1. Relieves soil compaction. Compacted soil can prevent air, water and fertilizer from reaching your lawn’s root system, causing dead spots, patches and/or thinning. By removing cores in the aeration process, soil density is decreased, thus relieving compaction.

2. Aids in thatch management. Thatch, the layer of dead grass that accumulates on your lawn can build up to a thick layer, robbing your grass of necessary rain and nutrients which can be detrimental to your lawn if left untreated. Core aeration helps manage that build-up by introducing thatch-decomposing microorganisms from the soil to the top of the thatch layer.

3. Increases nutrient availability. Aeration allows air, water and nutrients to penetrate the soil. When nutrients penetrate deeper into the root zone, they become available to the turf. This improves the effectiveness of your TruGreen fertilization and ongoing watering to promote a healthy turf.

4. Benefits pH modification. Applying lime or sulphur after core aeration promotes the change of pH deeper into the soil profile.

5. Builds a thicker lawn. Aeration stimulates root development and growth, but cool season grasses need overseeding to help fill in bare spots and thicken up the turf, which helps crowd out weeds come spring. Overseeding alongside aeration enhances seed to soil contact necessary for germination and creates a moist, protected environment optimal for seedling growth and development. Plus, you’ll benefit from TruGreen’s specially selected grass seed, which offers improved disease and drought tolerance to help your lawn withstand changing conditions.

6. Reduced water runoff and puddling. If you find your yard has runoff or puddling problems after a rain, aeration could be the fix you need.

7. Prepares grass for winter dormancy and a green spring. Before your cool-season grass goes dormant, make sure it’s in tip-top shape by pairing fall aeration with fall fertilization. Aerating prior to fertilizing will help the nutrients soak in more effectively. Planning for aeration and fertilization in the fall gives cool-season grasses enough of a buffer to protect the grass from summer drought stress and ideally enough time before the first winter frost arrives.

Late summer into fall is the perfect time to aerate your lawn because it allows the grass seed to germinate and establish a strong root system before cold temperatures set in.

The best results for lawn aeration are achieved through proper pre-service preparation and post-service care.

For pre-service preparation, you should:

• Consider marking underground sprinkler heads or invisible fences with flags or stakes
• Remove personal property & debris such as leaves from the lawn
• Mow and lightly water your lawn 24 hours before your specialist is scheduled to perform your service

For post-service care, you should:

• Regularly water your lawn instead of relying on rainfall
• Limit traffic on your lawn to allow new seeds to germinate
• Mow as usual until germination begins, then wait 10 days for seeds to establish before you resume mowing

In addition to a healthy, lush lawn, here are four things to expect from your TruGreen lawn aeration service:

1. Your lawn specialist will remove small plugs of turf, thatch and soil from your lawn.

2. For cool season grasses, your lawn could also benefit from overseeding since aeration creates optimal conditions for seed development and growth.

3. In 1-2 weeks, the plugs break down, feeding nutrients back to your lawn’s roots.

4. You may begin to see new white roots and seedlings (for overseeded lawns) growing in the aerated holes. 

If your lawn is ready for an aeration service, get your custom quote here. You can also give our team a call at 1-844-768-1221.