If the only things on your fall calendar are perfecting your Godzilla costume and hoarding candy corn, you forgot something.
What’s the best time to aerate a lawn in Boise? Does it matter?
As a matter of fact, it does. Fall is the best time for lawn aeration in Idaho. Add it to your fall list, right alongside Godzilla.
Continue reading to discover the optimal time to aerate.
Lawn care services in Boise and Idaho Falls typically target the fall months as the ideal time for core aeration, in part because aeration is ideally followed by overseeding with grass seed, which thrives in the fall.
What’s so great about fall, besides pumpkin spice lattes? There are a few good reasons to bust out the aerator in fall:
Cool weather. This isn’t so much about aeration creating holes in your lawn as it is about the seeding that typically follows. Idaho’s cool fall weather is perfect for new grass seed to germinate and grow.
Free watering! Again, this is about the grass seed. Fall tends to offer free watering, straight from the sky. Thanks, rain.
If you aerate in the spring, like many homeowners assume you should do, you’ve probably just put down crabgrass preventer. And guess what? That will kill your fresh new grass seed. Aerate and seed in fall, and you avoid that problem.
In the spring, the air is filled with weed seeds eager to settle into the nice, cozy holes the aerator has just made. In the fall, that’s not as much of an issue.
Other than trick-or-treaters, there’s not as much foot traffic on your lawn as there is in the spring, so your grass seed can peacefully settle in and get growing. Less mowing this time of year, too.
Lawn Buddies offers the dynamic duo of lawn aeration and overseeding through mid to late October.
Sort of, but not exactly.
First, a quick refresher on liquid aeration, in case this is news to you.
While core lawn aeration uses a machine to pull out soil plugs, liquid aeration for lawns applies a liquid solution through a sprayer.
The liquid loosens the soil from within, without physically removing soil plugs, unlike traditional core aeration.
While both lawn aeration methods improve soil health by increasing the air and water that can pass through, liquid aeration uses a liquid solution sprayed onto the lawn to loosen compacted soil gradually.
What’s in the solution? One of the main ingredients is humic acid, a naturally occurring organic compound formed from decomposed plant matter. It does great things for your soil, such as improving water retention, enhancing nutrient availability, and promoting overall plant growth.
Additional nutrients are often included, such as seaweed or yucca extract.
All that good stuff penetrates the soil and breaks down compacted areas, creating pathways for water, oxygen, and nutrients to reach the roots more effectively.
Trick question. The answer is both.
Here at Lawn Buddies, we apply liquid lawn aeration in split applications — once in the spring and once in the fall, says Dillon Beardall, head of fertilizer operations for Lawn Buddies.
Is there a scientific explanation for this split-season strategy?
Not really. It’s just Beardall being nice.
It turns out that the humic acid in liquid aeration is dark and can stain hardscapes, such as pavers and concrete. Using less of the liquid at one time reduces the chance of staining.
Lawn Buddies utilizes both core aeration and liquid aeration, depending on the lawn's condition. We often prefer the liquid method over traditional core aeration, as long as the soil isn't extremely compacted and there aren't thick layers of thatch.
Those liquid nutrients build up in your soil over time, Beardall says, conditioning it over time and encouraging deeper roots for a healthier lawn.
However, if your lawn’s soil is extremely compacted due to years of neglect or you have significant thatch buildup, traditional core lawn aeration is probably a better option. It physically removes soil cores, creating larger channels for air, water, and nutrients to penetrate better.
Core aeration also works better if you’re in a hurry for results. Maybe Better Homes and Gardens is headed to your place for a big photo shoot. Core aeration offers faster, visible results than liquid aeration, which takes longer to take effect.
Here in Idaho, where we use cool-season grasses, fall is the best time to aerate your lawn, for all the reasons we listed earlier.
However, in areas of the country that use warm-season grasses that grow rapidly during the summer, aeration during the summer months can help the turf recover from stress and promote healthy growth.
No, but they shouldn’t be super dry, either. Kind of like Goldilocks and her porridge, the soil should be just right — not too wet and not too dry.
Dry soil can be hard and compacted, making it difficult for aerators to work effectively. But wet soil can cause the aerator's cores or tines to clog.
Watering your lawn a couple of days before your scheduled lawn aeration can help soften the soil and achieve the right consistency for the aerator to penetrate the ground effectively.
You could. But should you?
Applying liquid aeration is a relatively easy homeowner task , using a handheld sprayer or a backpack sprayer. You can buy aeration liquid at the home and garden store for about $35 for 32 ounces, which covers 8,000 square feet. Then add the task to your fall lawn care schedule.
But if you’re considering renting a core aerator and maneuvering that beast across your lawn, think twice.
First, you need a truck or trailer to transport it. It’s cumbersome, usually 300 pounds or more.
Do you want to spend your Saturday wrestling this behemoth across your lawn, stressing your muscles and using up all your swear words?
Leave the core aeration to the pros. Lawn care services in Boise and Idaho Falls utilize the right equipment, keep it well-maintained, and arrive at exactly the right time of year to ensure your lawn receives what it needs to thrive.
Fall is full of great stuff. Your favorite sweater. Pumpkins. Tiny candy bars. Add lawn aeration to that list.
Both core aeration and liquid aeration can have a significant positive impact on your compacted lawn, loosening the soil and making it much easier for essential air, water, and fertilizer to reach the roots.
But a healthy lawn takes more than that. It involves a lot of work, and the right knowledge. You have better things to do than toil in your yard every weekend.
If you want simple, hassle-free lawn care in Idaho Falls or Boise, ID that offers quality core lawn care services for a healthy, impressive lawn, it doesn’t get easier than Lawn Buddies.
No stressing about which complicated combination of lawn care services will get you beautiful, healthy grass.
You don’t have time to fuss with all that. Give yourself a break with our premium, six-visit lawn care program. It includes everything your lawn needs to thrive and grow healthy and green.
Fertilizer, weed treatments, and grub control, all wrapped up in six visits, each perfectly timed throughout the season, so your grass is green and strong and resists weeds. Add on regular lawn aeration to keep your lawn thriving.
Got a few minutes? That’s all you need to get started. Just fill out the form on this page, call us at (208) 656-9131 or read more about our services. Then you can kick back and relax in your healthy, thriving yard.