Can I aerate my lawn without overseeding?

Sure, aeration can technically be done without overseeding. However, by loosening that compacted soil, you're opening the soil up for any type of seeds to take hold and germinate, including weed seeds.

Can I just aerate my lawn?

Almost all lawns will benefit from aeration, and a great lawn demands it. That said, most lawns do not need it. Lawns suffering from heavy foot traffic, excessive thatch (>1 inch thick) or grown on heavy soils will benefit most.

Do I need to aerate and overseed my lawn?

Every yard should have aeration and overseeding done regularly. However, there are a few ways to determine if your lawn needs this service soon. If your yard gets heavy use, such as from children and pets running around, it's likely compacted and could benefit from aeration.

Can I just throw grass seed down on existing lawn?

Overseeding can help you get back to the thick, lush, green lawn you've always wanted. By spreading grass seed over your existing lawn, you can thicken up the thin areas, and your lawn will start to look terrific again. (This is different from reseeding, which is when you start over and plant a completely new lawn.)

Should overseeding be done before or after aeration?

Overseed After Aeration. Once aeration is complete on an existing lawn, start overseeding within 48 hours and then water the lawn lightly to ensure good soil contact with your new seed. During this time window, seed and fertilizer have a better chance of getting deeper into the aeration holes, which is what you want.

Overseed Your Lawn WITHOUT Aerating

Should I pick up plugs after aerating?

As we've established, don't remove aeration plugs. It takes approximately one to two weeks for the plugs to break down on their own, but there are some things you can do to help the plugs break down faster to tidy up the lawn. You can hope for rainfall, but you can also water the lawn to help the plugs break down.

Is a spike or plug aerator better for overseeding?

Spike aeration is suitable for small lawns with mild compaction while plug aeration is good for fixing severe soil compaction and on large areas. If you plug-aerated your lawn in the last season and have not run a heavy lawn roller on it since you may not need to do it again until after a few seasons.

Will grass seed grow if thrown on top of dirt?

Will grass seed germinate on top of the soil? Yes; in fact, germination will suffer if too much soil is placed on top of the seeds. The experts at Jonathan Green recommend placing a thin layer of mulch or topsoil over them to help keep them moist and warm and promote growth.

What happens if you put too much grass seed on your lawn?

Too much grass seed causes undue competition for resources such as light, water and nutrients, and grass seedlings struggle as a result. Too little seed leaves lawns thin or bare.

Will grass seed grow on top of grass?

Overseeding is spreading grass seed over an existing lawn. Done right, it's a straightforward process that gets results. As grasses mature, thinning is normal—especially if you enjoy your lawn and use it often. Overseeding keeps your lawn competitive and steeped in youth and vigor, without starting over from scratch.

Will grass seed grow in aeration holes?

Aeration enhances seed germination.

Seeds germinate easily in aerator holes as the holes provide them a place to hide. Overseeding introduces new grass seed to fill in bare or thin areas as well as thickens existing turf.

What is the best month to aerate my lawn?

The best time to aerate your lawn is in late summer or early fall, as this will allow your grass to recover completely before going dormant in the winter. While Fall is recommended, you can also aerate and overseed your lawn in the spring between March and May.

How do I know if I need to overseed?

When should you not aerate your lawn?

It is best to avoid aerating lawns when they are going into dormancy. So, late summer or early fall are too late for warm-season grasses; it is best to aerate in late spring or early summer. For aerating cool-season grasses, stick to early spring and early fall.

Do I need to do anything after aerating lawn?

What to Do After Aeration. After you finish aerating your lawn, let soil plugs or extra soil dry where they fall. They'll break down in rain or crumble the next time you mow, adding beneficial soil and organic matter to your lawn surface.

Does aerating flatten lawn?

Homeowners who have a bumpy or uneven lawn might be hoping that an aeration service will have some sort of impact on leveling things out. Unfortunately, aeration is not going to fix a bumpy lawn. Whether it's just a few low spots or it's a completely uneven lawn, these issues all come down to re-grading.

How many times a year should you overseed your lawn?

Make it an annual practice. "Annual overseeding is recommended to thicken lawns and make them more attractive, but also to introduce improved varieties of grass that are hardier, less prone to insects and diseases, and more drought tolerant," explains Mayer.

Can I put down grass seed every two weeks?

Make at least 3 applications of seed, each a week or so apart. More applications are fine, too. Applying a large amount of seed to the lawn gives the competitive advantage to the perennial ryegrass over the weed seeds which are already lurking in the soil.

Should I overseed a healthy lawn?

Proper overseeding can renovate a lawn if it has at least 50% or more healthy turf. However, if your lawn has less than 50% healthy turf, it may be better to kill out the old turf, weeds, etc., and reseed the entire lawn.

Does 1 grass seed equal one blade of grass?

Did you know that every blade of grass was once a tiny grass seed? Although you can plant plugs or lay sod, seeding is a convenient and inexpensive way to get your lawn to take root. Grass seeds come in many different varieties, but all types of grass follow the same basic growth and harvesting process.

How long does it take for grass seed to grow 3 inches?

Most established grass grows at a rate of 2-6 inches per month, depending on the variety, so grass grown from seed will likely take at least a month to reach 3 inches in height since there is plenty of energy going towards the vegetative and elongation stages of its growth cycle.

What does too much grass seed look like?

You'll know if you seeded too heavy when the grass grows in very thick patches. These patches look great initially but are eventually thinned out by turf disease.

Can you plug aerate too much?

As a general rule, you shouldn't need to aerate more than once a year at any time ("too much of a good thing" applies here, since you don't want to damage your soil).

What else should I put down before over overseeding?

To remedy bare spots, cover spots with topsoil before you overseed. This will improve the quality of the soil and help the grass grow. Some bald spots are in areas with water drainage problems. Add a thin layer of sand first and smooth it out with a rake.

How deep should aeration holes be?

Aeration holes are typically 1-6 inches deep and 2-6 inches apart. Other types of aerators push solid spikes or tines into the soil without removing a plug (spiking). These are not as effective because they can contribute to compaction.