Spring vs. Fall Aeration: When Is the Best Time for Your Lawn?
Timing is important when it comes to aeration to ensure its efficacy and the health of your lawn. In this blog post, learn the difference between spring and fall aeration and which is the best time for your lawn.
Why Aerating in the Right Season Matters
Temperatures, grass growth, root development, and more affect your lawn. Aerating at the ideal time in each of these cycles is key in ensuring aeration helps your grass – not hurts it. Aerating at the wrong time could stress out your lawn and leave you with dying, damaged grass that will cost additional money to repair.
Spring vs. Fall Aeration: When Is the Best Time for Your Lawn?
The best time to aerate your lawn depends on the type of grass you have. Cool-season and warm-season grasses should be aerated during their growing season. Aeration gives your grass breathing room, letting in water, nutrients, and oxygen to the roots. Cool-season grass grows in the spring and fall, while warm-season grass grows in the spring and summer.
Some common cool-season grasses include Kentucky Bluegrass, tall fescue, and Perennial Ryegrass, while warm-season grasses are often Bermudagrass, St. Augustine, and Buffalo grass. If you’re unsure what your lawn is made of, a professional can help you determine.
When to Aerate in the Spring
It’s best to aerate warm-season grass in the spring because that is when it is actively growing. Thinking of seeding your warm-season grass? Aeration will also benefit in the springtime by allowing the seeds maximum contact with the soil and giving them a better chance at germinating.
Aerating in the spring may be beneficial for cool-season grasses, as it allows the soil to be broken up after the freeze-thaw cycles of the winter months.
When to Aerate in the Fall
Cool-season grass actively grows in the spring and fall and can technically be aerated during either season. However, it’s recommended to aerate these types of grasses in the fall since it’ll also prepare your grass for the winter by loosening up the soil and ensuring strong root development before dormancy.
When Shouldn’t You Aerate Your Lawn
Lawn aeration provides many benefits, but there are times when you shouldn’t do it, or you’ll risk damaging your lawn.
Extreme heat or drought conditions require special care for your lawn. Aerating during these times adds extra stress to your lawn which can do more harm than good. Your lawn is already struggling to power through the rough temperatures and should be left alone outside of watering.
Don’t aerate when your grass is dormant either. Since you should only aerate during active growing seasons, aerating during the dormant months may cause stress to your grass and stunt its growth in the spring.
Aeration for A Healthier Lawn
Get the greenest grass you’ve been dreaming of by contacting Yard Patrol Pros today. We’ll help you determine how and when aeration can give you a healthier lawn and set a game plan in motion. Our years of experience will guide your lawn to its healthiest state yet.
