How To Prep For Aeration & Seeding

So you've scheduled your aeration and seeding with us. Awesome! We're so happy that you've chosen Top Turf to lead you in your lawn care journey. What are the next steps to ensure that your aeration and seeding are successful and result in a beautiful lawn? While we do most of the work for you, we ask that you do a few things to prep your lawn for us. Read on to find out more!

If you're looking for aftercare instructions, please see our Aeration and Seeding Aftercare Instructions.

3 Ways To Prep For Aeration & Seeding

#1 Remove Thatch

Mow your lawn at the lowest setting

Let's get rid of that thatch and dead grass. In the weeks leading up to your aeration and seeding, you will want to cut your lawn at the lowest setting each time you cut your lawn. We suggest two times, maybe even one time. Just make sure you get all the dead thatch up and out of your lawn. The less thatch you have, the higher efficiency of seed germination.

Mowing and raking will help pick up any dead thatch that has accumulated and hopefully clear out any dead spots. Doing this prevents extra thatch from being left over on your grass.

If you don't have enough time before your scheduled aeration to get up all your dead thatch, make sure to bag your clippings now until you aerate and seed...Remember: Excess thatch will prohibit seeds from germinating effectively.

1. This will help the seed reach the soil easier rather than resting on top of thatch or other grass.
2. Remember... you will not be able to mow your lawn for up to 4 weeks after your aeration and seeding, as this is the germination period of the seed. You want it to remain unbothered to have the best chance of rooting and growing. Because you can't mow, any existing grass can overgrow, so cutting it that extra bit shorter will help keep it tamed while you allow the new seeds to germinate.

🌱 Pro Tip: Bag your clippings. Clippings left on the lawn cause excess thatch buildup and inhibit the growth of new fescue seeds.

#2 Mark Sprinkler Heads & Underground Wire

Mark your lawn for any underground or hidden items that can be damaged– anything buried in your lawn that you don't want the aerators to penetrate.

Aeration machines are powerful and have the potential to run over and damage items that are underground. Prior to your aeration, please take the time to walk through your lawn and mark out your items using any marking item so that our tech can see them. Here are a few examples of items you should mark–

• Sprinkler heads
• Irrigation system lines
• Invisible dog fences
• Hoses
• Cables
• Wires
• Pipes

Any underground or hard-to-see item less than 6 inches below the surface of your lawn can potentially be damaged if our aerator machine runs over them. That's why we need your help to clearly mark them so we can actively avoid them and make sure that we do not damage any of your property.

🌱 Pro Tip: We recommend using marking flags with bright colors to mark your lawn. They will be easy to see and maneuver around when we are aerating your lawn, and they are inexpensive. They are available to purchase at your local home improvement or hardware store and online for under $5!

#3 Water, Water, Water

A moist lawn makes for an effective aeration and seeding.

You will want to keep your soil moist before your scheduled aeration and seeding appointment, so the aeration machines will be able to pull cores out of the soil more efficiently and effectively. If the soil is too hard, the aerators will not pull cores correctly and, in some cases, can bounce across the lawn without pulling any core plugs. However, be careful not to overwater because a soggy lawn will also cause problems, and the aerators can sink.

If you don't have a sprinkler system, set up a manual watering schedule or DIY your own system. Check out our blog on DIY sprinkler systems.

🌱 Pro Tip: Water just until you can easily insert a screwdriver several inches into your soil. That's a great rule of thumb to determine if you're soil is good to go for aeration!

What to Expect After Your Core Aeration and Seeding

Your yard might look a little messy! Soil plugs all over your lawn, some dirt/ mud and residual seed may be on your driveway and sidewalks. The aerators are dirty, so try not to be alarmed. Our crew members attempt to keep the process as clean as possible and sweep off your driveways after they finish. If you're unsatisfied with our clean up or any other part of the process, please give your office a call.

That being said, here are a few things to keep in mind after aeration and seeding is completed:

• Do not remove the soil plugs from your lawn. We understand that all the soil plugs our aerator machines pull out of your lawn may not look the prettiest, but they serve a purpose! Please do not remove them from your lawn. In just a short amount of time, they will begin to break down or crumble as time passes and they are watered into the soil. As they do, the nutrients they hold will release back into the soil, providing more nourishment for your new grass seed.
• You may see a lot of seeds, you may not. Overseeding is a process of adding a blanket of seed on top of your already established lawn. Thinner areas may show lots of seed, whereas it may be harder to spot seed in areas where grass is well-established. Our objective is not to replace your entire lawn, but to overseed to fill in bare areas and create a denser, fuller lawn.

For tips on proper aeration & seeding aftercare, please view our blog here ->

• Aeration and Seeding Aftercare – What's Next?

For even more information, check out other aeration & seeding materials ->

• General Aeration & Seeding Information
• Core Aeration vs. Aeration & Seeding: Which is Best for Your Lawn?
• Don't have an irrigation system? No worries... check out our solution!

You're all set!

Please feel free to contact your local Top Turf branch if you have any further questions or comments related to aeration & seeding, or any other lawn care or pest control inquiry!

Why does Tall Fescue need aeration and seeding every year?

Let's just do a quick recap on why aeration and seeding is so important for cool-season lawns like Tall Fescue.

• Tall Fescue does not spread or reproduce itself, so you must over-seed yearly to keep your lawn looking full, thick, and healthy.
• Tall Fescue can stay green all year long with proper watering and maintenance. However, it will struggle in the summer as its favorite environment is a cooler temperature. Hence... why it's called a "cool-season turf." Unlike Bermuda (a warm-season turf) that can't get enough of the heat!
• All lawns get weeds; just nature showing whose boss — even if we do give her a run for her money. When we kill the weeds in your lawn, it leaves bare areas that need to be filled in with grass seed.
• All Fescue Lawns will lose their thickness every year by approximately 20%. If you aerate and seeding yearly, you will keep your lawn looking thick and beautiful with well-established roots.
• When your lawn is thicker and healthier, you will see fewer weeds because a thick lawn will crowd them out.

As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions!