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Plug aeration is more effective than spike aeration, although it mars the appearance of your lawn until the plugs decompose. This can take a few weeks and some homeowners find it distressing, especially if they are planning an event and can't have guests stepping on the soil cores. Liquid aeration is just as effective without having to bore holes.

Lawn aerators range in cost depending on what type of aerator you’re purchasing. For example, a manual spike aerator might cost as little as $25, while a motorized core aerator will likely cost more than $1,000. Fortunately, these expensive pieces of equipment can be easily rented from many vendors for far less money.

The screwdriver test involves trying to push a screwdriver into your lawn. If it goes in easily, you’re likely overwatering and should cut back. If there’s moderate resistance, you have a good watering schedule and soil composition. If there’s a lot of resistance or you can’t get the screwdriver into the soil, you may need to aerate your lawn to reduce compaction and increase your watering schedule.

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.