Homeowners unsure when to aerate, water, or treat their lawn
Homeowners are struggling with lawn care issues, including overseeding and aeration techniques, drainage problems, dealing with unwanted growths near trees, and understanding proper mowing practices. Many express a desire for professional assistance or guidance on these tasks.
SOURCES (60)
“i'm in the Spokane, WA area and i've been putting off aerating my lawn for about two years now the soil is pretty compacted in the high-traffic areas near the driveway and back gate. water tends to run off those spots instead of soaking in,…”
“myself. easy peasy and its done right with high quality grass seed, criss cross passes with the aerator. enjoyable to with a cold beer. my neighbors use some "pros" and they come out like late Aug or Sept 1st when its still 100 damn degrees.. do one pass with some shitty grass seed while the grass is still long and a half ass aerating job, im good on paying for that. doing myself I can time it out perfectly for optimal germination.”
“I’m also in zone 5b and seeded last year on October 6th and it came in fine, but looking a little thin going into winter but grew fantastic this spring so I had a nice and full lawn all summer long. I just have a few thin spots to touch up this fall. I was worried I might’ve been too late but it was fine.”
“I use one of the electric Detachers to get the crap off of the ground, seed cover with Peat Moss and then water using Bhyve water spigot timers for my areas. its not perfect but it works. The electric dethatcher helps but I still have to bag all of the crap seed and cover. Its hard work.”
“Have a new build home, finishing up our first year in the home. Lawn was patchy so we had a company come do aeration and overseeding. The issue is that we took a vacation right before they came, and they came to do it literally the day we got back, it had just rained, and I didn’t get to mow before they came. The grass was probably 3 inches tall. We also have a patch up front where we have a lot of foxtail that I didn’t get to remove beforehand. They used fescue seed. We decided to wait and see”
“I had my local lawn company do it. They use a power aerator and slit seeder with top quality seed. We’ve had plenty of rain, so that helps. https://preview.redd.it/98ksbtoplnsh1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=347feed25c9556b80dc977220d52f4e0a5487ce3”
“You know the saying, if you want something done right, you’ve gotta do it yourself. Aeration is always best done the day after a reasonable soaking rain, but for whatever reason my aeration services always comes on parched days when my soil is hard as concrete and I don’t get my moneys worth of the treatment. So I bought a pull behind. Its not as good as a machine but I can perfectly time my aerations now and that’s been huge.”
“I realize now the wording was weird. I just meant that in spring I started planning to overseed now in fall”
“A lawn that size? DIY I have a smaller lawn and a Jeep Grand Cherokee and can fit the aerator from Home Depot in the back, no trailer needed. Its $90 for 4 hours but they prorate time so if it only takes me an hour to do my lawn, the cost is around $35-40 (with drive time) Bonus, offer to do your neighbors lawns while you're at it for $75ea. Cheaper than they can hire it for and they don't have to do any work.”
“I do everything myself I am only 37 years old and I want to have my own feeling of satisfaction seeing the results of my work. When I get older I will definitely probably have someone help me with some of this stuff depending on how big my yard is and my own physical limitations.”
“I have a company come to fertilize and aerate. I started overseeding myself this season. Renting my own aerator would maybe save me $10, but I'm not dealing with that machine to save $10.”
“In spring I was planning on aerating and overseeing, but now my lawn looks pretty great. Not sure if I should still do it or just leave it alone for next year. 2 shots are my lawn in March vs today submitted by /u/bknelson1991 [link] [comments]”
“NE Oregon. Looking to mow, thatch, aerate, overseed and fertilize. What is the proper order to do it in and can I do it all in one day? submitted by /u/MY2009wrx [link] [comments]”
“As mentioned in the description, the soil is bad. Generally, lawn plugs are worked into a Kompost to be enriched - which is what I am doing with them.”
“Gotcha, just watched the demo video from your link. The only ones I usually see look a little more like this . Looks like you have a deluxe version. Best of luck with your yard. You have certainly put in the sweat equity to make it yours!”
“Depends where you are, they're not easily available everywhere. I'd say power through it once and it basically pays for itself as purchasing it is way cheaper than renting one for a day.”
“Back when I had my home build and the landscaping done I had not the slightest clue what is a good and bad substrate and top layer. Apparently the contractor scammed me back then with bad material and also ran heavy machinery over the soil which compacted it in many places too much - which means motorised aerators have trouble punching deep enough into the soil. I am now doing it with a handheld aerator with two 15cm long hollow spoons over a 160 m2 area. I underestimated how much of a workout t”
“Currently using TruGreen as our lawn people. Not very happy with them for multiple reasons but I’m giving them a year before switching, mostly because I’ve grown a bit indifferent. Previously, i graded, leveled and grass grown from seed here. It didn’t take well because of draught, and a lot of hard work went to hell . Anyways, I’m in the northern region of North Carolina, they are planning on aerating and over seeding next week. Is there anything I can do to help prepare for the best chance for”
“My lawn needs to be aerated and I want to do it myself. It's a half-acre minus the house and driveway. I think I need a core aerator given the clay soil of my area, and I can buy one that I can pull behind my lawn tractor for $150 to $200, or I can rent one from Home Depot for about $125. Does anyone have experience with the tow-behind ones they sell on Amazon and Walmart? They are the kind you put a couple of cinder blocks on for weight, connect them to the lawn, and then apparently you jus”
“Will be overseeding a section of the lawn tomorrow (~5,000 square feet). I have scalped, dethatched (picked up the thatch) and core aerated. Will be seeding TTTF tomorrow using a broadcast spreader in zone 7a southeast PA. After I spread the seeds, would it be a good idea to run the core aerator again over the area to help with soil contact? I am using a pull behind core aerator and can control the depth, so I won’t be pushing seeds too deep. I don’t plan to top dress, so thought this might be a”
“We are located in the northeast…we have a ton of yard and lawn. Approximately 6 acres. Any advice on economical solutions to seeding, watering, aerating, and fertilizing? Or am I screwed? submitted by /u/cigarette_topgun [link] [comments]”
“Aeration and overseed, big dawg. Dont forget to water 30-40 mins every other day on problem areas for best results”
“Oh man thanks for saying this. I kept pushing mine off because of finding someone to aerate my lawn and this weekend I have all my tools and seed and I'm doing it whether I have aeration or not.”
“Live in a townhome in MA. They gave me approval to aerate and overseed so I had a company out to take care of it since I don’t have equipment. I’ve been watering 3 times a day for several minutes with a hose with a fancy grass mode since that’s what we have. Is what I am doing enough? I spent all summer weeding since the HOA doesn’t take care of it and I feel like I plucked hundreds of dandelions. Then towards the end of summer I had to deal with crab grass and purslane. submitted by”
“My lawn company is asking me if I want to do a liquid aeration treatment this fall. It costs around $100 and I didn’t know if this is worth doing or just a marketing thing. submitted by /u/ckouf96 [link] [comments]”
“Makes no sense. OP has a low spot and is hoping this chemical will magically drain the new soil? If what you are implying actually works this liquid aeration would be used in massive amounts in backyards and side yards across the country. You gota back fill to help water flow out. Like I said what is op trying to accomplish?”
“I have yet to figure out when or how I'm supposed to do this. I know I'm not supposed to do any dethatching and preference is to do either aeration or verticutting, but what time of the year should this be done during? I'm in Zone 8a / NC area. submitted by /u/n0fumar [link] [comments]”
“I’m in Utah and am doing a total backyard renovation. This weekend I removed all the old sod, some garden beds, and leveled the area with a mini skid steer. I drove over this area a ton and am worried about compaction. Soil is clay heavy but not plastic. My goal is to seed this week. Should I till and then re-level the area with a rake and roller? Or do 2-3 passes with a core aerator? If I till then I plan on adding in manure to the top few inches. If I just aerate then I’ll spread some top soil”
“I recently renovated my lawn: scalped, dethatched, leveled with top soil, over seeded, and covered with peat moss. I had originally planned to do liquid aeration prior but the company I booked (experigreen) gave me false promises on dates and I could not wait any longer so the lawn renovation moved forward without aerating. I noticed I have a few spots in the lawn that are accumulating water during watering/heavy rain so wanted to get a liquid aeration in before the end of the season. Is there a”
“My aeration window keeps shifting because of work and I never get a clear sense of whether a week or two actually matters. Did it last fall in early October and the lawn looked decent this spring, but I have nothing to compare it against. The fescue came back in patches that stayed thin longer than I expected, and I keep wondering if waiting until late October would have helped more, or if it's mostly a wash once soil temps drop. I went with core aeration over spiking because the soil felt c”
“I figured that. What's the actual consequence of mowing shortly after aeration and overseeding? What does mowing do that makes it unadvised?”
“Hi all, We just had our established lawn aerated and overseeded by a lawn service. I totally forgot to make sure the grass was cut beforehand, and it really does need to be cut. The service is done. Can I mow right away, or should I wait a period of time? submitted by /u/MegaMatt33 [link] [comments]”
“I’m in central Ohio and aerated/overseeded this past Tuesday. I used a blend of 90% tttf and 10% KBG. Last year with the drought my lawn wasn’t aerated until 10/3. I put a blend of 50/50 tttf and KBG down that year and it worked out well for me. I was a bit nervous getting it down so late but the company I usually use for aeration had paused their service because of the drought. I had a couple spots that I wanted to go over again so I ended up snow seeding with the KBG and that worked out well t”
“Yep, another overseeding question lol Looking for some advice - was planning on aerating, then leveling my front yard with top soil, then overseeding. I have a lawn service coming to aerate and they offered to overseed at the same time. I got a very good deal on the aeration as a new customer and they offered to overseed using my seed I already bought no additional charge. My question is, would it be ok to overseed before I level the yard with my top soil? There are some pretty low spots that wi”
“I’m in zone 6a and my plan was to hire a landscaping company to aerate then I would handle the overseeding myself. Unfortunately the landscaping company keeps pushing the aeration date back and I’m starting to get concerned it’s too late in the year to overseed. Should I overseed today then have them aerate when they can? Or do I still have time? submitted by /u/Boris54 [link] [comments]”
“We have this done annually and it’s usually promoted for early fall but I’m wondering if early spring would be better? In Midwest area with hard soil and 1.5 acres.. submitted by /u/multitasking_octopus [link] [comments]”
“Overseeding without irrigation is a gamble. If there's no rain it obviously won't do much. Can you pay a neighbor kid to help out while you're gone? I would just wait a year if I couldn't water it, or hire someone to help if I thought my lawn desperately needs it.”
“Hi there - planning to put down pre-emergent next spring. I have a TON of crabgrass. My question is, can I aerate and overseed now in September and do the pre-emergent in spring with no issues? The seed will be far enough along the pre-emergent won’t affect it? I’m in zone 7b. Thanks. submitted by /u/Top_Chance_3769 [link] [comments]”
“I bought a tow behind aerator for my 15,000 square ft lawn. Putting out together was a pain in the ass. But I’ve been using it for 6 years and the results are great.”
“I’m in southern NH and I overseeded on 9/2 with blue resilience with some thicker seeding where I added new topsoil for bare patches and where stumps were ground. I have a exmark ride on mower and a manual reel mower. I use the reel for one small areas on a hill by a retaining wall. I’m nervous about mowing the new grass but my property is way too big for using the reel mower exclusively. Can I mow yet and should I just use the reel where the bare patches were? I have a lot of rain coming up so”
“Getting ready to overseed but I can’t decide if I should rent a slit seeder locally for $150 for the day, or just aerate and use my tow-behind broadcaster. I have about 20,000 sq ft of lawn. The past few years I’ve been aerating and broadcasting… not because I’m concerned about soil compaction, just to give the seeds some holes to lay in. I used one of those power rake/over seeders from Home Depot one year and was not impressed. I’m thinking of switching it up this year and seeing what happens,”
“We hired a company to do our fall aeration and overseeing. We just can’t fit it into our schedule to do it on our own with two little kids. Our lawn really needs it too. i just called and they said we are scheduled for late September now. I’m in zone 5B and concerned about timing. I don’t want this to be a complete waste of our money if it’s done so close to our first frost date. Recommendations on what I should do? Should I cancel and try to find someone else that can do it ASAP? submitte”
“Do u remember if the company u used last year used a walk behind or stand on unit?”
“My lawn care company wanted $365. I laughed. They said I was eligible for a 10% discount. I laughed and said they lost my business for next year. I paid $165 last year with a different company.”
“I just purchased my first house so it is my first time having to maintain a yard. I am located in South Carolina with tall fescue, and having my yard aeration / overseeded later this week by a company. I am trying to take my grass to a whole other level (it already looks solid for the most part as the previous owners cared for it). What advice do you have before and/or after having this done to make it as successful as possible?? The company has provided advice but also looking for any tips or t”
“Couple recommendations from my neighbors regarding having my Lawn Aerated. Found a local Company Harvest Walk property care and Lawn Aeration. Great equipment and very informative Very pleased after a couple weeks . These guys assess the lawn especially after we mentioned overseeding. They picked the perfect conditions ( Not to Dry) . Golf course quality and very fair Harvest walk was slightly more than a company that we had seen a flier for . Lower then the larger companies that Wouldn’t commit”
“Hello, I am getting mixed information from reddit and Google. When is the best time to dethatch, aerate,overseed in Georgia? I have bermuda grass, full sun, minimal shade. Some sources say do it in fall while some say do it in spring. Can someone tell me when is the ideal time to do this lawn prep? Thank you, submitted by /u/Cocobro_DaddyYi [link] [comments]”
“Doing mine today, but I have a pretty shady lawn and usually do it the first week of September with no issues. I also have well water for irrigation though.”
“Looking to overseed my patchy front lawn with a 50/50 rye/bluegrass mix. My understanding is that I need to aerate prior to seeding. Is there anything else I should do prior to spreading seed? Do I need to cut it really low? Do I need to dethatch? Additionally, by side and back yards are grassy but I figured I ought to seed them at the same time to have a more consistent grass composition? Do I need to follow the same steps as the front yard or is it different in anyway? Thanks in advance!”
“Not sure how big your lawn is but for reference I’m in MA and just got a quote for yearly program for $500 and $350 for aerate/overseed/starter fert. My lawn isn’t big though about only 2500-3000 SF”
“https://preview.redd.it/z92r7tgrg5ph1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5bba51a0973838cb36730f9e1ad72bb118e410a7 I live in Virginia Beach here is what I’m doing: - 2 inch auger on the super compacted clay (filled holes with compost), and normal manual aerator on the rest - Tomorrow I’ll seed, spray torocity, then cover with compost. It helped a lot last year for me.”