Fall lawn care entails various services and processes to help your grass in North Carolina or South Carolina recover from summer and prepare for the winter. Core aeration and overseeding should always be part of your fall lawn care routine. Core aeration entails removing cores of soil from the ground to loosen compact soil and allow the roots of your grass to get better access to vital resources. Overseeding involves spreading seeds on your existing turf to promote new grass growth, making it thicker and lusher. These services should be combined because they complement each other. Overseeding after aeration means the grass seeds can fall into the holes where they will have the best chance of germination. Meanwhile, aeration ensures the grass seeds can access vital nutrients that will help them develop, creating a lusher and stronger lawn.

What is core aeration?

Green aerator machine in Charlotte, NC, pulling up soil cores.

Core aeration is a vital lawn care process that is designed to address soil compaction by pulling out cores of soil from the ground. It is performed using an aerator machine, which removes soil plugs about 1 to 3 inches long. The process creates tiny holes in the ground and creates space for compact soil to loosen up, allowing the roots of your grass to grow deeper. Core aeration also creates channels where nutrients, water, air, and sunlight can easily pass through and reach the roots. This way, your lawn will have optimal access to the resources it needs to flourish.

Your lawn should be aerated in the fall because it is at its strongest during this time. Conditions during fall bring cooler temperatures, creating ideal conditions for cool-season lawns. This means your grass can tolerate the process and heal from it before winter arrives and goes dormant.

The cores of soil from aeration are best left on the ground to decompose and release nutrients back into your lawn.

What is overseeding?

Patchy lawn in Charlotte, NC, with grass seeds after overseeding.

Overseeding is another lawn care process that involves spreading grass seeds on your existing lawn to bring in new growth. It turns thin, patchy lawns into lush, vibrant ones by encouraging new grass growth that will fill in the bare areas. This process rejuvenates your lawn and improves its resilience as well. A thicker lawn can better fight off weeds, diseases, and other stressors, which means it will stay lush and beautiful even in the face of difficult conditions! Like aeration, it should be done in the fall because the conditions are ideal for cool-season grass seeds to germinate and grow.

Why should aeration and overseeding always be combined?

If you want to have a strong, lush lawn, combine aeration and overseeding. These two lawn care processes complement each other and produce better results for your lawn when paired together. When you overseed your lawn after aerating it, the seeds can fall into the holes created, increasing their chances of germinating and growing into beautiful grass. That's because the grass seeds have great contact with the soil, plus improved access to resources that promote growth. The holes in the ground will also protect them from the elements and from being eaten by critters.

On the other hand, aerating without overseeding will not make your lawn thicker. The bare patches on your turf will remain like that because no new growth has been introduced. While your existing lawn will grow healthy, it will remain thin. Pairing the two services together ensures your grass is healthy, thick, and strong!

Call us today to sign up for our core aeration and overseeding services!

A lush and thriving lawn can be achieved by aerating and overseeding it in the fall. For lawn care done right, look no further than our professionals at DalaCasa Landscape Management. We provide core aeration and overseeding services for commercial and residential properties, as well as HOAs, in Charlotte, Waxhaw, Concord, and nearby areas in North Carolina and South Carolina. Our crew has the experience and is trained to perform these lawn care services, following correct techniques and getting the job done at the right time to give you optimal results. Give us a call today at (704) 248-6294 to sign up for our core aeration and overseeding services.