Aeration Preparation

If we are going to get your lawn off to a great start for next year, NOW is the time. This next lawn application can be the one that makes the most difference in the thickness and appearance of your lawn NEXT YEAR. So it's key that you do your part before I get there and after so that everything goes as planned. 

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that just because I'm servicing your lawn that it will automatically look as good as mine in one season. Let me remind you that what you see is a result of the last 3 years of hard work and consistency. A lot of trial and error until I got the process mastered. You won't have to know and do all that I do, but you will have some small tasks before I arrive and afterwards. 

#1. SOFTEN THE SOIL - (YOUR PART)  First perform the Screwdriver Test! If you have a hard time getting the screwdriver into the soil then 2-3 days before your scheduled aeration you should soften your soil by watering it for 45-60 minutes. DO NOT WATER HEAVY LIKE THIS THE DAY BEFORE OR THE DAY OF!!!! For those lawns that I will core aerate (this will not be everyone) this will enable me to get some really good cores or plugs as some call it. As well is will help the liquid aeration product better to be absorbed into the soil as well. The liquid aeration helps to relieve soil compaction much further down then the core aeration as well as open up the soil for more air and moisture to get deeper into the root zone. The liquid starter fertilizer will stimulate quick root growth which will thicken up that lawn for next year. 

#2. SPREAD THE WEALTH - (MY PART) I have purchased a new aerator with a drop seeder mounted on top that drops the seed right in to the holes left by the cores right as the cores are being removed. Most everyone else I know likes to broadcast seed, either by hand or a spreader, over the lawn after it's aerated, then it gets all over the place like your mulch beds and in the street. With my technique I'm literally planting the seed right into the ground like a farmer does his crops for a good harvest (thick lawn)! I do things a good bit differently and here's why. A couple of years ago I wanted to try a little something different. I knew from what I've seen in agriculture and farming that its rare that you ever see a farmer planting a seed on top of the surface. They ALWAYS make sure they have direct seed-to-soil contact by planting it into the ground. So I decided to broadcast 1/2 of my seed and fertilizer before I aerated and then did the other 1/2 afterwards. This way the tines on the aerator would drive (plant) the seeds into the cores (giving me direct seed to soil contact in a sense) Also I knew that by broadcasting it afterwards was allowing me to get a good portion of the fertilizer nutrients and seed down into the holes created by the aerator. So I had seed-to-soil contact in the holes and on the surface increasing my chances for high germination rates of the grass seed. 

#3. IRRIGATE UNTIL (AND AFTER) IT GERMINATES - (YOUR PART) After all of this now comes the MOST IMPORTANT PART OF IT ALL! You must keep the seed wet/moist for the next 2-3 weeks otherwise the seed will die. Once the seed gets wet initially it needs to stay moist daily until it germinates and grows up to about 2 inches. One of the reasons we wait until September is because the weather are favorable for planting grass and for the seeds to have a high probability of germinating. They days aren't as hot and the nights are much cooler, this is perfect for planting new grass. Now I recommend watering your lawn EVERY DAY after your lawn has been aerated for 2 WEEKS. Then every other day for the 3rd week. Is this a lot of watering? YES. Is it really that important? Oh HELL YES! If you fail to do this then you are risking failure at the most important time. Yes you will have and elevated water bill if you don't already have and use an irrigation system. That won't be for the rest of the year it's just once. Last year my water bill for the quarter went up to $287 from $209 as a result of watering. That is not a big deal, only a difference of $78 just so my lawn is looking great and healthy all of this year. It was for me and will be for you well worth it. After the seedlings get to about 2 inches tall you can cut back to once every 3 or 4 days for a week then resume on the normal schedule of at least 1" of water every 7-10 days.

4. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT mow or let your landscapers mow for the following 3 weeks after the application. It's too stressful on the seedlings. If you can't deal with a "shaggy" looking lawn for  a few weeks then you need to get your life right! It won't be like that forever. I guarantee you'll see a big difference with this method. Otherwise the you will kill the seedlings and your money be wasted. 

5. STAY OFF THE LAWN other than for purposes of moving around sprinklers for those who don't have in ground irrigation systems. Every time you trample on it or have heavy equipment moving over it then you are stunting the growth of the seeds. After 3 weeks you should be ok to mow it. 

YOU SHOULD KNOW!

Whenever the soil is agitated/tilled/aerated you can awaken dormant weed seeds and then see increased weed pressure in the coming weeks/months. To combat that I advise those who only use me to aerate and seed their lawns to make sure that they wait until the lawn has been mowed at least 3-4 times before they apply any herbicides or you risk damage to the grass. For those who are on my full season program I take care of this with the last application of the season when I apply a blanket application to treat the weeds and apply a fall pre-emergent to prevent any fall annual weeds that come up every year on their own irregardless of aeration or not.