When is the Best Time to Aerate Lawn in Northeast?

Robert W. Sherman

March 22, 2021

You want your green lawn to be beautiful and perfect. In summer, it should be especially lush and thick. So, any lawn requires regular care, such as watering, mowing, fertilizing and aeration. Let’s think about the best time to aerate lawn in Northeast. Does it depend on your climate or the season only? Get several simple lawn maintenance tips. Realizing that aeration is important and necessary is half the battle. I hope, this article helps you to select the best ‘window” in your region. Lawn aeration method also matters.

Why Do You Need to Aerate Your Lawn?

Some areas of the soil in your yard could become compacted. It might happen due to heavy play foot traffic. Fortunately, we can leave our houses to maintain our garden and lawns. It’s possible to even during the coronavirus outbreak. The order allows walking, running, and cycling. But playgrounds in many states are closed.

Have you used your perfect yard as a playground? You might play basketball or do yoga on your lawn. Now it would require renewal. What does compacted soil look like? Due to applied stress, its particles become dense and solid. They harden, accumulating a thick thatch layer.

Do you use a large, heavy lawnmower or similar agricultural machinery? It could damage the soil. Fortunately, it won’t happen to your flower beds. Best landscape edging protects them from weeds and mower invasion.

1. Relieves soil compaction.
2. Improves grass health.
3. Reduces build-up of thatch.
4. Balances the pH level.
5. It helps with weed control.
6. It enhances grass growth.

When the soil on the lawn is dry and hard, the grass looks discolored. It impairs water drainage and infiltration. For example, in Europe, soil compaction is a grave threat. We have to illuminate or, at least, reduce these issues in our yards.

When is the Best Time to Aerate and Overseed Lawn?

Soil cultivation and lawn topdressing are beneficial. Firstly, these processes promote new grass growth. Secondly, they improve soil structure and drainage. Likewise, natural, organic fertilizers like compost or animal manure are beneficial: as they help retaining moisture in your lawn. Similarly, aeration lets air and water penetrate to the grass roots; it helps the lawn to absorb water and nutrients.

Create an optimal, moist environment before the overseeding operation. This way, your seedlings grow thicker and develop faster. When should I aerate my lawn in the south? Quite naturally, it depends on your region and climate.

National Geographic Society divides the USA into 5 distinctive regions. Michigan is in the Midwest. Geographers call this region “America’s breadbasket”. Farmers produce cereal crops here. Fertile soil and moist, mild to hot summers are beneficial. So, corn, barley and wheat grow good here.

As well as in the Northeast, we grow cool-season grasses on our lawns. Overseeding is preferable in the fall. Is it OK to aerate in the spring? If you live in the South region, springtime is suitable. The soil has to be warm enough. But the seedlings need to have enough time to develop before summer heatwaves.

What Is Liquid Aeration?

Wherever you live, on the south or on the north, you might want to renew your green lawn. When thatch level on your lawn is too thick, it detriments grass roots. They don’t receive enough water, air, and sunlight. ½” is the maximum acceptable thickness.

So, you would need to select an aeration technique, such as:

• core;
• liquid;
• physical (or manual);
• mechanical.

How often to aerate lawn? If it goes about core aeration or cultivation, do it every 3-5 years. It’s the most drastic way to aerate your lawn. Poking holes in the thatch, you reduce its thickness. A plug aerator works on heavy, clay soils. It helps to cultivate large lawns (3-5 acres) fast and efficiently. Taking core that are 3-5 inches deep, 0.5”-wide, it makes soil softer.

Best liquid aeration is an excellent technique. It helps to improve soil structure. You don’t have to disturb the lawn. How is it possible? The liquid solution penetrates under the soil surface. It breaks clay particles apart. Beneficial microbes get the necessary oxygen. So, they penetrate deeper into the soil and reduce compaction. They turn organic matter into humus.

How to Aerate Lawn by Hand?

There are a lot of modern, powerful aeration machines. They cover wide lawn areas. If you provide professional lawn and landscape services, it’s essential. A plug-type aerator does the job within a couple of hours. If your lawn area is very large or high-traffic, you would need a machine.

But core aeration has its drawbacks. Core aeration technique is aggressive. You can’t do it frequently. Otherwise, it might damage the grass roots and your lawn as a whole. Why choose liquid over manual aeration? It’s easier and less messy. No plugs remain on the lawn. It doesn’t become thinner. Additionally, these solutions are completely safe. They contain organic matters, like humic acid. So, you can apply them twice a year.

Manual aeration is a bit more time-consuming. But if your lawn is small and well-maintained, this method is suitable. So, use a traditional tool, like a garden fork, and proceed with aeration.

1. Insert it to the soil 4-6 inches deep.
2. Stand on the fork to make the tines go down.
3. Remove it vertically.
4. Space the holes 6-8 inches apart.

You don’t have to tip the fork back and forward. Don’t break and lift the turf. Just punch holes in it. Other affordable tools like rollers or aerating shoes are also efficient. Spikes on the bottom create small holes when you walk. So, it’s easy and not sweat-inducing. Hand roller with spikes are also intuitive to operate.

Summary

Now you know, how to fix compacted soil. Living in a northern area, do it in fall. In the south, spring is a suitable time to overseed your lawn. East or west, it is of little value. So, select a suitable type of grass, add some fertilizers and let your lawn grow thick and healthy. It makes your outdoor family gatherings even more pleasant and relaxing.