Landscaping 101: When is the Best Time to Aerate your Lawn?

Fall is quickly approaching, so now is the perfect time to start thinking about your lawn. Yes, your lawn. After all, the cooler weather means your green grass is going to disappear — so how are you going to take care of it once the winter weather gets here?

All of us here in Northeastern Pennsylvania know that a harsh winter follows the fall, so you need to make sure that your lawn can take the heat (well, really, the cold) or you’ll end up getting burned. We know, you said you would take all the right precautions last year, but you didn’t and now your lawn is paying for it! Don’t take the sidelines this coming season.  And one of the best things you can do to prep your lawn is to aerate it.

But, what exactly is aeration? How is it done? Why do you need to do it? Don’t worry – we’re going to answer all of your questions and more!

What is Lawn Aeration?

Maybe you’ve heard the term lawn aeration before but are not really sure what it means. Lawn aeration is a process that helps control lawn thatch — a layer of dead turfgrass tissue that lies between the green grass you see and the root system underneath. The more use your lawn receives, the more lawn thatch is created. That buildup can eventually suffocate and kill the lawn.

There are different types of lawn aeration that can be done — from a simple poking of the soil (also known as spiking) or deeply raking it with an aerator machine to remove the thatch, a process known as core aeration.

Why Should I Aerate My Lawn?

Besides keeping your lawn that naturally healthy green color you love, there are many benefits to lawn aeration, such as:

• Improving the health of your turf
• Reducing buildup of thatch
• Relieves soil compaction, which can prevent fertilizer and water from reaching the roots
• Reduce water runoff and puddling
• Helps with the overseeding process

When Should I Aerate My Lawn?

With the cold season grass we have here in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the best time to aerate your lawn would be the fall time, to go hand in hand with overseeding.

But, what is overseeding? It’s just that — sowing additional seed over your existing grass to make your lawn fuller and lusher. By aerating your lawn before fertilizing it in the fall, it gives the nutrients a chance to soak in more effectively for a greener lawn once spring arrives.

Can I Aerate My Lawn On My Own?

Next question: Should you do this yourself? Probably not- unless you’re a lawn service expert like us here at Your Landscapers. Our next recommendation, therefore, is that you hire the pros to get down and dirty.

Lawn care doesn’t end just because the summer is over! Instead, call Your Landscapers to handle your lawn care and maintenance year-round.