When most people think about maintaining a healthy lawn, they usually think about how much and how often they need to water. However, optimal seed to soil contact is just as crucial when obtaining ideal germination rates when you plan on overseeding. To accomplish this, there are two primary practices. A lawn care service such as Lush Lawn can either dethatch or aerate before overseeding. Both of these practices have their pros and cons, so you need to determine with your lawn care provider which one will most help your lawn to ensure it remains pristine throughout the rest of the year.

Core Aeration

Homeowners with compacted soil in their yards may want to consider core aeration by a lawn aeration service. It will bring more water down into the soil to help promote deeper root growth. The problem with this procedure is that it does not expose a lot of soil. A normal aeration rate is 16 holes for every square foot. Each hole will be roughly ½-inch in diameter. With that kind of rate, you will only create holes in about 2% of your yard. If you tend to leave plugs on top of the yard in lieu of raking them, you will get a bit more soil exposure. However, it tends not to be enough to germinate seeds.

Dethatching

Dethatching is better capable of exposing more soil. It accomplishes this by removing the thatch layer of the area. The tines located on the dethatcher are able to cultivate the soil by giving it an optimum tilth, which helps the seeds better embed into the soil rather than simply remain on top. This produces a similar effect to raking your garden to loosen the soil before planting any seeds. A dethatcher does the same thing, but with grass seeds in the rest of your lawn.

Another benefit of a lawn service using a thatch rake is that it helps them locate crabgrass and other grassy weeds. Due to prostrate growth, the blades and stems of these weeds tend to be longer than grass. Therefore, when one rakes with a longer blade, the weeds are easier to locate. Then a viable weed control company such as Lush Lawn can make your lawn pristine once again.

Overseeding

After dethatching, thatch should be removed and put in the compost pile. If you do not already have a compost pile, then you should seriously consider adding one. After this has been done, high-quality grass seed. There are several considerations to make as far as the specific type of grass you plant. If you live in a particularly sunny area, then you can benefit greatly from Galaxy Kentucky Bluegrass Blend.

Your lawn care service should apply a topdressing of one yard of compost for every 1,000 square feet you have on your yard. This helps the seeds remain moist, and it provides essential nutrients, which enhances germination. The compost also brings organic material into the soil. As one alternates between seeding and topdressing, you can run through the seed with the back of your rake. You can also use a roller to push the seed deep down into the soil. After applying the compost, your lawn care service should water your lawn.

All This Can Be Done for You

If all this sounds like a lot, then you can take solace in the fact Lush Lawn is prepared to do most of the heavy lifting for you. We have lawn care professionals standing by who can take care of core aeration, dethatching and overseeding. We will help you in every aspect of your lawn care, and all you have to do is reach out. Call us or fill out our online form to get started, and soon, you can have the lawn of your dreams.