Between March and May is a great time to get going with an organic approach to lawn care. Begin by topdressing with a good quality compost screened to 3/8 minus and spread approximately 1/4″ thick. Core aerate the lawn using a good sized core approximately 1/2″ in diameter. The reason for topdressing first is so when you core aerate the cores will be on top the compost and exposed to the sun and wind so they can dry. After about 1.5 to 2 hours the cores will be dry and you can drag the surface with a drag mat or piece of chain link fence with 2 x 4’s or 4 x 4″s attached to it. this will break up the core plugs, combine them with the native soil and allow the mix to enter into the cored holes. It will also help in leveling the lawn. The compost will act as a starter fertilizer giving the lawn a little pop of nitrogen to get the turf growing quickly. The microbial bacteria will begin working to improve the soil structure and porosity.
