We’re into the final weeks of the summer holidays, and after some mixed weather and a few unsettled spells (this is the UK, after all!) – it’s time to recognise that your lawn is ready for a break. And that means planning ahead to give it some TLC once the kids and grandkids go back to school and the days start getting shorter and cooler.
It’s important to stay ahead of the curve, recognise in advance how your lawn’s needs change with the seasons, and book your Greensleeves treatments in plenty of time to ensure you see the maximum benefits.
The first step along the way to helping your lawn recuperate as we enter the final days of summer is an aeration treatment, followed by some overseeding. These two treatments work most effectively when implemented together, and will kick-start your lawn’s road to recovery. It’s the Greensleeves equivalent of sending your lawn to a health farm for a couple of weeks. Let’s take a closer look…
Aeration refers to two different types of lawn treatment – hollow tine aeration and spiking. Both of these treatments are designed to allow water, air and nutrients to more easily penetrate the soil in order to feed your lawn’s roots. It is particularly useful at this time of year. Following periods of high use, aeration treatments will help combat soil compaction, which can lead to suffocation for your lawn.
Compacted soil is almost impenetrable and, by breaking it up, the aeration process is a crucial regular factor in your lawn’s overall health. Areas more prone to regular lawn traffic require more consistent aeration throughout the year – and after a busy summer with kids (and grown up kids!) recreating Wimbledon and The Ashes in gardens across the country, now is arguably the most important time of the year of all for aeration.
Hollow tine aeration involves a machine driving hollow spikes into the lawn which remove small plugs of soil and thatch to combat soil compaction and allow water and nutrients to be absorbed deep into the root layer. Spiking is a less intensive form of aeration than hollow tine. Small holes are punched into the surface of the lawn, helping air and water penetrate down to the root zone to encourage the growth of healthy grass.
Going hand-in-hand with Greensleeves’ aeration treatments, is our overseeding treatment. Overseeding improves the overall health of your lawn and is an essential repair treatment for any small, localised bare patches that have appeared across your lawn due to the periods of heat and drought over the summer and/or increased usage. Regular overseeding will also make your lawn more resistant to disease.
Your Greensleeves lawn care manager will overseed your lawn using a machine that efficiently and evenly distributes the grass seed. Once this is done, your lawn will be left for a couple of weeks so that the new seeds will germinate, repairing damage and developing new grass growth.
To find your local Greensleeves lawn care expert, and make your green space your happy place, click here
