When should you not aerate your lawn?

Never aerate dormant lawns. For cool-season grasses common in northern lawns, early fall or early spring are the best times for aerating. For warm-season grasses common to southern lawns, the best time for aerating is late spring or very early summer.

What is the best month to aerate my lawn?

The best time to aerate your lawn is in late summer or early fall, as this will allow your grass to recover completely before going dormant in the winter. While Fall is recommended, you can also aerate and overseed your lawn in the spring between March and May.

Why you shouldn't aerate your lawn?

While aerating does relieve soil compaction – enabling roots to more easily obtain fertilizer, water, and air – it could also cause it to dry out quicker. A stressed lawn is more prone to being invaded by aggressive weeds, such as crabgrass, and damaged by summer drought.

Is it better to aerate in spring or fall?

We recommend you aerate your lawn once per year. If you have a warm-season grass, you should aerate now (early spring) as temperatures start to rise. If you have cool-season grass, fall is going to be the best time to aerate and seed your lawn. Aeration is necessary for the growth and health of your lawn.

How do I know if my lawn needs to be aerated?

How Often Should Lawn Aeration Be Done?

Should you cut grass low 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.) You will want to water one to three days before aerating.

Should I pick up plugs after aerating?

As we've established, don't remove aeration plugs. It takes approximately one to two weeks for the plugs to break down on their own, but there are some things you can do to help the plugs break down faster to tidy up the lawn. You can hope for rainfall, but you can also water the lawn to help the plugs break down.

How late in fall can you aerate?

Fall aeration should take place mid to late October after temperatures have cooled down. Aerating in the fall preps your grass for the spring. Your lawn will grow greener and thicker the following spring after fall aeration.

Is it ever too late to aerate?

Knowing when it is too late to aerate and overseed depends upon your grass type. For cool-season grasses, late fall and early winter are too late to do anything. For warm-season grasses, once the growing season has passed from late summer to early fall, it is not smart to take any actions.

Should ground be wet before aerating?

Aerating is easiest on you (or your equipment operator) and your lawn when your soil is moist from irrigation or rainfall the day before. Overly dry soil can be tough to aerate, so moisture eases the process. Never aerate overly wet lawns; wait a few days instead.

Can I aerate my lawn in October?

September and October are the best months to aerate your soil. Aerating in the fall will give your lawn's roots the boost they need in order to recuperate from a hot summer and prepare for a thriving spring!

Can aeration damage lawn?

(Aerating) is stressful to the lawn in the short term and healthy in the long term; cutting the lawn directly after causes more stress and can cause damage. – BK. Don't pick up the cores. A landscaper should leave the plugs on the lawn's surface.

Does aerating damage lawn?

Because these cores of soil are small and calibrated to your lawn's growth habit, your lawn won't suffer any damage by aeration. Most lawns are made up of turf grasses that develop dense, fibrous root systems, and their root systems benefit from being periodically opened up.

How late in the year can I aerate my lawn?

Aeration can take place at any time of the year, but the best time is usually in the spring/early summer or fall. The general recommendation is to core aerate when there is the most root growth. For warm-season grasses: Bermuda, St.

How long does it take for grass to grow after aeration?

This time varies depending on your area and the type of grass you planted; for example, fescue and ryegrass typically take about 10 to 14 days to germinate, while Kentucky bluegrass might take up to four weeks. A lawn care professional can advise you on the right timespan.

What to do with plugs after aeration?

Leave the soil plugs on the lawn to decompose and filter back into the holes left by the aeration machine. Your lawn mower will often break them up and help work them back into the soil within two to three weeks. Apply fertilizer immediately after aerating your lawn to put nutrients into your grass roots.

Is October too late to aerate and overseed?

Knowing when it is too late to aerate and overseed depends upon your grass type. For cool-season grasses, late fall and early winter are too late to do anything. For warm-season grasses, once the growing season has passed from late summer to early fall, it is not smart to take any actions.

Is October too late to overseed?

When it's October, people often wonder if it is too late to plant new seed. The good news is if you hurry, seed can still be planted in October with the hope that it will survive the upcoming winter. Although September is the best time, often we can still plant grass seed up to October 15 with good results.

Is November too late for grass seed?

Through dormant seeding, grass seed can be planted in November when the weather is cold enough to keep it dormant until the weather warms up in the spring. Once spring arrives, the seeds will sprout and grow normally.

Should I aerate my lawn in November?

You want to aerate the lawn when your grass is in its peak growing period so it can recover quickly—think early spring or fall for cool-season grasses, and late spring through early summer for warm-season grasses. If you have high-traffic areas or heavy clay soil, you will want to aerate every year.

Should I aerate in November?

Your customers should be having their lawn aerated at least once a year, ideally between August and November, but heavily used turf, especially those growing on heavy clay or subsoils, may need aeration in the spring as well.

Can you aerate in November?

For warm-season grasses it is too late to aerate once the growing season has passed in late summer into early fall. For cool-season grasses, late fall into early winter is too late to aerate.

Which is better liquid or plug aeration?

Plug aerators are generally more effective, but they produce unsightly cores of dirt that sit on the lawn. It can take weeks for these cores to break down, and many find that these soil cores resemble goose droppings. On the other hand, liquid aeration is effective without the need to bore holes in the lawn.

Should you fertilize right after aerating?

Immediately after aerating, your lawn is exposed to oxygen, and so laying fertilizer during this time is your best bet for growing a healthy, envy-worthy lawn. The best fertilizer to use (and how much) will be dependent on your grass type and lawn size.

How many passes should I make when aerating?

Avoid aeration when soils are dry or wet. The tubes or tines will not be able to penetrate deeply when the soil is dry and may get plugged with soil when the soil is wet. Lawns that are properly aerated should have 20 to 40 holes per square foot.