Jump Start Your Lawn - Aerate

Aerating is the process of removing small cores of soil from your lawn. It is one of the very best things you can do to give your cool-season lawn a boost and get it off to a healthy start. If you didn't aerate your lawn last fall, spring is also a good time (wait a month or two to aerate warm-season lawns). Aerating increases water, air and nutrient penetration to grass roots, reducing thatch and promoting vigorous growth. The easiest way to aerate is to rent a power aerator at a local rental yard. Prices are reasonable, but you may want to get your neighbors to pitch in and aerate several lawns with one rental.

When renting a power aerator, make sure you get one that pulls plugs, leaving them lying on the lawn. Avoid aerators that simply punch a hole without pulling a plug. They can actually compact soil and damage your lawn. You can leave the plugs on the lawn (they'll breakdown quickly) or rake them up. Lawn care companies will also aerate your lawn.