If you could only do one thing for a Cobb County lawn each year, make it core aeration. Georgia red clay compacts, and compacted soil starves grass roots of air and water. The question is when, and the answer depends on which grass you have.
Fescue: aerate and overseed in the fall
Fescue is a cool-season grass. It grows best when soil is warm and air is cool, which in Cobb County means the last week of September through the end of October.
- Soil temperature should be dropping through the 70s
- Daytime highs are in the 70s to 80s, and nights in the 50s or 60s
- Seed has time to establish before the first hard freeze and before summer heat returns
Avoid aerating and seeding in mid-summer. Seed will either fail in the heat or get overtaken by crabgrass.
Bermuda and Zoysia: aerate in late spring
Warm-season grasses go dormant in winter and wake up in late April. Aerate them in late May through June, when they are growing vigorously and can fill the holes fast. Do not overseed a warm-season lawn with fescue; it will look patchy and die back each summer.
How to prepare
- Mow a little shorter than usual a day or two before.
- Water the lawn the day before so the soil is moist (not soaked); tines pull cleaner plugs.
- Flag sprinkler heads and shallow cables.
Aftercare for fescue seed
- Water lightly once or twice daily to keep the top inch moist until germination (7 to 14 days)
- Hold weed killers that block germination until you have mowed new grass several times
- First mow when new blades reach about 4 inches, and never take off more than a third
Should I leave the plugs?
Yes. They break down in a week or two and return soil to the lawn.
Want it done for you? See our aeration and overseeding service or request a free quote.