The Essential Lawn Care Task To Do Before Aerating In The Spring

Spring aeration works absolute wonders for waking up a tired lawn. By poking holes or pulling small chunks from the soil, this process allows for vital water and nutrients to reach roots. If you're reading this in spring, you might be eager to go rent an aerator from your local hardware store right now. Before you do, though, there are things you should always do before aerating your lawn, and one of the most important is to mow your lawn nice and short.

A tight cut makes it much easier for the aerator to work properly; long grass can get tangled too easily in the spinning metal tines or other parts, stopping the aerator from working correctly. By giving your lawn a close crop, you ensure the path is nice and clean, making it much easier for the aerator to reach deep into the earth as it goes. Also make sure you bag up any debris on your lawn before aerating, like twigs or leaves, so that they won't cause issues for the aerator. All of this will help to ensure that your grass nets the max benefits of the aerator this spring, as long as you avoid making these aerating mistakes.

Believe it or not, there is a right way to mow your lawn before aeration. First, you don't want to chop it on the same day you're aerating it. There's also lawn care rule that says you should never cut more than a third of the grass blade in a single mowing session. Why? Because experiencing that much stress at once, compounded with the stress of aeration, can endanger the health of your grass. A sudden and severe chop hurts its chances of growing strong roots, resisting pests and diseases, and having enough blade left to properly photosynthesize and heal itself.

To avoid damaging your turf, lower the mower deck gradually over two or three mowing sessions. Aim for a final height of about 1-1/2 to 2 inches by the time you're done. A slower and more gradual approach will keep your grass happy and healthy by giving it time to adapt while still eventually hitting that sweet spot for aeration.

It's also important that your grass is neither too wet nor too dry before aerating. A super wet lawn makes it difficult for the aerator to leave holes behind, while overly dry and compact soil can stop the aerator spikes from penetrating the soil. As you've seen, timing is a big deal for aerating. So once you find the best time to aerate your lawn, plan that final watering (and mowing) about a day before to make sure your lawn has a clean, even, and workable surface. Properly mowing before aerating your grass helps the whole process run smoothly, and saves you the headache of having to do it again. Then you and your grass can breathe easy.