Is your lawn starting to develop brown patches or water is forming puddles instead of being absorbed by the soil? You may want to consider aerating your lawn. Keep reading to find out when, how, and why you should aerate your lawn!

You want to aerate the lawn when your grass is in its peak growing period so it can recover quickly, so early spring or fall for cool-season grasses and late spring through early summer for warm-season grasses. If you have high-traffic areas, you are going to want to aerate annually.

So, what exactly is lawn aeration?

Lawn aeration is the process of poking holes in the ground with a pitchfork or other specific tool to break up compacted soil. It should be done at least once a year, usually in the late summer or early fall, and sometimes more often if you have clay soil, new sod, or a lot of foot traffic in your lawn regularly.  It allows air to permeate the ground while also creating a path for water and fertilizer to easily access the root zone beneath the turf, helping to ensure a thick lawn.

Ultimately you want to aerate your lawn because heavy recreational use, active pets, foot traffic, and even your lawnmowers can compact the soil underneath the lawn, which impedes root growth and slowly decomposes grass stems and roots which keeps water from penetrating as well as retaining nutrients for adequate plant and grass growth. Aerating regularly will help keep your soil healthier!

To aerate your lawn, you can use lawn aerators, power rakes, and other power equipment that can be found at your local tool rental store along with hardware stores and some big box retailers. Renting one of those will set you back around $60 to $75 for a half day. Be sure to have a truck and some extra hands available because aerators are heavy by design. Otherwise, hire our lawn care experts here at TPS Landscaping, or learn more about our Turf Care Program! 

Aerating Your Lawn:

• Flag Utilities.

If you have an irrigation system, start with flagging those sprinkler heads. You want to prevent unnecessary damage!

• Time Your Aeration Right.

You want to aerate when the ground is soft, such as after a recent rainfall. If you try to aerate dry soil, it will simply crumble and won't give you the depth you need in order to maximize the benefits of aeration. Not to mention, it can be very difficult to break up compacted, dry soil, especially that Southeast red clay we see in Western North Carolina. 

• Be Thorough.

Go over your entire lawn at least once, preferably twice, the second time at a cross angle. This is especially true if you have very dense or impacted soil such as clay. Clay retains water like a champ, but it doesn't drain well which can cause lawn issues such as root rot and other complications if it's not dealt with properly. Adding gypsum and aerating it can help tremendously and get your lawn growing again. 

• Wait Patiently.

Allow the soil cores lying on the surface to dry before attempting to over-seed your lawn. 

After you have aerated your lawn, it is important to keep the maintenance up with other lawn care, such as fertilizing, adding soil amendments, or overseeding. Water, fertilizer, and grass seed all need to get through the lawn surface and into the soil to do their job. An application of fertilizer immediately after core aeration will also help restore your lawn. Give us a call for any of your landscaping needs!

(Updated and edited 7/11/2023)