Sterling Tree Articles

Read articles and watch videos of Master Arborists

Lawn Aeration is Lawn Renovation

The term ‘lawn renovation’ is a little misleading. People don’t usually call a yearly maintenance a ‘renovation’ but I think the term comes from the amazing results you get when you aerate and reseed your lawn – making it look like a brand new landscape.

It is very common to see brown patches even on the greenest stretch of grass. Or sometimes very thin growth. Aerating and reseeding can prevent those from happening. And if you ever wondered while driving through east Long Island, how those huge estates get their sprawling lawns to be the richest green in early spring, well aerating is a key ingredient. It breaks up the compacted Long Island clay soil, which helps irrigate the lawn and also sets the ground work (no pun intended) for applying nutrients and minerals.

Lawn Aeration is going over the entire lawn with motorized power aerator that pulls out plugs from the ground, about 3 inches in length, as it passes over. This creates access to the soil and roots under your lawn, letting a certified Master Arborist apply nutrients and grass seed. The time to do this is in the Fall. And you should leave yourself 4-5 weeks of growing time after you aerate. Don’t wait till the last minute when there is a mad rush to take care of the landscape before the cold weather comes.

The way Sterling Tree Services and Lawn Care aerate is one of the most thorough in the business. First we do a soil test to make sure the conditions are right for aerating and to do a chemical analysis. We then aerate and do a lime application which helps increase the pH levels of the soil. This all effects the growth that will take place. We then fertilize the lawn with nutrients and re-seed. The process usually occurs over the course of a few weeks. In the end, you have a lawn that is just waiting to explode with strong, thick healthy grass. Another important thing to remember is that weed killers cannot be used at the same time as you re-seed. This is why for Long Island lawns, you need to re-seed in the Fall and spray for weeds in the Spring. Tick control and mosquito control are just two of our specialties.