Last Updated on May 27, 2025 by Duncan

Lawn aeration can significantly improve the health of your grass by allowing air, water, and nutrients to permeate built-up thatch or compacted soil. Aeration can be highly beneficial, especially if your lawn has a lot of foot activity or has poor drainage.

While aerating your lawn is essential, there are some situations when you should avoid doing it. If you are wondering when you should not aerate your lawn, here are seasons when you should avoid doing it:

Spring

Although it may appear that spring is the ideal time for aeration since it promotes nutrient access and growth, this is not true for cool-season grasses. Come spring, these grasses have been weakened by winter hibernation and require time to recover and re-establish themselves.

Because aeration causes stress to the grass, you should avoid doing it while the grass is fragile, as this can compound the problem.

Summer

Cool-season grass is particularly vigorous in chilly weather, but it is also susceptible in warmer weather. Some lawns become so stressed that they go into a summer hibernation to preserve energy and survive the heat.

That makes summer an unsuitable season to aerate these lawns since any additional distress could do more harm than good. Stressed grass is more prone to disease and may even suffer root damage if it lacks the strength to tolerate the higher soil temperatures.

So, when should you aerate?

The easy answer is fall. During the fall, your cool-season grass will shift gears from top to root growth, attempting to repair any damage caused by the summer heat and store nutrients for the winter. Your grasses are at their peak strength when the season transitions to cooler weather.

Aerating in the fall will assist your cool-season grass in restarting the healing process. Aeration promotes roots and allows the lawn to receive more air, water, and nutrients during this period.

The remaining plugs will degrade and incorporate into the thatch layer, ensuring that nothing is wasted.

How to tell your lawn needs aeration

If your grass isn’t as dense or green as it once was, it could be due to soil compaction or nutrient insufficiency. Aeration can help revive your lawn by allowing it to develop a deeper and stronger root system, which can better handle environmental stressors like pests, drought, and disease.

To evaluate whether your lawn needs aeration, you must look out for a number of characteristics, such as:

Your lawn was planted using sod: If you installed sod on compacted soil that was not mixed, the roots will not grow into the ground beneath the sod, leaving them shallow and weak. Aeration disrupts the soil layers, promoting root growth.

Your turf feels spongy and dries fast: A lawn with a spongy texture may have thatch issues. Take a sample using a shovel that is about 4 inches deep. If the coating of thatch is thicker than a half-inch, it’s time to dethatch and aerate.

Your grass is new: Newly created lawns frequently require aeration to ensure appropriate growth. The topsoil is often scraped away, and lawns are grown on heavily trafficked subsoil, which is likely compacted.

Your soil feels compacted: If your soil is hard to the touch and water runs off rather than soaks in, it may be time to aerate it. A simple test consists of inserting a screwdriver into the ground. If it finds resistance, it indicates compacted soil.

If your lawn has a lot of foot traffic or if your soil is clay, aeration can be beneficial. Even sandy lawns might benefit from aeration.

Your lawn has grown unhealthily: If your grass is thinning, dying, or losing its green hue, soil compaction could be the cause. Compacted soil can also create diseases in your lawn, such as brown patches.

Pro tip: A fast test to see if your lawn needs aeration is to cut out a square foot-sized portion that is at least 6 inches deep. If the roots are barely growing 1 to 2 inches deep, the soil may be compacted, and aeration can help.

Tips on how to get the most from lawn aeration

Aeration creates small openings in your grass to relieve soil compaction and improve the flow of essential elements such as oxygen, water, and nutrients to the root system.

This method promotes roots to penetrate deeper than the dirt, increasing their strength and durability as they grow.

For the best results, consider aerating your lawn:

When the soil is moist: Aeration is best done when the soil is somewhat damp but not completely saturated. To test this, insert a screwdriver into the ground. If it slides in easily, it’s a good time to aerate.

Before overseeding: If you are going to oversee your lawn, aerate it right before you disperse the new grass seeds. Aeration generates little holes for the seeds to settle into, promoting their growth.

Every 1-3 years: While some lawns require aeration more frequently, most benefit from aeration every one to three years. If your lawn has sandy soil or adequate drainage, aerate it every two to three years.

However, if your lawn has heavy clay soil or receives a lot of foot activity, try aerating more frequently.

How to aerate your lawn

You can aerate your lawn in three main ways:

Spike aerators simply puncture a hole in the soil with a solid, spike-like tine. You can use spiked aerator “sandals” affixed to your shoes to aerate while doing yard chores.

While they can help on a local basis, spike machines can exacerbate compaction by compressing the soil surrounding the holes.

Slicing aerators use revolving blades to chop or slice through grass and thatch and into the soil. Slicing aerators, like spike aerators, leave soil in place while providing paths for air, water, and nutrients without increasing compaction.

Grass professionals often choose core or plug aerators, which use rows of hollow tines to remove dirt plugs from your grass and dump them on top, where they break down.

The width and depth of the holes created by the plugs vary depending on the equipment used.

You can aerate your lawn yourself or hire a professional. Equipment rental firms and lawn and garden retailers frequently rent aerator machines and include basic operating instructions for the model you select.

Aerating is similar to mowing in that you work back and forth across the lawn. Concentrate on established problematic areas, such as pet runs or backyard baseball diamonds. Make multiple passes in different directions to guarantee maximum coverage and advantages.

What should you do after aeration?

After you’ve finished aerating your grass, let any soil plugs or excess dirt dry where they land. They’ll decompose in the rain or crumble the next time you mow, bringing healthy soil and organic matter to your lawn surface.

Following aeration is an excellent time to overseed with high-quality seeds, fertilize your lawn, or perform minor lawn repairs.

Seeds and nutrients come into direct contact with the soil through the openings your aerator generated, and roots have new paths for the things they require. The mixture will help your lawn establish seeds quickly and grow thicker and lusher.

Parting shot

By including aeration on your annual task list or doing regular compaction tests to check for need, you help in guaranteeing that your grass reaches its most significant potential for thickness, health, and beauty.

For an easy time, work with professionals committed to providing you with the highest quality grass professionals who will help you achieve your yard objectives.