Seeding your lawn might sound like a relatively simple task. Why should you hire a pro for something that you can just do on your own?
The truth is, there are some significant benefits to professional lawn seeding that you should be aware of.
We’ve put together this article to help you understand the differences between DIY lawn seeding or paying for professional lawn overseeding services. At the end of the day, we want to see you get the most value for your investment.
One of the key benefits of hiring a professional lawn seeding service is that you can have the seeding service paired with aeration, which will give your seedlings the best possible chance at survival and growth.
Aeration removes small cores (or “plugs”) of soil throughout the yard and displaces them on the surface. This allows more water, oxygen, and nutrients to penetrate deep into the soil and create an overall healthier lawn. In turn, it also loosens the soil, which creates the best-growing conditions for the seed to germinate.
People don’t always realize that seeds require seed-to-soil contact for germination. If you seed a compacted lawn, the seeds won’t do much more than sit there atop the soil. They might get dried out or even eaten.
While some people ask about DIY aeration (with their DIY lawn seeding), this is truly a service best left to the pros. A lawn care professional will have access to commercial-grade equipment that will ensure both the aeration service and the seeding is optimally performed.
The equipment that you could rent on your own won’t be able to pull as many aeration cores or get them as deep as professional equipment. For what is likely only a minimal investment more than paying a rental fee, you can have the service professionally completed and get better results.
It’s important to know that not all seed is created equally. Oftentimes, the stuff that you purchase at the hardware store is poor quality and mixed with a lot of filler, weed seeds, and undesirable grass species.
Putting down low-quality seed can be like shooting yourself in the foot as you can wind up with a lot of weeds mixed in with your grass. Plus, it may not perform as well as you hope. Premium seed will germinate at a higher rate than most seed mixes you’ll find on your own. Would you rather buy a 20 lb bag that is rated at 80% germination or 90%?
You will get more seeds to grow when you use higher quality seed.
Joshua Tree also chooses the ideal species for our clients’ lawns based on the conditions. Pairing up the right species with the right soil and growing conditions are important to the overall success of your lawn. Joshua Tree keeps up with the latest research about what species—and which cultivar of the species—is the ideal choice for Pennsylvania lawns.
It should also be noted that the fall is the best time, temperature-wise for seeding in Pennsylvania. The soil is still warm but the air is cool, providing ideal growing conditions for your new seedlings to germinate.
Successful seeding also requires moisture, sunlight, nutrients, and good quality seed.
Most people automatically assume that aeration and overseeding (which are performed together by most pros) is really expensive which is why they either don’t consider it or try to do DIY aeration and DIY lawn seeding.
But the truth is, it’s often less than people assume it will be. And since it delivers such superior results to a DIY approach, most people come to see the value once they have it done.
The fact is, DIY aeration and DIY seeding isn’t exactly cheap.
You still have to rent the equipment and purchase the seed—plus find the time and deal with the hassles and headaches associated with transporting the equipment. And even when you do all that, you still won’t be using a high-quality piece of equipment like a professional would use. Instead you are likely using a clunky aerator that everyone in town has also rented.
You’ll also likely be using store-bought seed that isn’t going to yield the same results as a professional lawn seeding service with top-quality seed.
In the end, paying a little bit more but getting significantly better results ends up being appealing to most people.
If you truly want the best for your lawn, we suggest you consider professional help.
Here at Joshua Tree, we can provide our clients with the best possible experience in order to give them the best possible results. Having an expert eye on your property can make a huge difference in the success of your lawn.
It’s easy to overlook seeding your lawn as a simple service that you don’t need help with. But when you pair it with professional lawn aeration, you can truly achieve spectacular results.
It can honestly be the difference between a great lawn and one that you’re seriously proud of.
If you’d like to know more about how Joshua Tree can help meet your lawn needs at your home in Lehigh Valley or Buxmont, Pennsylvania, or you have more questions, we’re here to help! Get in touch with us to get some free expert advice and learn more about our lawn care program options.