The short answer is every yard will benefit from both an annual aeration and an overseeding. The longer answer is that if you see any of the following in your yard, your lawn won't just benefit from an aeration, it is desperate for one!

If any of the following applies to your lawn, it is essential to schedule an aeration soon, or rent equipment to do it yourself.

1. Your yard is the neighborhood playground, with children and pets frequently running around, compacting soil.

2. Your home is newly constructed, because the topsoil of newly constructed lawns is stripped or buried, and the grass established on subsoil has been compacted by construction traffic.

3. Your lawn dries out easily and has a spongy feel. This might mean your lawn has an excessive thatch problem. Take a shovel and remove a slice of lawn about four inches deep. If the thatch layer is greater than one-half inch, aeration is recommended.

4. Your lawn doesn't green up after fertilizing, or gets brown during periods of high heat.

5. Your lawn has poor drainage and you find standing water in your yard after periods of rain. 

Aeration involves perforating the soil with small holes and removing plugs of soil and grass to allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate down to the grass roots. This helps the roots grow deeply and produces stronger, more vigorous blades of grass.

The main reason for aerating is to alleviate soil compaction. Compacted soils prevent proper air circulation, and reduce the amount of water and nutrients that reach the root system. Aeration also helps to break up layers of thatch that may be laying against the soil, beneath standing blades of grass. 

Overseeding simply means spreading grass seed over an existing lawn. Filling in bare spots and strengthening weak or worn lawns is the primary goal of overseeding, and is beneficial for all lawns because thick turf grass is the most effective way to combat weeds and heat tolerance. Overseeding is particularly successful is after an aeration because the holes created allow for good seed to soil contact, and more effective seed germination. 

You can rent an aerator from lawn and garden stores for about $60/4 hours, but depending on the condition of your yard and the level of compaction and dryness, it can be fairly labor intensive. If you'd like to get a no-pressure quote for a professional aeration and overseeding, please contact a WeedPro Customer Service Specialist by clicking below today.