Aerating your lawn is a great way to loosen any compacted soil to make it easier for nutrients and other resources to reach the roots of your grass. However, you need to ensure that you schedule this service at the right time because the aeration process can be stressful for your grass and you'll want to make sure that you do it at a time when your grass is strong enough to handle it. Here in Alton, IL we have cool-season grass that thrives during the fall season. That's why fall is the best time to aerate your lawn because your grass will be able to tolerate the process and recover before the winter. If you fail to schedule fall aeration, you can still do it in the spring, so your turf is better prepared to take on the stressful summer season. With that said, you should never aerate your lawn in the summer since this season is already stressful for your grass and it might not be able to endure the aeration process.

Fall is the best season to schedule aeration.

Aerator machine in lawn near East Alton, IL.

The best time of the year to schedule an aeration service is in the fall when your lawn will be at its strongest. Aeration involves perforating the soil to reduce soil compaction, which puts a certain strain on your lawn. You want your lawn to be at its peak growing point during the procedure to ensure your grass can tolerate and recover from the process. When you schedule aeration in the fall, it's best to do it early in the season to give your grass time to recuperate before the harsh winter season arrives. Here are more reasons why fall is the best season to aerate your lawn:

  • Aerating your lawn in the fall helps your grass to recover from the summer stress.
  • Fall aeration helps the roots of your grass grow deeper, allowing your grass to absorb the nutrients it needs to prepare for winter.

You should schedule an overseeding service directly after fall aeration to fill your lawn with new grass that will fill in any bare or patchy areas of your lawn!

You can aerate your lawn in the spring, too!

Spring is the second-best time to aerate your lawn because the conditions and soil temperature during this season remain perfect for healthy grass growth. With your lawn actively growing in the spring, you can boost its growth by opening up the channels where nutrients, air, water, and sunlight can pass through and nourish the roots of your grass. However, you should do it early in the spring so that your lawn has a chance to recover before the hot summer weather arrives.

Never Schedule Aeration in the Summer

Dried lawn in Moro, IL.

When it comes to aerating any lawn, the general rule of thumb is to never do it when your lawn is stressed. The summer season brings nothing but stress to your lawn due to the hot weather that cool-season grass struggles in. Because the aeration process also causes stress to your lawn, you should never schedule it in the summer when your lawn will already be struggling to survive. The process will be too much to handle for your grass, causing more harm to your turf than good.

Call our team today to schedule our core aeration service!

Aerating your lawn helps your lawn absorb nutrients by loosening hard, compacted soil. However, proper timing is critical to get the best results for your lawn. Here at Element Turf & Outdoor Solutions, LLC, we offer our core aeration service in the spring and fall to relieve soil compaction and help the roots of your grass access essential nutrients and other resources.

If you own a property in Alton, Godfrey, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, IL or nearby area, we can help you. Call our team today at (618) 467-7047 to schedule our core aeration service.