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Don’t pick up dirt after aerating. Even though it's tempting because soil cores are incredibly unsightly, these cores and the dirt they leave behind are ecologically important. This is what keeps your grass looking beautiful and growing healthily. The soil cores need two to three weeks to decompose, but you can swat them with a rake if their natural shape bothers you.

Raking only moves soil, leaves, and debris around on the surface. Aerating your lawn addresses compacted soil. Core aeration loosens up the soil, which makes it healthier and creates more verdant grass from the richer nutrients and stronger root systems that develop. Raking only provides short-term benefits, while aeration creates higher-quality soil and grass growth in the long term. Rake or dethatch before aerating for a bigger benefit to your lawn.

Before starting any digging project, you must call 811, the national “call before you dig” hotline. After calling, a representative will come out to your property to mark the places where any utility wires or pipes run below the ground so that you can edge or dig trenches safely. You are liable for any damage to utilities and other systems beneath the ground on your property, and you could be seriously injured if you accidentally run into wires or utility lines.

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.