DIY guideLawn and garden

Aerate the lawn

Water a day ahead, flag the sprinkler heads, then run a rented core aerator over the lawn and leave the plugs to break down.

7 steps

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Aerate while the grass is growing strongly: early fall or spring for most lawns.
Water the lawn well a day or two before, so the tines go in deep. Bone-dry or soggy soil won't core.
Put a flag at every sprinkler head, valve box and shallow pipe, so the aerator misses them.
Have the buried utility lines marked before you start.
A core aerator is heavy: lift it in and out of the vehicle with two people, and read its rental sheet.
Keep hands and feet clear of the tines.
Run it in straight lines across the lawn, like mowing, then a second pass across the first on thin spots.
Leave the soil plugs on the lawn. They break down in a week or two and feed the soil.
Spread grass seed on the thin spots while the holes are open, and water lightly.

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