When Is the Best Time to Aerate Your Lawn?

Blog Contributed by David West

There is nothing better than enjoying your lawn in the summer sun. But, that same sun might have baked your lawn’s soil to a crisp. Anyone who has wielded a shovel in Georgia knows that the soil usually contains a lot of clay and that clay becomes tightly packed together by rain, sun, and play. After a hot Southern summer, the earth can seem like it is made of bricks! The soil under a lawn becomes harder and harder as the years pass and digging up the whole lawn to soften the soil is usually out of the question.

What can be done to loosen the earth in a lawn while avoiding extreme damage to the grass? The answer is to “aerate” the lawn.

The signs of compaction are tricky to detect: grass seems to be off-color, thinning and showing signs of stress in high temperatures. Because the grass is weak, it may be susceptible to disease and insect damage. It’s always an excellent idea to consult a professional before using any machinery on your lawn. But, the best solution to your compacted soil is aeration.

This is the process of mechanically poking thousands of holes in the soil, allowing water, oxygen and nutrients to better penetrate to the roots of your grass. Motorized aerator machines can be rented from hardware or tool rental stores and the best aerator is one having hollow tines which pull up plugs of earth as the machine travels along. You can also call Great Estates!

The best time to aerate a lawn is just before the grass begins to grow rapidly. Bermuda, zoysia grass and centipede grass lawns are best to aerate in May – just as they have completed green-up, ready for vigorous growth. Like we said, it’s always a great idea to ask an expert before renting any heavy machinery. Call the experts at Great Estates Landscaping today for all your aeration questions. We’ll happily answer any that you have and can even provide aeration services for you! No need to rent a machine after all.