How Aeration and Overseeding will take your Lawn from Ordinary to Extraordinary

Take a look at the lawn on your commercial property.  What’s the one word you would use to describe it?

Lush?  No?  Vibrant?  Not really?  What’s that you say?  It’s “just” a lawn?  Oh, no!

The lawn on your commercial property should never be “just” a lawn!  It should be thick and strong. Your clients and customers should say, “Wow!” when they see that vibrant green.

How do you make your lawn go from “meh” to magnificent?  From lackluster to blockbuster? From ordinary to extraordinary?  With aeration and overseeding in the fall!

Aeration

Aeration is the solution to the problem of compacted soil.  Over time, soil can become tight and compacted. This doesn’t just occur in heavy foot traffic areas, it also happens due to weather.  Compacted soil actually works as a barrier, keeping water and other vital nutrients from reaching the roots of your grass. It also stifles your turf’s roots, leaving them with no room to stretch.  This barrier of compacted soil may cause water to puddle, and you may see dead patches where your grass is unable to grow.

An aeration machine is used to pull dirt “plugs” out of your lawn, making holes in the soil that will allow the rest of the dirt around it to loosen and let in food, water, and air.  The plugs are not taken away; instead they are left to decompose and give nutrients back to the soil. Soil that has enough nutrients will be ready to grow anything!

When the soil has been loosened, seeds will germinate better because there’s greater soil-to-seed contact.  It also allows fertilizers to reach further into the ground, making them much more effective. Ditto for weed control.  You’ll experience less puddling and water runoff as well.

Overseeding

If you want a lush, thick lawn, seeding doesn’t stop after its original planting.  If you plant more seed every fall, your lawn can grow in thick and healthy. New grass gives your turf a kick.  Blades of grass only live so long, and because you keep your commercial property trimmed and neat, the grass doesn’t grow tall enough to produce its own seeds.  Your professionalism interrupts the grass’ natural growth cycle. But that’s okay!  It just needs a little help. Overseeding every fall gives your turf the help it needs to grow nice and thick.  The thicker the lawn, the better it is at keeping out insects, weeds, and fighting disease.  A thicker lawn not only feels better on bare feet, but it can also withstand lots of feet walking on it.  Thick lawns experience less water evaporation and because they can hold water longer and withstand drought conditions better.  Less water needs to be used and the same goes for fertilizer and weed and pest control too. Fall is one of the best times to grow grass because the temperatures aren’t too hot and there’s less water evaporation.  There’s just enough time for the new grass to establish their roots before the plants become dormant to survive the winter months.

Working Together

It’s really no wonder why aeration and overseeding are typically done at the same time.  Aeration loosens the soil so the grass seeds make it in and also lets more water in which is crucial to seed germination.  Even so, we recommend you water your newly overseeded lawn 3 times a day for 10 minutes each for the first 10 days.

Taking these two simple steps in the fall will pay off big when spring comes around.  You’ll have a lush and beautiful lawn that will make everyone say, “Wow!”

Bluegrass Landscape and Snow Management is a full-service commercial landscaping company serving the St. Louis area for more than 35 years.  We service all kinds of commercial properties from medical to industrial to office, providing landscape design, property maintenance, as well as snow and ice maintenance.   Call Bluegrass today at (314)770-2828 and let us show you how beautiful your commercial property can be!