You might be asking yourself, “Do I need to aerate my lawn this season?” Or better yet, “what is aeration”, you might ask? Lawn aeration is the process

that removes small cores of hardened soil and thatch build-up from the ground so that air and nutrients can enter the root system of your grass. This allows air, water, and nutrients to absorb into the root system. The cores that are left on your lawn will help break down the thatch build-up. Additionally, the holes are able to fill with nutrients, soil, and water, but also allow the current grass roots to spread out. This leaves you with a healthy lawn again.

The best time to aerate really depends on what type of grass you have. If your lawn has a cool season grass, then you want to aerate just before high growth: in the early spring or early fall. For warm season grasses, the best time to aerate is early in the summer. Much of the reason you want to aerate during these times is due to the fact that aeration is an especially beneficial treatment to complete when you are also need to seed or fertilize. The best time to overseed or fertilize is just after aerating.

The eight main reasons to aerate are because aeration:

-          Controls thatch
-          Reduces damage from drought
-          Improves the drainage of water on your lawn
-          Reduces the water runoff of your lawn
-          Keeps your grass greener
-          Reduces your water bill because water can more easily get into the soil
-          Reduces soil compaction
-          Allows air, water, and nutrients to enter the root system of your grass