A great lawn is something you admire – on a home landscape as well as on a commercial landscape. Its thick, lush, emerald color sets the stage for your facility, welcoming employees and visitors and inviting people in, as well as giving your property a positive and professional reputation.
There are many things that contribute to a beautiful lawn. Proper mowing and watering are certainly a part of the equation. Regular and precise fertilization and targeted weed control also help create that great stand of grass.
But one of the secrets to getting that really desirable and super healthy lawn is probably something you didn’t expect: aeration, which usually comes with overseeding.
Aeration is something you’ve probably heard of before. The service involves taking a machine called a lawn aerator and using it to pull small plugs from the facility’s lawn and soil.
This sounds so simple, you’re probably wondering what it could possibly do to help your commercial property’s lawn? A lot actually.
Over time, your lawn can become compacted and that compaction restricts your lawn’s ability to breathe, as well as absorb oxygen, water, and nutrients the way it should. As a result, your commercial facility lawn can become kind of stuck. Lawn aeration relieves this compaction, which opens your lawn up to these positive inputs and improves its root development. Roots that can reach deeper grow a healthier, thicker lawn.
You might be sold on the service but are curious how long it might take before you see these results.
Let’s talk about the benefits of these services, as well as when you can begin to see core aeration and overseeding results.
Aeration and Overseeding’s Key Benefits
When you think about including aeration and overseeding in your commercial maintenance services for your Northeast Ohio facility, making sure you understand the full benefits can help you learn more about them.
Here are some of the key advantages these services can offer your commercial site.
Breaks Up Soil Compaction
Northeast Ohio soil tends to be clay-based in nature, and clay soils will naturally compact over time. Rainfall and regular foot traffic can all contribute to this compaction.
Lawn aeration and seeding can break up this tough soil by pulling out and dispensing these soil plugs on top so they can break down. This improves the soil’s health, allowing it to breath, grow deeper roots, and find water, oxygen, and nutrients much easier.
Reduces Thatch
In addition to compaction, lawns also develop thatch. Thatch is a bunch of grass stems and roots that accumulate more quickly than they can break down.
Thatch can also contribute to lawn pests and diseases, weakening your lawn. Weeds can also sneak in there, too. The end result is not the best look for your lawn. Aeration and overseeding breaks up this thatch to improve your lawn’s health.
Boosts Seed Germination
The way to get the best core aeration and overseeding results is to get these two services together.
First, aeration breaks up your soil compaction and thatch and allows greater penetration of oxygen, water, and nutrients. Then, when you overseed after creating those holes, you create the perfect places for seeds to tuck in and create maximum seed-to-soil contact. This improves your chances of germination.
Overseeding helps fill in bare or thin grass areas, keeping weeds at bay and thickening your lawn so it can better withstand foot traffic, drought, and any other challenges Mother Nature throws its way.
Optimum Aeration and Overseeding Timing
Fall is the best time for aeration and overseeding in Northeast Ohio. The cooler air and warm ground make an ideal environment for penetrating soil and growing grass. It increases the odds that the new grass will thrive and survive.
You’ll get the benefits of the roots growing through fall for a maximum green and lush appearance come springtime.
Performing these services once a year can get you the maximum benefits. Even if your lawn looks awesome, keeping up aeration can ensure your commercial lawn doesn’t thin out in summer. Drought and warmth can be stressful for your grass, so you will eventually see your lawn weaken without aeration. But if you need to take a year off due to budgetary constraints, you can still see some benefits performing the service every other year.
How Soon Will Core Aeration and Overseeding Results Be Visible?
Believe it or not, you can actually see core aeration and overseeding results on your commercial property in as little as 7 to 10 days.
This is when the soil plugs will break down and the seeds will begin germinating and you’ll start to see healthier, thicker grass develop.
These are the short-term results, but the best benefits are actually long-term. Thicker, healthier turf and improved soil conditions are your long-term benefit results.
Key Maintenance Tip After Aeration and Overseeding
Make sure your commercial maintenance service provider has an irrigation schedule planned or watering requirements after lawn aeration and seeding.
Watering the lawn right after these services is a key part of the process.
Right after the service is performed, the goal is to keep the turf seeds moist – not overly wet. Germination of those seeds will take roughly 10 days, and keeping that top 1 inch of soil moist will help encourage this growth.
To water to a moist level and not a soaking level, irrigate in short bursts. This means irrigating 2 to 3 times per day for about 15 to 20 minutes in each location. This is important by not keeping your seeds moist, you could risk them failing to grow, wasting your overseeding investment.
How Can A Facility Manager Add Aeration and Overseeding Services to Their Maintenance Plan?
Lawn aeration and seeding are normally additional services that are not included in a commercial property manager’s annual grounds maintenance contract. They are usually extra because some people choose to wait to decide if they want them or not later in the year.
However, these services can be included in the seasonal pricing if you know you’re going to want to include it every year.
It’s important that commercial facility managers try and include these services because it optimizes your lawn’s health and appearance, making every other service you receive that much more potent and positive. Aeration and overseeding also help eliminate more turf repair and renovation work, which can be costly, improves soil drainage, and helps prevent erosion and water runoff issues on your commercial site. They are really some of the best services you can add for boosting overall landscape health and aesthetics.
Where Can I Find the Best Lawn Aeration and Seeding Company in Northeast Ohio?
As you’ve learned if you’ve done an online search, there are quite a few companies that can perform aeration and overseeding services for your Northeast Ohio commercial facility.
But you want to find the one that can provide you with superior results and a positive partnership where they are looking out for all the needs of your commercial site at once, alleviating your headaches and worries.
To find a company to partner with, remember to ask questions about aeration and overseeding so you can see how the company performs the services, what other services they offer for commercial customers, and how their communication is with you.
Also, check out the companies you’re considering. Go to their websites, make sure the company you choose knows about commercial lawn care, offers a variety of programs to meet your needs, and has good reviews from other commercial clients.
Choose a Commercial Partner That’s Best For You and Your Lawn and Landscape
Educating yourself on the services you want performed on your commercial property is admirable. We hope this information helps you better understand core aeration and overseeding results and the many benefits these services can provide to your facility.
If these services are performed correctly, they are some of the best ones you can choose for your commercial site.
If you’re still wondering if these services make sense for your Northeast Ohio commercial facility and have more questions, Turfscape’s professionals would be happy to help answer any other questions you have. And if you choose us to take care of your commercial property, we go the extra mile for you with our commercial maintenance and aeration and overseeding additions. We’re confident we can give you the best results possible, so you can have confidence in your property’s professional appearance and positive contribution to your local community.
Want to learn more about how Turfscape can help you enhance the landscape at your commercial property? Get started today with a free quote. We’ll review your options together so you can feel confident and make a great choice.
