Did you know that the most important part of your yard is not the part you can see? While green grass is lovely, the key to getting it that way is keeping the root system of your yard healthy. Otherwise, it can’t pull the moisture or the nutrients that it needs from the ground.
Two factors influence root health in Metro Detroit. They are:
- Clay-like soil. This is common in the area, especially in yards.
- This is a layer of dead grass, roots, and more that grows up between your grass and the dirt. It can catch and hold water, like a sponge, and never let it get to the roots.
Aeration to the Rescue!
Yard aeration in Metro Detroit can help attack both of these problems. This process uses a machine called a core aerator. It has spikes that penetrate both the dense soil and the thatch. These actually pull out plugs containing both of these, then leave them on top of your yard. Grass aerating actually opens up your soil so new growth can happen and water can reach the roots.
In fact, if you come back a couple of weeks after doing yard aeration in Metro Detroit, you can usually see new blades of grass growing up out of the holes that the aerator left!
When you aerate depends on where you live. In Metro Detroit, you can aerate in the fall or the spring, or both. Just don’t try to aerate in the dead of winter, when your ground is frozen or covered in snow! Summer is bad, as well, because you don’t want to interrupt the short growing season that your grass has.
Grass aerating is usually done by a professional landscaping service in Metro Detroit, though you can also rent aeration machines and do it yourself. These machines are not always as good at what they do as professional versions, though.
Add in Overseeding
Overseeding is simply the process of scattering grass seed over your yard, even if it is already well-populated with grass. When you do lawn overseeding in Metro Detroit, make sure you match the type of seed you’re using to the type of grass you already have. A professional landscaping service will help ensure you use the proper kind of grass.
Doing lawn overseeding after aeration means that these seeds have the holes left by the aerator to fall into. These are protected places where water will collect, which will help the seed germinate and grow successfully.
For the most part, Metro Detroit residents will want to overseed in the fall. This means scheduling your annual aeration for that season, too, so you can take full advantage of the entire process to help your lawn thrive.
Note that overseeding may not be the best way to add grass to places where it doesn’t already exist. If you want to add grass to new areas of your yard, talk to someone in landscape design in Metro Detroit. They will be able to help you create the yard you’ve always wanted.
Is it time for your aeration and overseeding? Call us at Berns Landscaping to talk to Metro Detroit landscaping professionals about how to help your yard thrive this year.