Aeration or Renovation: Choosing the right service
We believe it is our responsibility to inform customers about our services. The purpose of this article is to set realistic expectations before hiring aerating and overseeding services. Even more, by the end fo the article, you will know why aeration may or may not be the right choice for your property.
Aeration
You are probably familiar with aeration. Aeration is the removal of dirt cores from the ground to create a healthier lawn.
A lot of people expect aeration and overseeding to be a magical silver bullet that is going to make their lawn the best in the neighborhood. Aeration is beneficial for the lawn, but remember that it is a maintenance service.
When aeration doesn’t work
Let us say, aeration always “works” but it may not yield the expected results. There are a few factors that stack the deck against aeration.
A lawn that has little to no grass or ground cover will leave customers disappointed after aerating and overseeding.
Why?
When there is little to no cover, the new seeds are vulnerable to a host of adversaries.
- Birds and squirrels can easily spot and eat the seeds off of the exposed dirt
- Erosion from wind and rain move seeds off-target
- The lack of cover for the seed makes them more vulnerable to intense sun, drought, traffic, etc.
Hills also create an issue for aerating and overseeding. Unless the hill has grass or ground cover that is already well established, the seeds will be even more vulnerable to erosion.
Some form of ground cover, whether is it grass or weeds, is necessary for successful aeration and overseeding. It will prevent erosion, provide cover from wildlife, and retain moisture and temperature for the seeds.
Renovation
Lawn renovation is a totally different service but it yields the same end result, a thick, beautiful lawn.
Depending on the site conditions, lawn renovation will require different preparation and steps. Most of the time, we are able to restore a beautiful lawn by:
- Generously spreading seed
- Spreading with a thin 1/4″ layer of leafgro over the seeds
- Lightly covering the area with straw
- Setting up a hose on a timer to ensure proper watering
Lawn renovation is a more involved process and therefore costs more money. However, we want to educate our customers and make sure that they make an informed purchasing decision. It is a waste to spend money on the wrong service and ultimately be disappointed.
To help you make the right choice between aeration or renovation, we made the photo slider below. Each photo shows a lawn and provides our best recommendations based on the site conditions.