Executive Turf Care

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I aerate warm season grass?

Warm season turf should be aerated during late Spring or early Summer.
Avoid aerating warm season grasses during spring green up. It is best not to aerate warm season lawns until they have received their first mowing in spring.

When do I aerate and seed fescue grass?

Late August, September and October is the best time of year to rejuvenate your fescue lawn. Fescue grows and develops in cooler temperatures much better than hot weather. We suggest doing the aeration and seeding while the soil temperatures are warm rather than waiting until late fall. The seed will need to be kept constantly moist for a much shorter period of time before germination if seeded early in the fall. Young grass will also have more time to develop before the colder temperatures stunt the growth. The better developed your new fescue grass can be going into the heat of the next summer, the better chances it will have of surviving the heat, drought and fungus that can cause irreparable damage.

Is core aeration needed when seeding?

Southeastern Clay soils can become very compact. This inhibits the ability of both newly seeded fescue and established fescue to form a strong deep root system. The stronger the root system becomes, the greener, healthier and thicker your fescue lawn will be. Core aeration also helps to keep the seed moist during the germination stage. The seed must remain moist during this stage or it will never mature.

How High Should I cut my Lawn?

A lawn's growth rate is affected by many factors, including fertilization, rainfall or irrigation, and grass species. Here are recommended mowing heights for the most commonly used lawn grasses

Turfgrass	Optimum Height	Typical Frequency	Mower Type
Common Bermudagrass	1½" to 2½ "	5 to 7 days	Rotary
Hybrid Bermudagrass	1" to 1½"	3 to 5 days	Rotary or Reel**
Tall Fescue	2" to 3½"	7 to 14 days	Rotary
Zoysiagrass	1" to 2"	7 to 14 days	Rotary or Reel**

** Reel mowers provide a better quality cut and are needed for heights below 1 ½ inches, but powered reel mowers can be much more expensive to buy and maintain than regular rotary lawn mowers.

Why use straw on the Bare areas?

Wheat straw is used in the bare, thin, and sloped areas in order to help hold the moisture in the soil. Surface moisture on a bare area will dry out in less than 15 minutes with 80 degree temperatures and a five mile per hour wind. The wheat straw holds the seed in place and keeps direct sunlight off the swelling seeds until they germinate. The majority of the straw is picked up by the mower on the first mowing after the new grass has begun to develop.