Renovation Preparation

Now is the time to prepare the lawn for renovation. First, mow the turf lower than usual, down to 2 to 2 1/2 inches. This may take consecutive mowings over a period of a few days because mowing off more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time will stress the turf. Next, remove all debris from the turf (e.g. leaves, sticks, gumballs, etc.) A leaf rake is ideal and will also remove some of the dead grass. Then, water heavily to soften up the ground for the aeration. Finally, flag all sprinkler heads, valve boxes, and any other underground objects that may be damaged by the aerator.