Lawn Rejuvenation: Prepare Now for Fall Success.
Has this summer’s record-breaking heat taken its toll on your once green, vibrant lawn? No worries! Steps can be taken now to get your lawn back and more beautiful than ever.
Our professionals at A. Bonadio & Sons are dedicated to maintaining a vibrant healthy lawn and sometimes despite the best efforts, the effects of multiple heat waves, months of the scorching sun and high humidity may have begun to creep in. This continuous heat causes stress on your lawn, not only causing some brown spots, but can also bring in weeds and diseased areas throughout your lawn. Now is the time to start planning to repair and reseed those problem areas. Taking on this task yourself can be tricky and labor intensive, that’s why our staff at A. Bonadio & Sons is here to to take on the heat and get your lawn back to its glory.
No need to wait until spring to begin this process, fall is the best time to plant new shrubs, trees and plantings and also the best time for grass seeding. With the combination of the soil still being warm, moderate temperatures during the day and cool evenings make for the perfect environment for seed to germinate and become established.
Preparation:
The Most Important Step for a Green Lawn
For a successful lawn renovation the best practice to start with is to dethatch and/or aerate your lawn. This layer of thatch covers the soil surface and prevents the seed from making direct contact with the soil. The seed will germinate on a thatch layer, but will eventually die.
With a dethatcher, tines run through the grass removing the thatch layer, allowing more water, oxygen and nutrients to reach the soil surface allowing the seed to establish a good root system. Dethatching can also be performed with a stiff rake, but can be tedious, time consuming and also back breaking work.
Another great piece of equipment that can be used is a core aerator. This unit has a series of hollow tines that penetrate the soil, cutting through the thatch layer and will help reduce soil compaction allowing water, oxygen and nutrients down into the soil for uptake from the root system.
Both machines are beneficial in ensuring your lawn gets established while helping to bring back damaged parts of your lawn.
Seeding:
Fall Conditions are Optimal for Germination
The warm summer can take a toll on your lawn, but trying to repair those brown spots in midsummer with the constant heat and humidity can be difficult. The Autumn is the best time to reseed your lawn to address those problem areas. The fall conditions that New England provides means the days will be warm enough (60 - 75 degrees F air temperature in the daytime) for seed to germinate, but at the same time it isn’t too warm where you will constantly have to be watering to keep young seedlings moist. Kentucky bluegrass, a cool-season grass, grows rapidly in late summer and early fall. This grass is very durable and can tolerate the northeast weather well.
Alternatives:
Maybe Less Grass has an Appeal Too.
There are huge benefits to you and the environment for having a healthy lawn. A few perks of healthy lawns are they generate oxygen for improved air quality, reduces soil erosion, and traps carbon dioxide, acting as a natural filter for the environment.
But if you’re still feeling like your lawn is great but there's just too much of it, consider transforming some of your lawn into a bluestone terrace or walkway, water feature or a garden area. These features not only create a unique space in your yard, but will add value and curb appeal to your property.
The options are endless and our team at A. Bonadio & Sons will help you with your landscaping needs, in addition to our full service installation and construction capabilities.
Need Help Getting Your Lawn Back?
Our landscape experts can help with your lawn renovation needs. From dethatching, core aeration, seeding and any other needs, we can get your lawn back to that thick green pasture of happiness.