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Water your yard a little more deeply after a drought for about two weeks (while still avoiding overwatering). Continue to water in the early morning hours before 10 a.m. You'll also want to invest in some high-quality fertilizer to get more nutrients to your roots and help them grow back stronger and quicker. Look up your grass and soil type, or do a soil test, to see what type of fertilizer you need.

If your grass is stressed from being over-trimmed, try watering it heavily and then allowing it to recover for at least two weeks before mowing again. If you notice brown patches where the grass has died off because it’s too short, you should remove the dead grass and overseed the area. Leaving dead patches can invite weeds and other problems, so if you want a totally green lawn, getting rid of dead patches should include removing the dead sections before reseeding the area.

To prepare your lawn for core aeration, water it the day before you aerate. (Alternatively, you can wait until it rains and aerate the following day.) Aerating after watering or a rainy day will make the process easier since you can penetrate moist soil better than dry soil. You should also flag your sprinklers so that you don’t accidentally hit them while aerating. If you have a lot of thatch buildup in your yard, you might need to dethatch your lawn before aerating as well.

Although core aeration is overall a better method of aerating a lawn, spike aeration can still be helpful, especially if you have a smaller yard or are only trying to work on a specific problem area. Because spike aeration is so accessible thanks to its lower cost and easy DIY tools like aerator shoes, it can still be worthwhile for some gardeners.