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Core aeration should be performed every one to two years on lawns that receive heavy foot traffic. Otherwise, aerating every two to four years on home lawns is sufficient. Soil plugs can be left on the surface of the lawn. They will decompose in a couple of weeks.
Can you aerate your lawn too much?
Can You Aerate Your Lawn Too Much? Aeration is excellent for your grass, but you can certainly make the case of too much of a good thing here. Core aeration, in particular, can cause a lot of damage in the process. You need to give your grass time to recover from that damage and make repairs.
How often should I aerate my lawn?
When to Aerate Your Lawn If you have high-traffic areas or heavy clay soil, you will want to aerate every year. If you have sandy soil or your lawn is growing well, aerating the lawn can happen every 2-3 years.
What month Should I aerate my lawn?
When should you aerate cool-season grasses and warm-season grasses? The trick is to aerate right before overseeding. The best time to have lawn care services aerate your lawn in Midwest locations is usually around August or September. In warmer states, aerate in late spring or early summer.
Do you need to aerate your lawn every year?
Usually, lawn aeration should occur annually. If your lawn is showing the signs listed above and you’ve already aerated once this year, your soil may be compacted and require another round. Plan to seed and fertilize after core aeration. Let the plugs disintegrate into the lawn.
How soon after aeration can you mow?
After you lay down your seedlings, they’ll need time and the right environmental protection to grow. They’ll need to acclimate and set roots before the first mow, so during the first two to four weeks post aerating and overseeding, don’t mow.
Do I Overseed After aerating?
Overseeding immediately after core aeration allows excellent soil contact for your new grass seed as it falls into the holes you made in your turf. This improves germination rate, and you simultaneously strengthen existing grass plants while thickening your lawn with healthy new seedlings.
Is aerating your lawn worth it?
Is lawn aeration necessary? Almost all lawns will benefit from aeration, and a great lawn demands it. That said, most lawns do not need it. Lawns suffering from heavy foot traffic, excessive thatch (>1 inch thick) or grown on heavy soils will benefit most.
Should I aerate or dethatch first?
Excess thatch blocks out air, light and water from reaching root zones. Dethatching and aeration services go hand in hand. Dethatch first, then aerate.
Do I need to dethatch if I aerate?
It is best to dethatch first before aerating your lawn. Aerating is best done when there’s the problem of compaction. Both dethatching and aerating your lawn will improve air, nutrient, and water penetration into the root zone of your grass.
Should I mow lawn before aerating?
Before you aerate, mow your lawn low (Timberline lawn experts recommend setting your mower to about 1.5-2 inches above the ground to maximize the effectiveness of aerating, being sure to not scalp the crown of the grass.) This is because the soils must be moist when you aerate to help the machine penetrate the soil.
How do you overseed after aeration?
After the aeration is done, the overseeding can be done. This is done by spreading grass seeds uniformly over the entire yard. Extra grass seeds can be spread in areas that are thin or damaged. The grass should be watered regularly after this is done to ensure the seeds can grow.
When should I dethatch my lawn?
For both cool and warm-season grasses, the best time to dethatch is mid-to-late spring or early fall. During this time when the turf is actively growing, the grass will quickly recover from injury.
How do I fix a bumpy lawn?
How to Fix a Bumpy Lawn Set the lawn mower to a low or short setting, so the cut grass will be extremely short. Rake the lawn with a garden rake to remove thatch, a layer of living and dead plant matter directly on top of the soil. Apply scoops of fresh topsoil to low areas of the lawn using a shovel.
How often should you dethatch and aerate your lawn?
Plan on doing it every five years or so if your lawn needs it. You might want to give your lawn a quick check every year just to see how much thatch has accumulated. Time your long-term dethatching and aeration (we’ll get to that momentarily) schedule.
Is aeration better in spring or fall?
If you’re looking to aerate in the spring, the best time would be between March and May. While we recommend aerating your lawn in the fall, spring core aeration may be beneficial if your turf is so compacted it refuses to grow.
Can you walk on lawn after aeration?
You can’t walk on the lawn after aeration because the seeds and fertilizer need time to settle, and the soil could get too compact. Walking or mowing on a freshly-aerated lawn can prevent the seeds from sprouting and the soil from getting enough oxygen and nutrients.
Should you rake up the plugs after aerating?
The holes left in the ground reduce compaction in soil, which keeps water and nutrients from getting to grass roots and allows the roots to spread freely. Aerating also helps breaks up the thatch layer. You don’t have to rake the plugs left by aerating, but doing so gets nutrients back into the soil faster.
