How to Aerate Your Lawn

Lawn maintenance is easier when you gather your tools and materials in advance. You will need:

• A lawn or garden aerator
• Garden gloves (recommended)
• A garden hose
• A lawn sprinkler
• Irrigation flags
• Grass seed (optional)
• Lawn fertilizer

Over time, grass and soil can become compressed and compacted. This creates thatch, which is a thin layer of dead and living grass roots, stems and shoots that forms between the soil and the grass in your lawn.

As this organic matter decays slowly, thatch builds up. As the thatch becomes thicker, it prevents air, water and fertilizer from reaching the roots of the grass. This can cause your lawn to thin out and die.

Aeration is the practice of making holes in your lawn to loosen the soil underneath. This lets oxygen, water and important nutrients reach the roots. Aeration can help your lawn become green and healthier. It can also help improve a lawn growing in poor soil or heavy clay.

Consider aerating your lawn if it is thinning or browning or if you have trouble growing grass in spots. Aerating is also a good idea if your lawn regularly experiences heavy foot or vehicle traffic.

The best time to aerate is during the growing season. For grasses commonly found in more seasonal climates in the North, consider aerating during the early fall or early spring. In the South and other warmer climates, the best time to aerate your lawn is in late spring.

Most homeowners should aerate their lawns at least every other year, while golf courses or other places that get heavy use are typically aerated at least twice a year.

Thoroughly water your lawn a day or two before you begin the aeration process. Apply at least one inch of water. You can also aerate after a good, soaking rain that provides at least an inch of water.

After watering your grass, use irrigation flags to mark any areas in the lawn that might have hidden objects like tree stumps or irrigation heads. This will help you avoid running over them with the lawn aerator.

Start by choosing the type of aerator to use. The two primary types of lawn aerators are plug aerators and spike aerators.

Plug aerators, also called core aerators, have hollow tines and remove plugs of soil from your lawn. Spike aerators have rollers with solid spikes that puncture holes in the ground. Spike aerators will punch holes in the lawn as you go, while core aerators will remove plugs of grass and soil. It's fine to leave the plugs on the lawn to decompose.

Whether you're using a core aerator or a spike aerator, go completely over the lawn in one direction and then go back over it in a perpendicular direction.

Tip: A steel spike aerator is ideal for small yards, while a core aerator is designed to handle bigger areas.

Once you've finished aerating your lawn, it's a good time to apply any necessary grass seed and fertilizer. Follow the directions on your fertilizer product for how much and how often to feed your grass.

Tip: Always water your lawn after fertilizing to avoid burning it.

If you have a moderate to small lawn, consider renting an aerator. Rental aerators can complete most lawn aeration projects in a weekend. If you’re looking to aerate a larger property, consider a towable lawn aerator rental. A towable aerator can aerate up to 3 acres of land per hour.

Most aeration projects happen once a year, so renting makes a lot of sense. However, if you plan on aerating your property more often or have a large amount of property to aerate, buying your own equipment may be a better choice.