Lawn Care McLean VA Experts’ Tips on Spring Lawn Drainage

While we are all grateful to snowy winters and rainy springs to keep our lands green and productive, we might also face some lawn drainage issues this time of year. Most gardeners struggle with waterlogged lawns from time to time, so some drainage improvements go a long way after heavy or prolonged rain. However, since not many homeowners afford land drains or are ready to make massive landscape adjustments, they can help lawn drainage with simple changes to their lawn care regimen. Let’s see some tips from our experts in lawn care in McLean, VA, to solve the early spring drainage problems and promote healthy plant growth!

Remove the Thatch

Most gardeners know that thatch comprises dead leaves, rhizomes, moss, and other vegetal debris. The materials are amassed at the base of the grass plants. While, in theory, thatch is an excellent source of plant nutrients as it decomposes, it sometimes accumulates faster than microbes can break it down. When this happens, thatch creates a dense, almost impenetrable mat over the soil, interrupting normal water absorption and creating water and mud puddles all over your yard.

Expert lawn care providers in McClean, VA, can help you with this issue by using mechanical scarification and other methods to remove the thatch from your lawn. You can do it with a rake, too, but the work is excruciating, especially if you have a large lawn. Once you remove all the thatch, you can use it in your compost pile.

Improve Drainage by Solving Soil Compaction

A yard with an open, porous, aerated soil structure allows lawn turf and plants to thrive all year long. The magic word here is aeration, which you should not skip this year either, especially if you deal with clay patches, puddles, slushy soil areas, etc. If you allow the air, warmth, light, and water to move freely inside the soil, the plant roots can access everything they need to develop healthily.

Soil core aeration creates new air spaces and allows all plants to thrive. Our specialists in lawn maintenance in McClean, VA, recommend hollow-tine aeration, as the method allows them to remove little chunks of soil and open up the soil structure.

Topdressing

Our lawn care company in McLean, VA, recommends topdressing to make aeration more efficient for longer periods. Our technicians can spread a thin layer of special topdressing soil or compost on top of your lawn and then rake and brush it into the holes left by aeration. This process improves the soil’s texture, improving its porosity and, thus, its drainage capabilities.