How & When to Aerate Your Lawn | Milorganite (2024)

FAQs

How & When to Aerate Your Lawn | Milorganite? ›

If your lawn is in good condition aerate every other year when your grass is actively growing. Northern grasses should aerate in early fall; aerating in the spring can damage new grass shoots. Southern grasses should aerate between mid-spring and early summer, and avoid aerating in the fall when the grass is dormant.

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.

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.

Aerate the lawn using your chosen tool. If it's a spike aerator, make at least two passes over the yard, each in a different direction. If using a plug aerator, just one pass is needed. Leave any soil plugs on the lawn; they will return nutrients to the soil as they decompose.

Overseeding is most successful when done after aeration in the fall. The loose soil will give the seeds more opportunity to germinate. Because aeration encourages better water and nutrient intake, this also creates the perfect environment for seeds to take root.

Yes! There are many benefits to aeration. For one, taking plugs of dirt from compacted soil lets it “breath,” allowing water and nutrients to get deeper into the root zone of the grass. Aeration also improves the flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide, which plants need to be healthy.

Prior to aeration and seeding, a lawn should be mowed at a height of 1.5 to 2 inches. Any clippings left on the lawn after this close cut, should be bagged, blown or raked off the lawn. This is necessary to maximize seed to soil contact as the seed is spread. This is a key factor in successful germination.

Mowing and raking will help pick up any dead thatch that has accumulated and hopefully clear out any dead spots. Doing this prevents extra thatch from being left over on your grass.

Lawns that are properly aerated should have 20 to 40 holes per square foot. Since most aeration machines won't remove the proper number of holes with a single pass, several passes are often necessary. After aeration, mow the lawn to break up the soil cores on the soil surface.

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.

What is the best tool to aerate a lawn? ›

Lawn Augers: The Best Aeration Tool For Your Lawn and Trees

Power Planter Aeration Augers are the easiest way to let your trees breath. These yard aeration tools bore holes into the ground in order to break up soil that's been compacted by foot traffic or thatch accumulation.

The best method of manually aerating your lawn is using a manual core aerator. This is a tool designed with a handle and a foot bar. You are required to hold the handle using both hands so you can drive it into the soil. In areas where the soil is too compacted, the foot bar offers extra leverage.

Cool-season grass is weak when coming out of winter dormancy, so spring would not be an ideal time to aerate. The summer heat is the most stressful point of the year for these grasses, so you will not want to aerate and add even more stress during that time.

But if your grass is healthy and thriving and hasn't been impacted by a lot of equipment or foot traffic, it likely doesn't need aeration. Once annually is usually enough in most cases, and for healthy lawns that receive regular maintenance and are performing well, every two to three years may be sufficient.

After Aeration Overseed and Fertilize

For best results, use high-quality seed and fertilize with Milorganite®. Mixing grass seed with Milorganite is an effective way to spread seed accurately. Mix 4 parts Milorganite with 1 part seed by weight.

The time it takes for the holes to heal after aeration depends on the soil condition and the weather. Generally, it takes two to four weeks for the holes to heal completely.

Prior to aeration and seeding, a lawn should be mowed at a height of 1.5 to 2 inches. Any clippings left on the lawn after this close cut, should be bagged, blown or raked off the lawn. This is necessary to maximize seed to soil contact as the seed is spread. This is a key factor in successful germination.

Aerating is considered a better way to dethatch your lawn since it puts less stress on it.