- johnrwilson02@gmail.com
- 6435 Namon Wallace Drive
Foxland
Lawn Care
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As with bigger yard projects like adding grass seeding, it’s ideal to aerate just before you plant seeds. Aeration is useful for yards. However, it can stress grass whenever if planned at the wrong time. Never circulate air through dormant grass.
In the Atlanta area we normally have warm-season grasses, the best time to aerate the lawn is pre-summer or late-spring. If you aerate when the grass is in peak growing season, the grass will recover quickly to fill in the holes let by the aerator.
Aeration works best on wet soil. So, it is best practice to water your lawn the night before. The opposite side is while you want the soil moist because of the weight of the aerator don’t aerate with a wet lawn.
The time of year you plant grass seed has a direct effect on its success. Proper timing helps ensure your grass seed will germinate properly, grow quickly and remain healthy while new seedlings become established. When you add grass seeding to your lawn affects whether or not its successful. So, if the time is not at the right season, the grass seeding will not properly germinate, effecting it life’s growth.
In the Atlanta area we are in the warm-season area of the U.S. Because of this we want to plant grasses like Bermuda grass, Zoysia grass, and Tall Fescue are the standard. It is best to plant these grasses in spring and late-spring rather than fall. Wait until planting grass seeding until daytime temperatures stay close to 80 degrees or higher and all threat of a late spring ice in our area has passed.
To begin with, if you want to gain the healthiest lawn possible, it all starts with preparing your lawn for the grass seeding. While some houses in this area have grading issues, it is crucial to have a 1 to 2 percent slope away from the home. In fact, this will allow the entire lawn can properly shed water to not over water some areas. If there are areas in your yard that have a slope greater than 2 percent consider adding fill dirt. Doing this will ensure that the area does not drain water to fast depleting the soil and grass of needed nutrients.
Slope = (Height B – Height A) / Distance
Slope x 100% = %slope
The right soil pH balance plays a crucial role in the health of your grass. Typical lawns prefer a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. There are many ways to test your soil.
If your soil pH test shows you are out of the desired range, do not worry, we can restore the proper pH to your soil. Soil that is highly pH, or alkaline, can have sulfur added to it to reduce the pH. Yet, if your soil is on the low pH scale, or acidic, lime is a great way to increase the pH. This is the most common side that we deal with in the Atlanta area.
If you send your soil kit to a lab, they will also inform you of the nutrients that are lacking in your soil. Using this information, we can find the fertilizer for the grass seeding you want to apply.
After the seed has been spread, the seeds need to be kept moist. Caution, we are saying moist, not soaked in water. If the seeds are in standing water, they will not grow as well. To accomplish keeping your seedlings moist water them three times a day with a light spray of water. If you see puddles appear, you watered too much. When the grass seeds grow you can water less until the grass is 3 inches then you can start your mowing maintenance program.