Get matched with top lawn care providers in Elkton, KY

Power seeding and aeration are both great ways to improve the health of your lawn, but one isn’t better than the other. Aeration alone doesn’t involve planting grass seeds; instead, this service is focused on improving soil health. Aeration is a great service to do before any type of seeding to make seeding more effective.

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.

A manual spike aerator or aerator shoe is a very affordable way to aerate a lawn. Such devices can often be purchased for between $30 and $50. Liquid aerator is another affordable option, but this enzymatic spray may not work as well as actual, physical aeration for helping ease compacted soil and may take several applications.

If you have a beautifully thriving yard with no bald spots, you can choose to aerate your yard once every two years. Otherwise, having your lawn aerated at least once a year is recommended. And in those circumstances where you have a significant amount of thatch buildup or a thinning and bald yard, it's best to aerate twice a year to maintain a healthy lawn.