If your Tacoma-area lawn is like many others, it has one of several common cool season grass species. These are species that are hardy enough to survive Tacoma's long winters and short growing seasons. Some of the more common and lovely grass types that Tacoma residents appreciate growing in their yards include Bentgrass, Tall Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass and Fine Fescue. While all of these species can thrive in a cold weather climate, your lawn may not be as lush as you desire. If your yard does not look as healthy as your neighbor's lawn, you may wonder what you are doing wrong.
Tacoma has chilly to frigid temperatures from October through May each year. During these months, several feet of snow can fall. The warmer summer months are generally dry, but a few inches of rainfall are expected monthly throughout the season. As strenuous as weather conditions are, your grass may face another challenge. This is soil compaction.
With inches or feet of snow covering the ground for potentially lengthy periods each year, ground soil can become compacted through natural settlement. The soil may also ground downward when you and your pets walk on it and for other reasons. Many residential properties use a layer of topsoil over the ground to promote a healthy lawn, but even this topsoil may become increasingly dense over time. This density hurts the health of your lawn, and this holds true regardless of the type of grass or the blend of grasses that are growing on your property.
The ideal soil conditions for grass health include loose soil that allows the roots to reach deep into the ground easily and to become truly stabilized. Loose soil also enables the roots to receive a healthy amount of water, air, and nutrients from fertilizers and other sources. Because local soil has a tendency to quickly compact, regular efforts must be made to loosen the soil. The most practical and standard method that Tacoma residents use is aeration.
You may notice several signs that the soil is too dense for optimal grass health. For example, your grass may have many bare patches for no apparent reason. After it rains or after you turn off the sprinkler, puddles of water may be standing on the ground. If your yard is showing signs of distress while other yards in your area look healthy and lush, the difference may be that the other yards have been aerated recently.
Because of the local environmental factors, Tacoma residents should aerate their lawns at least once per year. This should ideally be completed when the risk of a freeze has passed in the spring or at least a few weeks before the first freeze occurs in the fall. Completing this critical lawn maintenance task too close to a freeze could damage grass roots. Aeration is generally time-consuming and exhausting, and this is particularly true when you have a very large yard. All corners of the yard must be aerated for the best results. Through aeration, holes will be made in regular, tight intervals. These holes enable the dirt to expand outward and to loosen in the process.
Two types of aeration devices are common, but only one of these produces superior results. One aeration tool punctures holes into the compacted soil. This actually can lead to increased compaction. The other aeration tool extracts soil plugs to decrease density. You can see that the best equipment to use for aeration is one that removes soil from the ground. Many Tacoma residents have spent a considerable amount of their free time completing grueling yard work using the wrong tool only to find out that they had worsened their situation dramatically.
Because warm weather conditions are only present in Tacoma for a short period, you understandably want to make the most of this time. Doing yard work on a brilliant, sunny day may not be the way you would prefer to spend your free time, but it may seem like a necessary task to maintain a great yard.
While Tacoma is a beautiful city to live in throughout the year, some of its more memorable and enjoyable activities and events are only available during the warmer months. For example, you can enjoy the beautiful Daffodil Parade in the spring as well as the Tacoma Film Festival that runs at the Grand Cinema. The Farmers Market, Owen Beach, the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium and Fort Nisqually are some of the many beautiful areas that are ideal for exploring when the weather is nice. Other spots are Titlow Beach, Wapato Park, Jack Hyde Park, Old Town Dock, Les Davis Pier, and Marine Park. These venues offer activities that range from swimming and sailing to hiking, picnicking, and more.
There are other fun places to explore, regardless of weather conditions. For example, the Museum of Glass sits on the beautiful Thea Foss Waterway, and it is near the popular Museum District. The Tacoma Art Museum and the local car museum are also interesting places to explore. You could also look for interesting shows that are planned in the upcoming season at the Pantages Theater and the Broadway Center for Performing Arts.
The condition of your lawn directly and significantly affects curb appeal. It also affects water runoff and erosion. Aeration is an essential step in yard maintenance, but it is also easy to overlook and to delay. If you have noticed any of the signs that your soil is too dense or if you have not aerated the soil within the last year, now is the time to do so. You can save time and energy by scheduling an aeration appointment through Lawn Love. When you let a Lawn Love professional work on your yard, you can feel confident that the work will be completed correctly and will leave your lawn in great shape. Book the service that your Tacoma yard needs today through Lawn Love.
