Spring is now in full swing and we have had a few days with some pretty warm weather as well. Our plants are coming out of hibernation and the lawns are starting to really grow. With the eminent drought upon our horizon we must do what we can to help keep our plants healthy with as little water as we possibly can.
One of the greatest ways to help lawns conserve water is aeration and thatch removal.
Lawn Aeration:
This is the process of removing plugs from the lawn. Plugs are removed from the ground to create holes in the lawn that will vary from 1” to 3” deep. Once these holes are created, air, water and nutrients can easily reach the root zones of the turf grass. This process is essential given the clay soils present in most Bay Area gardens. Clay soil easily compacts air, water and makes it difficult for nutrients to reach the roots of your lawn.
If your lawn is located on any kind of slope aeration, aeration is a must. Without proper aeration, the water literally slides right off the lawns on slopes. With a proper aeration method, the water is able to penetrate into the soil.
Lawn Thatching:
Thatch is the build-up of dead grass over the years. A little thatch is not a problem. If your lawn has a thick layer of thatch however, many issues can arise for the determent of the health of the lawn. The thatch layer can actually prevent water from reaching the soil and root zones of the lawn. Thatch also can provide a great home for insects that can chew the roots of the lawn.
Although our cool season lawns here in the Bay Area such as Fescue, Rye and Bluegrass do not need annual thatching it is a good idea to perform thatch removal this year to help provide the greatest opportunity for our irrigation to reach the root zones of our lawns this summer.
Providing your lawn with these services will help keep your lawn happy and healthy this hot-dry summer we will experience.
Give us a call at (650) 361-1414 or e-mail us at info@masterpiecegarden.com if you are interested in having us perform one of these lawn services.
