Summer can take a toll on your lawn. Battling heat, pests, and weeds all summer can leave your lawn rather worn-out. The fall is a great time to take steps to rejuvenate your turf before it goes to sleep for the winter.
If you have areas that need reseeding, new grass seed will have less competition from weed seeds trying to grow. As the days shorten and temperatures cool down, there will be less heat stress on new turf.
For existing turf areas, aeration followed by overseeding can give your lawn a valuable boost that increases both the concentration and viability of turfgrass. Core aeration removes plugs (or “cores”) of soil and thatch from your lawn, making more room for air, water and fertilizer to reach the roots. This will encourage a stronger, deeper root system for healthier, greener growth next spring.
With your lawn ‘opened up’ thanks to aeration, the next step is overseeding. Fall is already the best time for seeding, and aeration makes the process even more effective. As grass seed is broadcast over your lawn, the holes left behind by aeration will “catch” some of the seed. This will provide better seed-to-soil contact for more successful germination rates. The growing season may be coming to a close, but this is the ideal time to give your lawn some TLC that will make it happy and healthy next spring.
