Spring is the perfect time to aerate your lawn! Aeration is a great project for do-it-yourselfers but also available from most lawn care providers for a small fee. Here are a few things to know about aerating your lawn…A to Z!

Aeration is the best way to help water permeate your lawn
Before you aerate, water the yard thoroughly for a few days
Clay lawns are particularly in need of aeration as they get packed down!
Don’t aerate a yard that’s been seeded or replanted within the year
Examine your yard’s roots to determine the need for aeration
Flag any sprinkler heads or buried stones to avoid during aerating
Get an aerator at a local home and garden store
Hire a lawncare company to aerate if you’re already in over your head!
Invest in a “mechanical core aerator” if you can – they do the most thorough job
Join up with some friends as aeration equipment can be heavy!
Keep your aeration paths even as you roll over the lawn
Leave the soil cores in the yard – they’ll eventually decompose
Make sure you only roll over each area ONCE!
Need help? It’s never too late to call a professional to finish the job
Once you’re done aerating, it’s time to fertilize
Purchase compost or fertilizer before you aerate
Quench your yard’s thirst with lots of water at this point
Resist the urge to walk on the yard to avoid packing in the holes
Sprinkle grass seed into the holes – now’s a great time to seed
Too much fertilizer is bad for the yard – evenly apply water, fertilizer, and seed
Use compost to fill in any holes that remain
Verify you’ve aerated correctly with your lawn maintenance professional
Water your yard every other day in hot weather after aeration (don’t drown it!)
Xpect water to soak into your yard more evenly after aeration
Yearly, inspect a 6″ deep section of yard to see how well water’s soaking in
Zealously aerate about once a year for a perfectly healthy lawn!

Aerating isn’t difficult, but it can be time consuming. If you decide to forgo the weekend-warrior project, contact a local lawn care company to do your aerating for you. Warm weather grass is crying out for aerating this time of year – you owe it to your yard to keep it healthy by aerating yearly so it can absorb water well!