In the Charlotte metro region, fall is proven to be the best time to core aerate and overseed Tall Fescue Lawns. That time is quickly approaching, and we recommend giving us a call as soon as possible to get on the schedule and lock in pricing.

Why Fall?

Fall is the best time to aerate and overseed because Tall Fescue can take quite a beating from high summer temperatures, disease pressure, and other stresses. Fall is the time of year when temperatures begin to cool but stay warm enough for seed germination. Fall temperatures are the best for seed germination and growth heading into the winter months. While we do not see a lot of shoot growth during the winter months, this is the time when roots are growing deeper and becoming established.

Why Aerate?

The need for aeration is often assumed as needed to provide holes for seed to fall into and germinate. However, the need to aerate is a much “deeper” pun intended. Clayey soils in our region are easily compacted. Compaction is not great for Tall Fescue root growth. Core aeration alleviates compaction by pulling out small cores of soil. Core depth can range between 1-3”, which is ideal for root growth. In addition to better root depth and growth, reducing compaction has other benefits as well. Deeper roots yield stronger shoots and growth above the soil surface. This promotes an overall stronger turf throughout the year, especially during hot summer months. It allows for better air, water, and nutrient exchange. It can also limit weed populations that thrive in shallow, compacted soils. Aeration is vital for new seed and existing turf and is something you do not want to miss.

aeration chart

Why Overseed?

Overseeding with aeration is vital. When aerating the lawn, it is not uncommon for some damage to occur to existing turf. Overseeding will fill in these areas along with other areas of turf that may have declined during hot summer months. Overseeding also recovers areas that may have been lost to disease, insects, lack of water, etc.

Pine Valley Turf and Blue Tag Certified Seed

At Pine Valley Turf, we use only the best quality seed available for our lawns. This is known as Blue Tag Certified Tall Fescue Seed. All the seeds we use during aeration and overseeding carry this blue tag. Why is this important? Blue Tag Certified seed provides the best quality Tall Fescue seed blend for this region. It provides the best color, heat tolerance, drought tolerance, shade tolerance, and disease resistance that is available. Blue Tag certified seed goes through a strict sanitation process to ensure that the best varieties are selected.

Another great quality of Blue Tag Certified seed is that it contains 0% weed seed, meaning that when we overseed the lawn, we will not introduce any new weeds with our seed. Lower quality seed may only have 1-2% weed seed, but when you think about a bag of seed with millions of seeds, that is a lot of weeds. Often, the weed seed that comes in a lower quality bag of seed is other grassy weeds that are extremely difficult to control.

We highly recommend using Blue Tag Certified seed and guarantee if you use our services, it is the only seed that will be used. If you choose to aerate and overseed on your own, give us a call and purchase a bag of Blue Tag Certified Seed. Whatever you do, be sure the seed has the Blue Tag!

2021 Seed Shortage

The Willamette Valley, where most of the world’s grass seed is grown, has had an excessively dry and hot summer. These conditions have resulted in a lower yield of grass seed.
This lower yield of seed and increased demand have drastically increased the cost of this seed. Our seed suppliers have increased seed pricing by 30-50% from last fall. This is an increase that will affect everyone in our industry. Fortunately, even with the shortage, we have secured enough seed for all current and new customers for the 2021 season.

Call Today to Schedule Your Fall Aeration and Overseeding and Lock-in Pricing for 2021

Give us a call for a free estimate. You can reach us at 701-831-8917. We would love to provide an estimate for our Basic or Premium Lawn Care Plan as well. Being on a lawn care plan ensures that your new lawn will get the fertilization and weed control it needs throughout the year!

Like the article above? Share it with family and friends. Then follow our blog for more articles like this one. Want to get to know us better? Like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram.