Lawn aeration is one of the best things you can do for your Northern VA lawn. It helps your lawn breathe, allowing more oxygen, water, and nutrients to penetrate down to the root zone where needed. But to get the most out of this service, aeration timing is key.

Wondering when to aerate and overseed?

The best time to aerate and seed is in the fall.

That’s the quick answer. However, there are several reasons why we recommend fall aeration and overseeding, which we will explain in this article.

Choosing wisely for aeration and overseeding timing will help you maximize your results.

We’ll cover:

• What is Lawn Aeration?
• What is the Best Time to Aerate and Seed?
• How Often Do I Need to Aerate?
• Choosing Lawn Care in Northern VA for Lawn Aeration

What is Lawn Aeration?

Before we discuss the specifics of aeration timing, we want to explain this service briefly in case you have never used it before.

Lawn aeration is the process of making small holes by pulling out small soil plugs (also called “cores”) throughout your lawn. Due to the prevalence of clay soil in Northern Virginia, lawns tend to get heavily compacted. This can mean oxygen, water, and nutrients struggle to reach the root zone.

But lawn aeration helps to alleviate that compaction. As the cores are pulled, they’ll be left lying on the ground where they naturally decompose, adding nutrients to the soil and improving soil structure.

This process ensures a favorable environment for the root system to develop and grow. Why is that important? Well, first and foremost, healthier roots mean a healthier lawn. And a healthier lawn means fewer lawn problems. Your lawn will better be able to defend itself against problems like pests, diseases, and weeds.

A well-aerated lawn is also less likely to develop thatch, which can be problematic if it grows too thick. A thick thatch layer can lead to disease and pest problems and block sunlight, nutrients, and water from traveling down to the roots.

The benefits of lawn aeration make it a highly worthwhile service. We also perform overseeding at the same time as aeration. This is important as the aeration process creates a more favorable environment for growing seeds. Seeds require seed-to-soil contact to germinate.

What is the Best Time to Aerate and Seed?

As we already answered at the start of this article, fall is the best time to aerate and seed. Following an appropriate lawn aeration schedule is important for several key reasons.

Fall Provides the Best Conditions for Grass Growth

Fall is the best time to aerate and seed because the weather is optimal for new grass to grow.

While the soil is still warm, the air is cool. This provides the best possible growing conditions for seed germination which, in turn, improves the chance of new grass survival.

The trouble with seeding in the spring is that before you know it, it will be summertime. Most people assume that winter is the most challenging time for grass, but it’s the summer. It’s very difficult to keep brand-new grass seedlings alive with the summer sun's heat beating down.

Fall Allows You to Maintain an Effective Weed Control Program

The other key reason why fall is the best time to aerate and seed is that it won’t interfere with your weed control efforts. If you’ve seeded in the spring, you can’t put down crabgrass preventer for approximately 3 months afterward; at that time, it will be too late to prevent crabgrass.

The material being applied will not know the difference between a desired turfgrass seed and a crabgrass seed, ultimately preventing both from growing.

Sometimes, people ask us about skipping crabgrass control, but in our opinion, this is risky. Skipping crabgrass control can become a serious concern because of how quickly the pesky weeds can spread. Crabgrass also grows most freely in the thinner areas of your lawn, such as the ones you may have seeded, which makes seeding a bad idea.

Likewise, broadleaf weed control cannot be applied until your new grass seed begins to grow and has matured enough to mow it a couple of times. Again, that time frame will end up being very late in the spring to early summer; at that time, your lawn will also have developed quite a crop of weeds along the way.

How Often Do I Need to Aerate?

When discussing a lawn aeration schedule, you might also wonder how often this service is necessary.

Because of the clay soils in Northern Virginia and the likelihood that your lawn will become compacted, we recommend annual aeration. To put it into perspective, golf courses and athletic turf fields are being aerated at least twice yearly.

If you’re looking for great results, you need to aerate once a year.

People sometimes ask us if they can skip a season, but their lawn results will fall behind. Lawn aeration is critical in ensuring the success of other services (like fertilization, weed control, and even watering). If your lawn is compacted, any products you apply will be stuck on the surface, and water won’t be able to get through, either.

Seeding without aeration is also a mistake, as the seeds will sit atop the compacted soil. Without aerating, many seeds could blow away or get eaten by birds.

The bottom line? We want homeowners to understand that lawn aeration isn’t just something you do when your lawn looks bad. It’s something you should do to keep your lawn looking good. If you skip it, you’ll notice.

Choosing Lawn Care in Northern VA for Lawn Aeration

Following an optimal lawn aeration schedule is critical for getting the best results. Ensuring your lawn is getting what it needs (when it needs it) boils down to choosing a lawn care company you can count on.

Given the clay-like soil conditions here in Alexandria, Arlington, and Springfield, VA, lawn aeration is truly one of the best things you can do to improve the overall health of your lawn. Investing in lawn aeration with Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape can help ensure you’re getting the greenest, healthiest grass possible!

That means spending more time enjoying your lawn to the fullest.

Are you ready for a healthy and thriving lawn? Request your quote, choose from our 3 lawn care packages (including aeration and overseeding), and relax as you receive the royal treatment.