Shhh! Listen...
Can you hear your lawn’s roots gasping for air?

Aeration and Overseeding

A little dramatic but there is a good chance your lawn is struggling to get the air and water it needs to thrive. It may be time to aerate.

We sense a few questions. Here are some answers;

1. What is core aeration and why is it necessary?

When your soil becomes compacted, your lawn can't breathe. The roots cannot take in water or nutrients causing your lawn to weaken and vulnerable to disease and weeds. Soil with a high clay content is especially likely to get compacted due to its small particle size and flat (plate-like) shape. Clay particles fit closely together leaving less room for air, water, and nutrients to move through.
Aeration uses a machine to pull out tiny cores of soil from your lawn, allowing water and oxygen to get to the roots. You can almost hear your lawn sigh with relief. Our aeration is deep (3in -4in) and we always aerate in 2 directions for a full renovation (maintenance A&O in a single direction).

2. What does lawn aeration do and does it matter?

Lawn aeration pulls out plugs of soil, creating spaces so that air and water can penetrate, which leads to healthier roots. Healthier roots make for a healthier, thicker lawn, better able to resist pests and diseases and tolerate summer’s heat and drought.
Lawn aeration also helps break down thatch. Thatch is a layer of dead grass and stems that sits between the grass blades and the soil. When lawn aeration removes plugs from the thatch, it helps it decompose, so oxygen, nutrients, and moisture can get to the roots.

3. What Happens to the plugs of dirt the aerator removes? Won’t they look messy?

Leave the plugs right there. They will decompose and add valuable nutrients to your lawn. Some people rake them up because they think they are unsightly. That will deprive your lawn of a good nutrient boost. Don’t worry, they’ll break down and disappear before you know it.

4. What if I have an irrigation system or an invisible dog fence? How do I prevent damage?

Damage to underground wiring and irrigation can be expensive. We provide flags and will ask you to mark your underground wiring and irrigation heads. If we hit a marked underground component we will have it repaired at no cost to you. Time permitting, we can also mark the heads and underground wiring for a small service charge based on the size and number of heads.

5. Why overseed if my lawn looks okay?

A thick and healthy lawn most likely does not need overseeding. If you are noticing thinning areas, or disease, or your lawn appears dry and limp, even with a full lawn care program, it's probably time to add some fresh, quality seed.
Established lawns will benefit from new genetics that are introduced with high-quality grass seed. While older lawns contain obsolete varieties, new seed is always being developed that is more resistant to drought, insects, and disease or has other impressive qualities like darker color.
There is really no better time to seed than right after aeration. All those holes are the perfect receptacles for seed to soil contact. Might as well take advantage of it.

6. Why can’t I use seed from the store? Isn’t all grass seed pretty much the same?

You can but will you know you’re getting the right kind, designed for the conditions of your yard? And will you actually know what you’re getting? Bargain seed from the big box store often has weed seed mixed in. We seed your lawn with the highest quality, premium grass seed that’s a good match for your conditions, provides great color and resists diseases.

7. What kind of results will I see from lawn aerating and seeding?

Be patient! This isn’t "magic grass", it's Amazing Grass and results take time.
You’ll start to see new grass sprouting in a few weeks, but you might not notice true results for a few months to a year. Keep in mind that even at a sod farm it takes new grass seed 6-10 months to get to a point where sod can be harvested.
Eventually you’ll notice thicker and healthier turf that’s better at resisting diseases and won’t dry out as fast.

8. How often do I need aeration and overseeding? Once a year? Every five years? How do I know?

It depends on the condition of your lawn, the soil, and grass species. Some lawns benefit from a&o every year and others every other year. Some lawns need aeration but not seeding. If your lawn was sodded in the past few years or has certain grass species, it may need aeration every year. We are happy to take a look and tell you if your lawn could benefit... and we will tell you if you don't need it!

9. How should I water after aeration and overseeding?

Newly-seeded lawn needs frequent watering for short periods of time vs. the less frequent and deeper watering established lawns require. Plan to water 3-4 times a day for about 10 minutes at a time. Your goal is to keep the new seed moist, but not soaking wet. We will provide you with detailed watering instructions.

10. Why hire a pro? How hard could it be?

Sure you can do it yourself but you may want to think twice. For one thing, you’ll have to rent the aerator. Do you have a trailer? And lots of muscles? These beasts weigh 300-400 pounds.
These machines rattle every bone in your body as you wrestle them across the lawn, lifting and lurching as they create the holes. Plan to spend most of the day if you have a big yard. And don’t plan much the next day; it may hurt to move.
We use only Certified Seed from Oregon. Many of the seeds sold in box stores are contain weed varieties. Our seed is pure and free of weed species.