Home » Blog » To Aerate or Not to Aerate? To Aerate or Not to Aerate? April 13, 2015 Green, Landscape, Lawn, Seasonal, Spring, Turfgrass, Van Putte Gardens To aerate or not to aerate your lawn? That is indeed the question now that spring has finally arrived. But first: what is aerating and why should you (perhaps) bother to do it? Aeration is the process by which air, water and nutrients penetrate the soil. A healthy lawn’s soil is loose enough for this process to occur naturally, but over time, soil can become compacted and require a little extra help. This can occur from construction equipment (often seen for new builds), if the lawn was sodded and the roots of the sod aren’t able to penetrate the existing soil, or even just general use from kids playing. There are two types of aeration — spike and plug. We recommend plug since sometimes soil can become compacted around where spikes enter. Plug aeration is a good way to insure air, water and nutrients are reaching the roots of your lawn grass. The best time to aerate is in the growing season when the grass still has plenty of time to fill back in, so right now (early spring) is ideal. And don’t worry if you’re already applied crabgrass preventer to your lawn; we’ve seen no decrease in the effectiveness of the preventer if you aerate after applying. If you have further questions, give us a call. Remember, it’s not just what we grow, it’s what we know!