We hope you all are enjoying the summer. I went back to look at the fall letter from 2010 and really could not believe how much of a difference a year could make. Last March alone, we received 13″ of rainfall. When I wrote that letter we had 30 days of 90 degrees, 2 above 100, and down 6″ of rainfall. Wow that was a hot summer.
Three weeks ago the sun was out and the air temperature was 73 degrees. The soil temperature was 84 degrees. So far this season we have had 10 days above 90 degrees and 2 above 100, approximately 12.77 inches of rain on an average of 14.9 inches. Most of us are saying “that’s not too bad”. Well, it really isn’t. However as far as grass goes it still is pretty bad.
How Aeration Can Improve Your Lawn
Grass types here in New England are primarily cool season varieties such as Bluegrass, Ryegrass and Fine fescues. These types will handle the cold winter month’s however they start to decline and go dormant in the summer months with the hot and dry conditions. These types grow best when the soil temperature hangs around 65 degrees.
As the soil temperature increases, the roots of the turf moves towards the surface and dry out quickly and eventually send the lawn into summer dormancy and in some cases causes permanent damage. This is why we preach to water deeply every couple days to force the roots down in the soil to protect them from the heat.
The fall time is the best time to really improve your lawn in multiple ways. Lawn core aeration will help relieve compaction, increase water and nutrient uptake and increase soil micro organisms to decompose thatch. Along with aeration we offer an over-seeding. We offer two different seed mixtures. A Bluegrass, Ryegrass mixture which is commonly used in our area and this season we are also offering a Turf Type Tall fescue which is a similar to Bluegrass, however is more drought tolerant.
Fall is also a great time for Compost Top Dressing. A lot of people don’t realize the benefits of composting. This treatment will provide approximately 46% organic matter, raise the soil PH, add several micro nutrients and increase the soil moisture holding capacity.
Our compost is derived from high quality Bio-solids and yard trimmings, thus making it a mixture that we use or Mulch blower to spread. The process begins with an aeration of the lawn, then we blow approximately ¼ inch to ½ inch of compost across the entire property. This treatment can be done spring or fall.
If you would like more information or pricing on any of these services, please feel free to contact our office @ 508-485-4884.
Mark A. Campbell
Fertilization Specialist
