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If your lawn hasn't been aerated in over a year, or the soil is incredibly compacted, do two passes with the aerator. The first pass should follow your mowing pattern and the second one should form a perpendicular angle relative to the first. Stick to 20 to 40 holes per square foot as a rule of thumb.

The frequency of lawn aeration depends on various factors such as soil type, grass variety, and lawn usage. In most cases, aerating once a year, typically in the fall or early spring, is sufficient to maintain a healthy lawn. However, lawns subject to heavy foot traffic or especially compacted soil may benefit from more frequent aeration, possibly every six months. It's essential to assess your lawn's specific needs and consult with a lawn care professional if you're unsure about the ideal aeration schedule for your property.

Both aerating and scarifying your lawn can offer serious benefits. Aerating pokes holes in the soil to better allow air, moisture, and nutrients to permeate while scarifying removes the buildup of dead plant matter at the soil’s surface. Most lawns require both of these maintenance items to thrive.

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.