Core Aeration is a mechanical process of pulling plugs of soil about the size of your pointer finger out of the ground. This reduces compaction and allows oxygen, nutrients and water to get the root of the grass plant. In return it promotes new growth and creates a healthy plant. During this process of pulling the plugs out of the ground the layer of thatch is also removed. By removing the thatch, it reduces the risk of insects and disease in the coming season.

The “plugs” of soil will lay on top of the turf and may look a little sloppy. However, they will naturally breakdown in about a two-week period.
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This process is best done in the fall after the lawn has taken a beating with the summer heat.  This service can be done annually however, we normally recommend doing this process every other year for budgetary reason. 

The Summer of 2018 will be remembered as the summer of turfgrass management mayhem! As we continue to educate ourselves to adopt to the current conditions, we need to stay focused and remember the cool season grasses in New Jersey are not designed to thrive in the extreme heat we have been experiencing.
​Take note that once weather conditions improve, so will the health of your turfgrass.

From the Industry Experts:
 “The summer of 2018 isn’t going away quietly for many in New Jersey. August 2018 will be remembered for a steady dose of torrential rain that has made turfgrass management extremely difficult…High humidity and extended periods of leaf wetness have provided ideal conditions for diseases as well. Desirable turfgrass is thinning out and giving the competitive advantage to certain weeds. If you have weed problems right now you are not alone!”- Matthew Elmore, Center for Turfgrass Science at the NJAES
“You most likely have noticed that cool-season grasses have recently entered a period of stagnation or inactivity (dog days) and, in some cases, are spent. The hot summer days have steadily increased soil temperatures to the point that the soil is now warmer than air temperature for much of the daylight hours and all of the night… These soil temperatures are well above the optimum temperatures for root growth and clearly explain why cool-season grasses are lethargic at this time…
What to do? Be patient and do not “push” the grass. This is not the time of year to stress out turf – the grass has very little resiliency and will not tolerate much abuse or recovery quickly…. Root systems of cool-season grasses are weakest and shallowest at this time of year. Thus, localized drought stress can develop rapidly – within a couple hot, sunny days – during the dog days.” - Dr. James A. Murphy, Department of Plant Biology and Pathology Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
 
Moving forward, giving your lawn the attention, it needs after a summer of extreme conditions is the best thing you can do. Improving the overall health of the grass plant is the BEST thing to do to combat these conditions in the future. THE FALL IS THE BEST TIME TO REJUVENATE YOUR LAWN! Get on the schedule now to give you lawn the attention it deserves.

Rich Green Lawns is excited to announce the renewal of our partnership with the Lakewood BlueClaws. For the next two seasons, Rich Green Lawns LLC will be continue its role as the “Preferred Fertilization Company of the Lakewood BlueClaws!” We look forward to continuing our partnership and for the next installment of the Movary Minute!
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Do NOT allow your Green Ash Tree- (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)  become devastated from this epidemic.
The New Jersey Emearld Ash Bore Task Force said that, "Over the next few years, 99% of NJ ash tress will die due to emerald ash borer infestations."

No matter how healthy, every lawn is susceptible to getting a disease. The most common lawn diseases in cool season grasses are:

• Brown Patch has large patches of yellowing, brownish grass with dark rings outlining them.
• Dollar Spot has small patches of dead grass. True to their name, these patches are typically round and the approximate diameter of a silver dollar coin.
• Red Thread is a fungal structure resembling a thread that grows on the grass blades.
• Summer Patch has patches of dead grass that form rings or semi-circles with a bronze-colored outline. The turf within these rings usually suffers.