Everyone loves a bright green lawn, and we all know that lawns need a little care in order to thrive. The fall months are particularly pivotal for your lawn. What you do now will determine the lawn’s ability to live through winter and the results you see in spring. Beyond the usual mowing, watering and fertilizing, there are two main things you can do to prep your lawn for the cold months ahead.

Core Aeration
Core aeration helps soil soak up nutrients, water and oxygen by creating small holes to remove plugs or “cores” of thatch from the lawn. The reason core aeration should take place in fall is because soil generally performs poorly in New Jersey winters, increasing compaction and thatch buildup.

Since you wouldn’t want to “poke holes” in your lawn one by one, core aeration is best completed with a special machine. Lawns that see heavy foot traffic and/or feel spongy are probably crying for aeration!

Overseeding
Overseeding is simply planting new grass seed over existing turf. It is used mainly to fill areas of thinning turf so that your lawn appears fuller and greener. However, even though overseeding addresses specific patches of lawn, seeds are usually distributed over the entire lawn.

Most lawn care experts will tell you that overseeding is one of the best ways to keep your lawn healthy. In addition to thicker grass, you will also see higher weed tolerance and insect resistance. Core aeration and overseeding usually go hand in hand, as the best time to overseed is right after aerating.

Let High Tech Help
Core aeration and overseeding are not your typical “DIY” lawn care tasks. If you live in New Jersey and are looking to aerate and/or overseed your lawn ahead of winter, call High Tech Landscapes at 732-328-9867. Our landscaping experts have been serving New Jersey homeowners for more than 30 years, and can keep your lawn healthy year-round.