When your lawn is compacted or crowded, it is time to aerate your grass. The two most tell-tale signs that it is time for core aeration are; 1) you notice your grass yellowing after short periods of no-rain and 2) you see rain puddles after moderate rains. Quickly yellowing grass can be a sign of your grass not getting enough water due to lawn crowding. The grass is actually preventing water to get down to the grassroots. This is also why you may see puddles on your lawn. The rainwater has to fight to get through your lawn and pass through to groundwater.

Why do I need to aerate my lawn?

Aerate helps to compacted soil and grass crowding. Any activity you do in yard will add to soil compaction. The biggest contributors are; walking traffic, ride-on mowers, kids playing, and pets. For us in the Wheaton and Glen Ellyn area we also have clay content in our soil which makes our soil more susceptible to compaction. If you have any of the above conditions, it is recommended that you aerate your lawn once every year or two.

Even without any of these activities your soil will become compacted over time from normal activities. However, the compaction without traffic activities takes longer. If you have very little lawn traffic we recommend aerating your lawn every 2-5 years.

In Chicagoland when should I aerate my lawn?

The best time to aerate a lawn is right after your grass comes out of dormancy. For us in Chicagoland, that is early Spring or Fall. Plan for a late March or April aeration if the winter ends early or mildly. If we have a long winter or get a lot of late snow or colder than 32 degree days, you can shift your aeration to late-April or May.

If you want to aerate in the Fall, we recommend planning your aeration after the summer dry season ends. Normally this is late-August or September. Aeration in October is okay too, because our grass around here tend to continue to grow into November most years.

Should I overseed my lawn after I aerate?

One of the best things you can do is overseed your lawn right after you aerate. The core aeration leaves space for air, water, and seeds to penetrate deeper than normal into your lawn. This is perfect for seed growth. Adding on overseeding to our aeration service helps to reduce or remove bare spots and results in a thicker, healthier lawn.

Should I fertilize my lawn after I aerate?

Just like with overseeding, aeration creates a perfect environment for lawn fertilization. The extra space in the soil of your lawn allows for the fertilizer to get into your lawn’s soil and deliver the nutrients to the roots of your grass. If you don’t want to fertilize your lawn regularly throughout the year, it is a good idea to fertilize it in the Spring or Fall when you get your lawn aerated.

How much does lawn aeration cost?

Lawn aeration is one of the lower cost services you can have done to improve your lawn’s health. Typically, lawn aeration costs between $90-180 for single family homes under 1/2 acre. This covers most suburban yards.

The costs of lawn aeration are labor, machine use, and fuel. So, the larger your yard, the more aeration will cost. Extensive hardscapes, pools, large flower beds, and decks all reduce the amount of time it takes to aerate your lawn. Most lawn aeration takes between 1-4 hours.

Lawn aeration quotes are free, and almost all are completed online or over the phone, so if you want to know how much aeration would cost for your yard just click the button below!