Overseeding
Our area's average temperatures range from the low 30s in winter to low 90s in the summer, the Northwest Georgia area falls on the edge of a transitional zone, meaning both warm and cool season grasses are used. Warm season varieties are most common, given, they are more resistant to drought and heat.
Warm season grasses:
• Should be planted from late spring through early summer
• Grow during the summer and go dormant during winter
• Are more drought tolerant
• Tend to have thicker, coarser blades
• Are generally mowed at a shorter height
Cool season grasses:
• Should be planted from late summer through early fall
• Grow throughout the spring and fall and go dormant in the summer
• Are cold tolerant
• Tend to have longer, thinner blades
• Are generally mowed at a slightly taller height
In North Georgia, cool season grasses can be used to over seed a warm season lawn, which helps maintain an attractive lawn through the colder months. For uniformity, cool season grasses should be mixed with fine to medium textured warm season grasses. However grasses such as Perennial Rye can go well with Tall Fescue.
Aerating
Many lawns in our area grow on compacted soils. The signs of compaction can be tricky to detect: grass seems to be off-color, thins out, and shows signs of stress in high temperatures. Because the grass is weak, it may be susceptible to disease and insect damage.
Aeration is the process of mechanically poking thousands of holes in the soil. This allows water, oxygen and nutrients to better penetrate to the roots of your grass.
• We use aerators that have hollow tines (spoons) which pull up plugs of earth as the machine travels along. A core aerator plunges into the ground and pulls up plugs of earth. Spike aerators insert narrow, solid rods into the earth. Studies have found that the core aeration increases deep rooting and water extraction by 25 percent. Spike aerators show much less effects on grass health.
• We utilize a criss-cross pattern by directing the machine over the entire lawn, going back and forth in one direction and then back and forth at right angles to the first series of trips.
• The best time to have your lawn aerated is just before the grass begins to grow rapidly. This is Spring for warms season grasses and Fall for cool season grasses. Which is also, an excellent time to overseed your lawn.