Late Summer Lawn Care: When to Aerate Lawn and Overseed in Iowa?

Aeration and overseeding are essential elements of lawn care; nevertheless, they need to be performed in the right way and at the right time to get the desired results.

Lawn aeration alleviates soil compaction, prevents thatch buildup, and improves the movement of water and nutrients in the soil. It leads to better growing conditions for grass and results in a more vibrant and healthy lawn.

Overseeding, on the other hand, is an excellent way to improve lawns in poor condition. A lawn may be in poor condition due to insects, diseases, heat, poor management, or other factors. Lawns containing more than 50 percent of desirable turf can be improved through overseeding.

This post discusses when to aerate your lawn, when to overseed lawns in Iowa, and more.

Lawn Aeration in Iowa: When to Aerate Lawns and More

In Iowa, April and September are the best times for aerating Kentucky bluegrass and other cool-season grasses. Although the overall results of core aeration are beneficial, it leads to some damage initially. Aerating lawns in April or September facilitates quick recovery of the grass in the favorable growing conditions of spring and early fall.

What is the Right Way for Lawn Aeration?

Lawns should be aerated with a core aerator, which has hollow tubes or tines of metal that remove soil plugs. Spike-type devices, which simply punch holes in the ground, should be avoided.

Lawns should be aerated when the soil is moist, not when the soil is wet or dry. In case of dry soil, the tines or tubes will be unable to penetrate deeply, and if the soil is wet, the tines or tubes may get plugged with soil.

To get the right results, seek the core aeration services of a reputed lawn care company in Iowa.

How Often to Aerate a Lawn

The degree of use of your lawn and the soil type largely determine how frequently you should aerate your lawn. Lawns that get heavy foot traffic and have heavy, clay soils need to be aerated twice per year. On the other hand, lawns subject to little foot traffic and that have well-drained soil should be aerated once per year.

Overseeding Lawns in Iowa: When to Overseed Lawns and More

The best time for overseeding lawns in Iowa is late summer, i.e., late August to mid-September.

Overseeding is the process of sowing grass seeds in an existing lawn.

Preparing the Site

Preparing the site properly is important for successful overseeding. Identify and fix the problems, if possible, that are leading to the lawn’s poor condition. If the issues are not fixed, overseeding may only serve as a temporary solution.

Mow your lawn grass at a height of one and a half to two inches to lessen the competition from the established grass.

Effective overseeding also needs proper seed-to-soil contact. Broadcasting or simply throwing grass seeds over the lawn leads to poor germination of seeds because much of the grass seed is lying on the soil surface or thatch layer. To ensure proper seed-to-soil contact, it is helpful to use slit seeders, vertical mowers, core aerators, and rakes.

Overseeding Small Areas

Small areas in the lawn can be prepared by raking the thin spots gently. While raking, the soil surface should be broken without pulling out the existing grass. After raking, the grass seeds should be sown by hand. The seeds can then be worked into the soil by raking the region gently once again.

Overseeding Large Areas

Large areas can be prepared for overseeding with the help of a core aerator. Grass seeds should be applied over large areas, after aerating the area, using a drop seeder.

If you are not a pro at lawn care cores and looking for excellent results, hire the overseeding services of a professional lawn care company in Iowa.

Get your Late Summer Lawn Care Needs Covered with AATB!

Now that you know when to aerate lawn and overseed in Iowa, schedule your lawn care for late summer, which is the time for several other important lawn care chores too. Trust All American Turf Beauty to expertly shoulder all your late summer lawn care responsibilities so that your lawn thrives in the spring next year and year-round.

Let our lawn care specialists recommend the best time to aerate and overseed your lawn as well as determine the right treatments for your lawn and implement them successfully. Request a consultation with one of our lawn care professionals today!