The hot, humid summer days will soon be a memory. The refreshing, crisp, cooler days of autumn are right around the corner. As we have said before, fall is the best time to repair, restore, and nourish your landscape. It is the ideal time for fertilizer, aeration, seeding, top dressing, planting and more. We hope you take advantage of this time of year to bring health and beauty to your landscape.
We receive many questions at this time of year. We would like to take a moment to answer some of them.
Please check out our website or blog for more details on these topics.
Q. What is Double Core Aeration and does Grass Roots offer that service?
A. The term Double Core Aeration has recently been used by a few companies to market their Core Aeration service. It refers to how many “passes” or trips the aerator is taken across your lawn pulling plugs of soil. Some
lawn care companies only go over the lawn one time, a single pass. Several better companies will go over the lawn twice, a double pass. This practice is much better because it pulls out twice as many plugs. Some companies charge more for making double passes.
At Grass Roots, we have ALWAYS made at least two passes over a customer’s lawn, which by definition is Double Core Aeration. In fact, we often do more passes in certain areas of the lawn if needed. Even though the
process of double core aeration takes longer, we do not charge an extra fee.
Q. What is Top Dressing?
A. Top Dressing is the process of applying a very thin layer of organic matter, such as compost, to the surface of the lawn. The material is spread evenly, typically 1/4″ – 1/2″ thick, then settles down onto the existing soil. We use a Top-Dressing machine to ensure the appropriate amount of material is used and spread evenly.
Q. Why should I top dress my lawn?
A. There are huge benefits to top dressing your lawn. Some of them are:
- Creates a better growing environment for the grass.
- Improves soil structure and quality.
- Enhanced germination of grass seeds.
- Increased microbial action.
- Helps with moisture retention.
- An organic lawn treatment.
- Top dressing is most effective when used in conjunction with Core Aeration and Seeding.
Q. Is it better to seed my lawn in the spring or fall?
A. Without a doubt, Fall is the best time. The soil temperatures are still warm which helps with seed germination and the air temperatures are cool which will allow time for the plants to grow a strong root system.
Q. Do I still need to water my lawn in the fall?
A. Yes. Most lawns in our area are Tall Fescue, a cool season grass. Fall is an important growth period for tall fescue, with much of the growth occurring underground in the root system. The lawn needs adequate water to
repair summer damage and especially if growing new grass. Your yard needs about an inch of water per week until the ground freezes. If nature does not provide it, you need to water your lawn. Water early in the morning if
possible.
Q. When do I plant spring blooming bulbs?
A. You should buy bulbs as soon as possible for the best selection. Store the bulbs in a cool, dry place until you plant. In general, the best time to plant in our area is mid-October, after the first frost. Plant all bulbs before the ground freezes.
We are looking forward to serving you this fall. Contact us with any questions or to reserve your spot for our fall services.
Thank you for choosing Grass Roots.
Happy Fall!