Lawns need reinvigoration and maintenance over time. You should sometimes reseed your lawn to bring back its green features. Before you go on with the method, be aware that some techniques can greatly influence the grass seeds’ growth.
Rolling your lawn is advisable, especially after seeding. This technique aims to flatten the lawn. It can help establish the contact of seeds and soil through the pressing method. This can also help cover up the holes that animals dug and can get rid of the sod’s air pockets that affect seed growth.
In this article, we will discuss what rolling a lawn does, when you should do it, and what are the best ways to do so. We will also tackle its pros and cons.
What Does Rolling a Lawn Do?
Maintaining a healthy lawn requires consistent work. There are several ways to achieve it, but there are ups and downs in the different patterns and methods you can apply. Some lawn owners prefer doing specific techniques that may not suit other lawns.
One of the methods in taking care of the green features of your lawn is to roll it. Rolling a lawn can help flatten the surface. It will also assist the seeds in making a dependable bond with the soil while it grows.
The rolling technique is recommended for lawn maintenance, but it can only influence about 2 inches of the top surface of the soil. Whenever there are holes created by animals, they can still dig them again since the cover of their tunnel is not that deep. This method specifically pertains to the development of grass seeds.
Note that rolling cannot crush nor remove the bumps on your lawn. Don’t try to press those rocks or stones using a roller. You should remove it manually or with the use of other equipment, which is only advisable if you are starting to grow grass seeds on the lawn.
The best solution to get rid of bumps is to cover them with soil until the surface is completely flat. Rolling can help in smoothening small bumps but not huge ones. Since rollers are made to flatten the lawn, there are still some limitations that may not resist it or may harm your lawn.
If you’re wondering if you should roll your lawn, then our answer is neutral. The process presents both advantages and disadvantages depending on the handling and application. We advise you to learn more about it before applying this technique.
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When Should You Roll Your Lawn?
There is a specific schedule to follow for rolling a lawn. It can help after you spread grass seeds when you want to reseed the surface of your lawn. You can also roll it during the spring to cover the holes that animals dug as they become more evident after the winter.
If you are new to lawn maintenance and are hesitating to do it on your lawn, we advise you to consult a specialist or expert to help you with the process. Beware that carelessly rolling your lawn can damage it over time.
1. After reseeding or seeding
Rolling a lawn requires you to do it at a particular time. There are a few ways that can help with the germination of seeds. If you still have a bare lawn and want to plant seeds, then rolling is recommended to establish a connection between the seeds and soil.
Although rolling a lawn after the seeding process is ideal, raking is also an alternative for which you don’t need to buy new rollers. The idea is only for this specific method and does not apply to other ways to maintain your lawn. Another technique for which you will need a roller is if you want to smoothen your lawn sod.
2. After sod installation
Lawn sods or turfs are different from the bare lawn surface. Sods are grown grasses that are collected or usually rolled for relocation. Setting the sods to your bare lawn and rolling them can hugely affect the growth of the grasses.
If you lay the sods on your lawn, air sacs might appear. To flatten those, use a roller after installing the sods. Rolling them can also help with the establishment of sod in the soil of your lawn.
3. Spring season
Pests and other animals may damage your lawn by digging holes in it. They use those tunnels to protect themselves from harmful outdoor elements. During spring, you can see the holes these animals have dug, which is a good time for you to roll your lawn.
You can’t see the holes in the winter since everything is covered with snow and ice. Once it starts melting and spring is starting, you can start revitalizing your lawn. To do so, you first need to smoothen the lawn surface by rolling it.
Most lawn owners start rejuvenating their lawn in the spring. Even when fertilizing the grass, you should do it during this season to preserve the healthy green vibrance of your lawn. That means that once you’ve rolled the lawn, it is best to follow up with lawn care methods.
What Is the Best Way to Roll Your Lawn?
Before you roll the lawn, make sure the soil is moist and you aren’t doing it with clay soils. Use lightweight rollers to prevent the over-compaction of the soil and allow access to air and nutrients for seed development. Avoid rolling your lawn yearly as it can damage the grass.
The next thing you should learn is the best practices when rolling your lawn. Since this method is crucial and requires attention to be performed appropriately, know the steps vividly. Be careful as irresponsible lawn rolling can result in lots of damages to the grass. We have enumerated the following ways to guide you through the process.
1. Roll the moist soil
The texture and characteristics of the lawn soil matter in the rolling process. Before you decide to roll the lawn, make sure the soil is damped or moist. This is the best texture to do since it will neither be too wet nor too dry.
The question is why you should avoid overly soaking the soil with water. Rolling this kind of soil will compress its figure without leaving or allowing any air. It’s a disadvantage to the seeds, especially as part of the growing process as the soil is closed-packed and the elements, like air, can’t access it.
Although, dry soil is not advisable to roll either. Grass seeds need water or moistness to establish their bond to the soil. Without these, the grass may not grow healthy, or worse, may die early.
2. Use lightweight rollers
Another factor that can compress your soil too much is the use of heavy and huge rollers. The weight of this kind of roller contributes to pressing the soil, making it more compressed.
When rolling your lawn, use a lightweight roller to avoid compressing the soil. It will allow you to flatten the soil moderately, which you need to do for the seeds to grow.
3. Don’t roll clay soil
Rollers aim to flatten and smoothen the lawn’s surface. Lawns may contain different kinds of soil, and you can’t change it automatically. Instead, you can improve its quality by applying amendments, which means you can’t proceed to roll your soil immediately.
Knowing the type of soil is important for the rolling method. If you have clay soil on your lawn, you will know if you need to roll it. Clay soils are susceptible to compression, which affects their features, so you shouldn’t roll yours if you are seeding or overseeding.
4. Avoid rolling the lawn frequently
Although rolling can help with the germination of grass seeds, it is advisable you only roll your lawn once when reseeding. Doing it too frequently can damage the grass because of the soil compaction. Avoid rolling your lawn yearly if your lawn doesn’t need it.
This method is effective if you do it at the right amount. It is also similar to watering the plants, which will die if you soak them with water. What’s best is to apply the rolling method when your lawn needs it.
5. Aerate the lawn
After rolling the lawn, you should aerate it. The soil has been compacted through the rolling process, and putting plugs to allow the air and water is a good idea. In this way, you can ensure that the seeds can get the elements and nutrients they need to grow.
There are several considerations in aerating the lawn. We advise you to consult an expert or research it before proceeding.
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The Pros and Cons of Rolling Your Lawn
Knowing the pros and cons can answer your question about whether you should roll your lawn or not. Rolling is ideal to improve the contact between the seeds and soil. The main disadvantage comes in when rolling makes the soil more compact, which impedes air and water access.
Before you decide to roll your lawn, thoroughly read about the advantages and disadvantages of this method, so you can avoid damaging your lawn. Rolling is not a process that you can just apply to your lawn. You must be vigilant to its methods and negative aspects so you can achieve the positive effects of the grass growth that you are looking for.
We have enumerated the pros and cons to help you determine whether you should roll your lawn or not.
Pros
- Rolling the lawn during spring is highly recommended as the soil is exposed to the shift of temperature during winter. The lawn probably has bumps that require you to flatten it to revitalize the grass. Smoothing the surface of your lawn will make it easy for you to cut the grasses and will provide you with flat ground.
- Another advantage of rolling your lawn is the opportunity to cover the tunnels or holes dug by animals. With such, you can reseed the lawn easily as it is flat after rolling it.
- The main purpose of rolling your lawn is to compress the soil and seed so they can have stable contact. The process can help with the quality development of the grass.
- You can get rid of air pockets by rolling them, so it won’t hinder the seed’s growth.
- It allows the soil to absorb and hold water for a lengthy period.
- Rolling sods after installing them can help with the establishment of roots in the soil, which can develop a good foundation for their growth. As with seeds, you can remove sods’ air pockets by rolling them.
Cons
- Rolling aims to compress the soil of the lawn, which can hamper seeds’ access to air, water, and nutrients.
- If rolling lacks proper handling, it can harm the whole lawn. An example of improper handling is the repeated use of heavy rollers.
- It requires the aeration of the soil after rolling the lawn to allow the elements and favor grass development.
- Rolling the lawn can damage the grass.
- Soil compaction presents disadvantages as your soil’s natural features allow air and water. If you press it, the innate structure is affected and can reduce the effectiveness of the grass’ growth.
Conclusion
Rolling a lawn can offer both advantages and disadvantages. This method is recommended to build a strong foundation for your roots in the soil. Although it can greatly help the strong development of the grass seeds, it can also have negative effects on the soil and lawn.
Before you proceed to roll your lawn, we advise you to read thoroughly about the methods, ideal time to do it, pros, and cons of this process. Consulting an expert is another great idea so you can guarantee that you’re on the right track when rolling your lawn.
