done lots of entertaining this summer or have pets that favor a certain route in your lawn, you probably have worn areas. The process can completely revive your lawn. Overseeding also brings new varieties of grass that can boost drought and pest resistance and promote overall health moving forward.
Choosing The Right Team for Aeration and Overseeding
When you’re investing in the future health of your lawn, it makes sense to hire an experienced team. This is not something that tends to go very well if you DIY. The lawn care professionals at Epling Landscaping and Lawn Services have the expertise and equipment to get the most out of aeration and overseeding. Our team selects top-quality grass seed for your lawn and our regional climate. With decades of experience in Northern Virginia, we know which cool-season grasses work best in every environment. Fall seems far away, and most of us are still focused on weeding and mowing. But now is the perfect time to start thinking about enriching your lawn in the cooler months to come. Planning aeration and overseeding with Epling Landscaping and Lawn Services is an excellent strategy for bringing tired lawns back to life and making healthy lawns even healthier.
