The Top Tips to Revitalizing Your Lawn Before Fall

Summertime here in New Hampshire is a time of outdoor relaxation. Kicking back after a long workweek to enjoy some quality time out in the yard. With school being out, the kids are out in the yard playing and the dogs are having a field day. Unfortunately, this means that our lawns are going through a lot of stress right now. By the end of summer or early fall, it’s time to start thinking about lawn restoration to set your lawn up for success going into the winter. Lawn restoration now will save you time and money next spring.

Soil Compaction and Thatch

With all of the increased foot traffic that our lawns endure over the summer, it’s no wonder they need a little pick-me-up. Between the kids playing, the dogs running around, the outdoor parties, and the regular mowing, not to mention the heat and lack of rain, your yard takes a beating. All of this traffic translates to a lawn that’s in need of restoration.

One of the main problems that your lawn will be dealing with is compacted soil. When your soil is hard and compacted, it means that your grass roots aren’t receiving the air, water, and nutrients that they need to survive. 

Symptoms that your lawn has compacted soil include:

• Soil that is too hard to drive a screwdriver into.
• Pooling water.
• Water runoff.
• Bare areas in your yard where grass and weeds struggle to grow.

Another threat to your yard’s health is too much thatch. Thatch is the grass clippings and other organic material located at the base of your grass blades, just above the soil. Having a thin layer of thatch is healthy for any lawn, but if you have over a half-inch of thatch in your lawn then your grass could start struggling. You can easily check how thick your thatch feels around for spongy areas on your grass. You could also stick a screwdriver down through the thatch and measure it when you pull it out. If it’s more than half an inch then you will need to get to work.

Aeration

If you have compacted soil or too much thatch, or both, then aeration is going to be your best solution. When you aerate your lawn, you’ll eliminate soil compaction and reduce thatch in your yard, giving you that healthy lawn that you’ve been looking for.

What is aeration?

Aeration, or core aeration as you’ll often hear, is the process of pulling thousands of small plugs of compacted soil out of your lawn. This is done with the help of specialized aerator equipment and machines that go over your lawn and pull up the plugs. 

What are the benefits of aeration?

The benefits of aeration are substantial. This process increases the circulation of air, water, and nutrients to your lawn's roots. It opens up the soil to allow the grassroots to spread out and reach deeper into the soil. Water is more easily absorbed along with any nutrients that you may use on your lawn on your own or through a lawn care program. Overall, your grass roots will be stronger and deeper, making your lawn stronger and more drought-resistant, and your grass will have access to all the air, water, and nutrients that it needs to give you that healthy green lawn.

When is the best time to aerate my lawn?

The age-old question: when is the best time to aerate a lawn? The answer to this question depends on where you live and what grass types make up your lawn. It’s best to do aeration during the growing season so your lawn is able to recover after the intense process. 

Here in New Hampshire, we have cool-season grasses on our lawns. The growing seasons for cool-season grasses are spring and fall. This means that, if you’re going to aerate your lawn, it’s best to do it in late summer to early fall. 

Overseeding/Slice Seeding

Another essential step to lawn restoration is overseeding or slice seeding. These are two different methods for spreading new grass seed over your already established yard. Overseeding and slice-seeding are best done with a mixture of different grasses so your lawn can enjoy all of the benefits. 

Both services utilize a mixture of different grass seeds including tall fescue, perennial rye, and Kentucky bluegrass. While overseeding and slice seeding are after the same results: a lusher, greener lawn, they have two different methods of obtaining those results.

Overseeding is the process of throwing seeds down on an already-established lawn. It’s used to fill in bare or thin patches of grass and is best used in conjunction with aeration services. The best time to overseed your lawn is with aeration services from mid-August to early fall.

The benefits of overseeding include:

• Thicker, fuller grass.
• Adds a diversity of grass types to your lawn.

Slice seeding, on the other hand, does not need to be done with aeration. For slice seeding, a lawn technician will use equipment that will slice into the ground at the right depth while depositing grass seeds directly into the soil. The slices ensure that the seed-to-soil contact is perfect.

The benefits of slice seeding include:

• Dethatching of your lawn.
• Decompacting the top layer of soil.
• Fills in bare and thin areas of grass.
• Adds a diversity of grass types to your lawn.
• Thicker, fuller grass.
• Pest resistance.

Top Dressing

To finish off your aeration and overseeding or your slice seeding services, consider top dressing. Utilizing a natural compost topdressing on a slice-seeded or overseeded lawn will set your lawn up for success going into the next year. The nutrient-packed compost blowing will cover your seeded areas, giving the seeds the cover they need for protection and the nutrients needed for optimal growth. These lawn restoration techniques will help take your lawn into the fall and winter with optimal health.

The benefits of top dressing include:

• Stronger roots.
• Healthier grass.
• Reduces drought stress by retaining water.
• Fungus and disease resistance.

Call in the Professionals

If you want to take the guesswork out of lawn restoration, call the professionals at Alliance Landscaping. Here at Alliance, we have premium aeration, overseeding, slice seeding, and topdressing services to help revitalize your lawn. We’ll help get your lawn ready to take on the winter and bounce back next spring.

Give us a call at (603) 704 4230 or send us a message here.