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One of the best ways to soften your grass and prepare it for planting grass seed is aeration. Aerating your lawn will loosen up compacted soil and facilitate a more even balance of nutrients from root to topsoil. We recommend using core aeration methods for the most effective soil-loosening results.

Lawn aeration and dethatching are meant to solve the same problem, loosening up compacted soil so that the root systems can grow and receive more water, oxygen, and nutrients. Aeration is the gentler option and often the preferable one. Dethatching completely tears out the thatch layer of the lawn and can inadvertently yank out healthy grass if done incorrectly. Aeration loosens the soil and only removes small cores of it.

Each type of grass has its own specific needs regarding the timing of aeration, but in general, late summer to early fall is the best time to do so. For most lawns, that means sometime between September and November, though certain types of grass, like St. Augustine Grass, do better with aerations in late spring and early summer.

Yes, you can overseed your lawn without aerating it, but results may vary. If you have the time, dethatching or aerating your lawn before overseeding will yield the best results. Overseeding your lawn without aerating will work, but less seed will take root. For the best possible results, aerate your lawn before overseeding it.