When should I aerate my lawn?

When you aerate the lawn, many feeder roots are severed and the plants are weakened. It’s best done as the grass heads into a strong, rapid growth phase. Aerating too early or late in the year, such as during winter dormancy or summer heat and drought, stresses the grass at a time when it needs to conserve its resources. Poor timing of aeration could open the lawn to weeds, insects, or disease.

The best time to aerate a lawn is at the beginning of its rapid growth phase. For warm season grasses like Bermuda grass and zoysia grass, that means shortly after it turns fully green in late spring or early summer. Cool season grasses like tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass are best aerated in either early fall or early spring.