It's not something you need to do too often, but it's a step you don't really want to miss if your lawn is heavily compacted or struggling to drain water (especially with all the rain).
Only after you put in all that effort to push your lawn aerator across your lawn, you might be left wondering if you've done a good enough job. It's certainly something I've contemplated as I stare at my own lawn, unsure whether I've made any real difference.
I've asked the experts for their professional advice on how often you should aerate your lawn, how many passes are enough, and other tips and tricks to get the best results.
Soil compaction is the ultimate telltale sign that your lawn needs aerating, but how exactly do you figure out if that's what's going on beneath the soil?
Yellow lawn looking dead? Grab a screwdriver and a fork this weekend Why is my grass patchy after seeding? I asked the experts how to fix it 3 things your lawn needs in September for a lush green spring Allison Koenig, a lawn and garden expert at Tractor Supply, says: "Homeowners should consider aeration if they're seeing standing water after rain, hard-packed soil, thinning grass, or areas that get a lot of traffic.
"A good rule of thumb is the screwdriver test: if it's hard to push a screwdriver into the soil, compaction is probably preventing healthy root growth."
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And once you've figured out that your lawn needs aerating, you also have to consider if it's a good time to do it.
