Top 6 Reasons To Aerate & Overseed In The Fall

Aeration is the process of mechanically removing thousands of small plugs of thatch and soil from your lawn. Click here to learn more.

1. Pre-Emergent Crabgrass Preventative (Pre-Em) – Yes everyone knows you can aerate and overseed in the spring as well… except you will have to skip a spring Pre-Em application. Crabgrass is a grassy weed and in order to prevent crabgrass germination, the Pre-Em prevents the germination of all new grass seed for 120 days.  This applies to desirable grasses as well. Click here to learn more about crabgrass. 
2. Weed Control – After grass seed is applied to a lawn, herbicides cannot be applied to the lawn until the seedlings become established.  If you apply grass seed in the spring, you’ll be fighting weeds for the 1st half summer.
3. Precipitation – As September approaches, so does the fall rain.  Proper irrigation is crucial to grass seed germination.
4. Compaction – As soils compact (especially clay), less air, water and nutrients are able to penetrate the soil into the grass roots, resulting in a weaker and thinning lawn.  The holes allow nutrients and new grasses into the soil, resulting in a healthier and thicker lawn.  “The Pencil Test” – If your soil is so dense that a pencil has trouble penetrating it, your lawn needs an aeration.
5. Cooler Temperatures – The best temperature to germinate grass seed is between 60 – 80 F, that’s why fall is a great time to aerate. Warm sunny days with cooler nights create an ideal scenario for seed germination. 
6. Summer Beat Your Lawn Up – Heat and drought stress can really wreak havoc on a lawn.  Lack of water and high temps can cause even the most established lawns to become damaged. A fall aeration and overseeding is a great way to reestablish your lawn before winter.

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