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Prior to aeration and seeding, a lawn should be mowed at a height of 1.5 to 2 inches. Any clippings left on the lawn after this close cut, should be bagged, blown or raked off the lawn. This is necessary to maximize seed to soil contact as the seed is spread. This is a key factor in successful germination.
Should you aerate your lawn before or after overseeding?
Aeration and overseeding are often spoken about hand-in-hand — so much so that there tends to be a question of whether you can have one without the other. The verdict is that the two lawn care tasks should be paired together, as aeration innately complements overseeding efforts.
How do I prepare my yard for aeration?
Preparing for Aeration Aerating your lawn begins by preparing the area. Ideally, you should water the lawn at least a day or two before aeration; you should add at least one inch of water to the soil to make it easier for the aerator to penetrate the soil and pull out the cores.
Can you aerate and overseed at the same time?
Our Solution: Perform Them at The Same Time That’s why we recommend overseeding directly after aerating, and it’s also why our lawn care professionals perform these tasks for customers on the same day. Aeration provides the perfect area for seeds to fall into and grow.
What should I do before and after lawn aeration?
What to Do After Aerating Your Lawn [5 Essential Tips] Allow any soil plugs to break down naturally. Overseed your lawn. Water to feed grass roots. Apply fertilizer. Apply pre-emergent weed killer IF you are not overseeding.
Do I need to mow before aerating?
Before you aerate, mow your lawn low (Timberline lawn experts recommend setting your mower to about 1.5-2 inches above the ground to maximize the effectiveness of aerating, being sure to not scalp the crown of the grass.) You will want to water one to three days before aerating.
How soon can you mow after aerating and overseeding?
After you lay down your seedlings, they’ll need time and the right environmental protection to grow. They’ll need to acclimate and set roots before the first mow, so during the first two to four weeks post aerating and overseeding, don’t mow.
Can you walk on lawn after aeration?
You can’t walk on the lawn after aeration because the seeds and fertilizer need time to settle, and the soil could get too compact. Walking or mowing on a freshly-aerated lawn can prevent the seeds from sprouting and the soil from getting enough oxygen and nutrients.
Do I have to seed after aerating?
Within 48 hours after you aerate you should over seed, fertilize, and water your lawn. The seed, fertilizer, and water will have the best chance to get down into the holes made by the aerator if applied soon after aeration. If the fertilizer contains weed control, your grass seed won’t germinate properly.
Should I water after aeration and overseeding?
Once your lawn care professional is done aerating and overseeding, you want to saturate your lawn as soon as possible. You want to keep it evenly moist. Once the seed germinates, you can reduce watering to once a day for 30 minutes each section until that lawn is established in those bare spots.
Should I water lawn after aeration?
During the first two weeks following your aeration and seeding service, the main goal is to keep the ground/seed moist while the seed begins to germinate. We recommend that you water each day for at least 20 minutes in all areas of the lawn (water the soil to a depth of about 1/4”).
What should I put on my lawn after aerating?
Apply fertilizer immediately after aerating your lawn to put nutrients into your grass roots. This allows the grass to better prepare for summer heat. Growing a thick, healthy lawn is useful in preventing weeds as well. Reseed your lawn, especially in areas of the lawn where the grass is thin.
What is the best month to aerate my lawn?
When to Aerate Your Lawn You want to aerate the lawn when your grass is in its peak growing period so it can recover quickly—think early spring or fall for cool-season grasses, and late spring through early summer for warm-season grasses.
Do you rake up plugs after aeration?
The holes left in the ground reduce compaction in soil, which keeps water and nutrients from getting to grass roots and allows the roots to spread freely. Aerating also helps breaks up the thatch layer. You don’t have to rake the plugs left by aerating, but doing so gets nutrients back into the soil faster.
How soon can I mow after overseeding?
Ideally, you should hold off on mowing your lawn until at least 2 to 3 weeks after overseeding. This will give your new, fragile grass roots a chance to settle. Mowing before your roots settle may exert pressure on your new roots. Timing is crucial during this process and patience is key.
How far apart should holes be when aerating lawn?
Aerating Guidelines Aerator holes should be 3 inches deep, 3 inches or less apart, and about 3/4 inch in diameter. Several passes may be required for correct spacing. Aeration frequency depends on soil type, thatch, and traffic, among other factors.
Can you aerate too much?
Loose soil doesn’t need to be aerated very often. Especially thick types of grass may also call for aerating more frequently. As a general rule, you shouldn’t need to aerate more than once a year at any time (“too much of a good thing” applies here, since you don’t want to damage your soil).
Do I fertilize before overseeding?
Stop fertilizing for at least a month before overseeding. The fertilizer makes your grass grow faster, which makes it harder for the new seeds to take hold. Identify your grass type or the type of grass you want to grow, so you can manage it appropriately.
What comes first fertilizer or grass seed?
You can plant grass seed immediately after applying fertilizer. Please make sure there is no weed preventer in the fertilizer, as this will also prevent the grass seed from germinating.
