Aeration and Over Seeding

The “Real Lawn Full Service Process” is renovating or over seeding a majorly damaged lawn or over seeding an existing one. The best choice is to use high-quality certified turf type tall fescue. In general, it is best to over seed with a blend, or mixture, of seed rather than a single cultivar of a single species. A “cultivar” is a cultivated variety developed for positive attributes; be it color, drought tolerance, spring green-up, disease resistance, etc. This MUST be combined with de-thatching, aeration, PH adjustment, starter fertilizer, de-thatching, and hard rake, to break up aeration plugs and TWO solid weeks of watering.

The best time for over seeding a lawn is between August 15 and October 15. Lawns over seeded later in the fall may fail because the new grass may not produce sufficient growth to survive the winter. If seeding cannot be done by October 3 than it is best to postpone the job until spring. The earlier in the spring the over seeding can be done, preferably March, the better the chances of success.

Core aeration is a critical step to a healthy lawn. Through out the year your lawn will become compacted and a layer of thatch will develop. This compaction and thatch blocks the essential elements: food, water, oxygen, and grass seed that your lawn needs to survive. Aeration helps corrects this problem by pulling many small plugs of the lawn and allowing the essential elements to get deep into the soil. No lawn care service is complete without a Stewart Lawn & Landscape yearly aeration and over seeding.