Hi, I'm John Steiner
Director of Operations for NaturaLawn® of America the leader in organic-based lawn care
today we're going to talk about the benefits of aeration and seeding to homeowners lawn and
cover three main points
first, what exactly is aeration and seeding
second
what are the benefits to homeowners lawn and last when is the best time to do aeration and
seeding
What is aeration and seeding?
Aeration is the physical removal of soil cores from the lawn
these cores can be removed manually or by machine which is what is being done today
as you can see the core about one to two inches is removed thousands of times
in the average home owners lawn
When seeding to ensure the highest level of success when sowing new seed
the lawn is double aerated in a crisscrossed pattern
by doing this there will be twice as many holes for the seeds to fall into
it's quite simple the more holes the thicker the lawn will be in the end
Core aeration and seeding is the best mechanical and cultural practice the homeowner can do
to improve the overall quality and health of their lawn
many of the benefits of aeration and seeding include
reduction in soil compaction
increased oxygen uptake by plant roots
increased root development
improves nutrient uptake
improves the plants ability to use water more effectively
and allows for the lawn to stand up to environmental and natural stresses is such as heat
insects and disease problems
in addition when the cores are removed
they're deposited on to the surface
within each soil core millions of microbes
these microbes are hungry and begin to feed on the thatch the surface debris
thereby breaking them down
this plentiful
food source is needed for these microbes to multiply
this increase in microbial activity helps to sustain a healthier lawn
when seeding the lawn it is important to apply the right amount of seeds based on the
variety or blend being used
this information can be found on the seed label
for example tall fescue is seeded at a rate of five pounds per thousand feet
much like core aeration it is best to apply the seed in a checkerboard or crisscrossed pattern
this will insure enough seed will fall down into the holes
grass seed will not grow unless there is good contact with the soil
to do this
the final step in seeding the lawn is to back drag with a metal mat
this mat is similar to what is used on a ball field
this knocks the seed off the surface and into the holes
this provides good seed to soil contact
the best time of year to aerate depends on what type of lawn grasses are growing
cool season grasses
such as Kentucky Bluegrass or tall fescue
should be aerated and seeded in late summer
through fall
generally speaking this will be from mid-august to mid-october
warm season grasses
such as Zoysia and Bermuda's
should be aerated when they're most actively growing
usually early summer
so by following these processes for aeration and overseeding
you too can have a healthy lawn that's environmentally friendly and uses less pesticides
thank you for watching today and for more information please contact us on our web site
