TOPDRESSING YOUR LAWN

Late summer in the Midwest has been extremely kind to our lawns this year. Timely rainfall and more moderate temperatures have allowed our lawns to stay green and not have that crunchy, brown look that August and September usually bring us.

Most normal years, most of us would have already given up on our lawns by now and we would be planning ways to make next year a better lawn year by aerating and over-seeding. Since we have dense, silty-clay soils in our area, aeration is a good idea as these soils tend to compact and harden, particularly when the weather is dry.

Our recommendation is to aerate, regardless of the color of the turf and to apply a measure of Field and Turf Enhancer Compost right after aeration. The cores taken out of the soil by the aerator let compost in below the surface and help improve the soil conditions in the most important place of all, the root zone.

An application of Field and Turf Enhancer helps boost soil nutrient levels, improves soil texture and helps the soil manage rainfall and irrigation water better to ensure more healthy turf.

You can rent an aerator or hire a lawn company to provide this service.

AERATION

On aeration day, we recommend first cutting the grass fairly short. Cutting the grass short lets the aerator work better and makes spreading seed and compost easier. Aerate as normal, taking care to give a little extra treatment to areas that have obvious compaction like walkways and pet habit trails.

For smaller lawn areas, you can use a wheelbarrow and shovel to lightly apply compost. For larger areas, we recommend renting a compost spreader.

OVERSEEDING AND TOPDRESSING

Apply fresh grass seed in areas needing reseeding by hand or with a spreader. Next, spread a layer of Field and Turf Enhancer over the entire area. We usually recommend about a quarter to a half inch deep application of the compost with each aeration. Lightly rake the area to ensure that compost drops into the aeration cores and gently water the area.

Areas that are in need of extensive repair and re-seeding might benefit from the application of a starter fertilizer at this time as well.

Improving the soil beneath your turf grass is a great way to help keep your lawn healthy and growing. Even in more typical, hot and dry summers. Field and Turf Enhancer provides organic matter and healthy soil microbes that help improve the root zones. Heathy root zones make for healthy lawns!