Aerate and Overseed Lawn

Aerate cool-season lawns (fescue, bluegrass, ryegrass) in early fall; warm-season grasses (bermuda, zoysia) in late spring. Rent a core aerator from a hardware store or hire a lawn service. Make two passes in perpendicular directions for best results. Immediately after aerating, broadcast grass seed at the overseeding rate listed on the bag — the open cores provide excellent seed-to-soil contact. Apply a starter fertilizer and water lightly but consistently until new seeds germinate (7–14 days). Aeration breaks up compacted soil that prevents water, air, and nutrients from reaching roots. Thick, healthy turf crowds out weeds and reduces irrigation needs. Compacted lawns can lose 30% of water to runoff.