What Are the Benefits of Aeration and Overseeding?

Resource Landscaping is ready to share the best aeration and overseeding tips with the communities of Ontario, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, Corona, and Chino Hills.

No matter what part of California you travel to, there always is one house that just stands out above the rest. It makes you take a double-take and ask yourself, why doesn’t my house look like that? We all know which one we are talking about; it has that lush green lawn, spectacular trees, and flowerbeds filled with vibrant colors. 

Lawn care isn’t an easy task. There are specific steps you must follow throughout every season to maintain a healthy yard. Our experienced team knows what will give you the best results, and that’s why we want to share the top 10 tips for overseeding and aeration with you. 

Top 10 tips for Overseeding and Aeration

1. Your grass will give you different signs to tell you that it’s time to aerate. The grass may have stopped growing, or it’s thinning out in other areas. You may see puddles forming, which indicates that you have soil compaction. Even if you don’t see any of these signs, it will still benefit your lawn to aerate it in the fall.  
2. An essential part of aeration is that it adds oxygen and nutrients to the soil. It breathes new life into your lawn and opens it up to create a healthy atmosphere for your lawn to flourish. It helps to reduce soil compaction, which will block out any nutrients from getting into the soil. It removes layers of thatch that can promote diseases and make the lawn susceptible to insects. 
3. Before you aerate your lawn, you will need to water it thoroughly two days before. You should make sure that at least 1” of water goes into the area you will be aerating. You don’t want the soil dry, especially when dealing with clay soil, as it will make it difficult to remove the core plugs. 
4. Make sure you mow the lawn before you do any aerating as you want to give the core aerator easier access to remove deeper plugs of soil. You should preferably use a low setting of 1.5-2 inches to get the best results. 
5. Over and over, we hear people say should I pick up the soil plugs, and the answer is NO. By leaving the soil plugs on your lawn, you add microorganisms and nutrients back into the soil. They usually decompose within 2-3 weeks or sooner, depending on if you get any rain. (Unless your lawn is overrun with weeds or disease, in which case the plugs will only worsen this condition!)
6. The best time to do overseeding on your lawn is after aeration. During aeration, you remove nickel size plugs, giving seeds quicker access to the soil while the oxygen and nutrients help form a stronger root system. Of course, watering is a must to provide seeds the nutrients they need to grow. Be sure to add a  ¼ inch of water daily for three weeks. This will allow the seeds to take root and give you that lush green lawn. Make sure you don’t mow the grass for two weeks, as it will stop the seeds from taking root.
7. If you are considering doing aeration and overseeding, you need to do a double pass core aeration. This process helps to remove thatch, a buildup of dead stems and debris that adds to an unhealthy environment which can damage your grass. When you do the double-pass aeration, you need to start by mowing in the same direction you usually cut your grass and then do a second pass on an angle. 
8. Once you have finished aerating your lawn, it’s a perfect time to do a fertilization treatment. The soil is softer, so it allows the fertilization to get deep into the root system and add the nutrients needed for a healthy growing season. Try to complete this process within 48 hours after aeration, as that is when you will see the best results. If you did some overseeding to the lawn, don’t use a fertilizer with weed control because it will stop the seeds from germinating. 
9. Once the aeration and the overseeding processes are finished, you need to add one more component to make the perfect blend for a healthy lawn, and that’s top dressing. This process requires a thin layer of compost over the lawn. It should be approximately a ¼ inch as you don’t want to suffocate your lawn. What this is doing is giving the seeds a healthy environment to germinate. It also breaks down any layers of thatch while it evens out parts of your lawn that may have worn down due to heavy traffic. 
10. Now we know what you must be thinking just about now; Should I hire a professional to do the aeration and overseeding? So get ready for the best tip of the day!

If you are a homeowner who enjoys working around your yard, planting beautiful flowerbeds, and mowing the grass on a sunny Saturday morning, then let us give you some food for thought. 

Aeration is no easy task. It can be very time-consuming, and trying to maneuver a heavy piece of equipment around your yard can be challenging. If you don’t operate the core aerator properly, it can cause inconsistent growth, which will damage your lawn. You also have to rent the equipment, which takes away from your valuable time and can be costly, especially if you don’t have a vehicle to transport the equipment back to your home. 

Our recommendation is you sit back and let our reliable team do the job! Our years of experience know what it takes to get you a healthy green lawn. We know what time of year will give you the best results for aeration, overseeding, weed control, and fertilizer treatments. We are committed to enhancing your home and giving it that perfect curb appeal. No job is too big or small for our reliable team.  We offer premium lawn maintenance services and many more solutions for landscaping or resource management! 

We proudly provide smarter outdoor solutions to the residents of Ontario, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga, and their surrounding areas.  Call us today to get a free estimate!