The Root of the Lawn Care Issue

Hello and welcome back to the Seeds of Change Knoxville landscaping blog!

Guess what time of year it is?

Well, technically it is still summer but fall is just around the bend — and in the lawn world..

Fall means aeration and overseeding!

Everyone wants their lawn to be a lush and rich green carpet of happy and healthy grass. And maybe yours is.. But time tends to take a toll on lawns. Summer drought, diseases, insects and foot traffic can quickly harm a lawn. Regardless of what your lawn looks like, taking care of it is so important. Think about taking care of your body, and how important that is to being healthy. Eating healthy, drinking water, sleeping well…the list can go on in regards to maintaining great health for our bodies.

The same applies to our landscapes and lawns.

The reality is that lawn care involves more than a regular mowing schedule, no matter how healthy a lawn is. The key to long-term lawn health is to boost the “immune system” of the lawn and the soil microclimate underneath. Your lawn will only thrive to the degree of the overall health of the soil and the grass that is cared for. So how do we boost the “immune system” of our lawn? How do we maintain the health of our lawn?

One of the greatest ways to boost your lawn care and start achieving that lush, green, and healthy lawn is by aerating and overseeding your lawn! It’s a breath of fresh air and nutrition for the lawn, figuratively and literally.

What is Aeration and Overseeding?

Aeration: is the perforation of soil with small holes to allow air, water, and nutrients to penetrate the grass roots.

Overseeding: is the broadcasting of fresh grass seed to fill in thin spot and thicken existing areas.

Rain, foot traffic, and the nature of our South-Eastern heavy clay soil all contribute toward soil compaction. Soil compaction leads to the grass roots being restricted, water infiltration being reduced, and the overall health of the lawn to suffer. To combat soil compaction, we aerate. This loosens up the soil. It allows the lawn to breathe! This may sound like a small change but the benefits of it are enormous.

1. Water infiltration to the root zone is increased.

• Think of a feast instead of a simple dinner.

2. Soil compaction is alleviated.

• Instead of a cramped and congested breathing space, there is now more space for water to flow down, roots to grow, and air to enter in.

3. Root expansion is encouraged.

• Because there is more space and the soil is loose, roots are able to grow further and deeper leading to stronger and healthier grass.

4. Soil health is boosted due to microbial activity.

• The soil plugs resting on the soil surface break down and provide microclimates for microbes to infiltrate any thick layers of thatch (dead grass debris) and loosens that up.

In addition, when new seeds are broadcasted over the lawn they are much more likely to germinate if they fall into the damp holes created by aeration or underneath the plugs. This is why aeration and overseeding are paired together like peanut butter and jelly. A recipe for success!

The Aeration and Overseeding Process

First off, this is all done in the early fall because most lawns are cool-season grasses and they are starting to grow again after a long and hot summer. It is the perfect time for showing your lawn a little love.

Step one

Get an estimate (a free one)

Contact Seeds of Change for a FREE estimate on your lawn!

Once we see the square footage of your lawn, we will be able to give you a fair and proper price for showing your lawn some much needed love.

Step two

A mechanical aerator is used to pull thousands of plugs of soil out of the surface of the lawn. After your lawn has been fully aerated. That’s when we begin the overseeding process and spread all of the new grass seed throughout the freshly aerated lawn. This is also when we broadcast fertilizer and lime. The fertilizer feeds the existing lawn and gives the new seedling shoots a boost while the lime increases the pH levels in the soil (if your soil pH is below minimum) so that plants can absorb the nutrients.

All these factors add up to your grass getting a rejuvenating fresh start on a new year!

Whether your lawn is in need of more serious help or it is in optimal health, aeration and overseeding is a sure means of returning your lawn to its former glory or breaking into the next level of treating your lawn right.

Aeration and Overseeding Form

God bless,

Benj Meeks

Landscaping Division Manager

Seeds of Change