The best time to aerate the lawn which can be done by Earth Development for example depends on the weather. Conditions are ideal when the soil is soft, and the lawn is dry. This is the case, for example, on sunny days after a rain shower or when it rains the previous day – provided the temperatures are right.
These conditions are more common in early fall and spring. Therefore, the ideal time to aerate the lawn is probably in April, September, or October.
This also means that you can be active all year round. You only have to be careful in summer, during the heat waves. When the sun hits the lawn, it is slow to recover from treatment.
Ventilate Vs. Scarifying
When it comes to “ventilate or scarify?”, Opinions are divided. I believe that a lawn should be scarified once a year for health reasons. This will thoroughly remove the layer of felt, make space for new young grasses and loosen up the soil.
After you have scarified, you can run the fan over the lawn again after a few months. I am aware that not everyone has time and leisure to scarify once a year. Therefore, my motto is scarifying> ventilating> do nothing at all.
Stresses The Lawn
That’s what Louis says  Aerating the lawn cannot replace scarifying. But it is a great addition to scarifying and a good alternative for the little-used ornamental lawn. Even if you don’t want to scarify every year, you should treat your lawn with a knife now and then, even if your lawn has a few bald spots afterward. This open space offers a wonderful opportunity to renew the lawn and bring young green into the garden. This keeps the lawn healthy and fresh. Eventually, the bald spots fill up quickly.
Ventilate After The Lawn
The holes have been punched, the lawn has been groomed, and now it’s time for follow-up treatment. It consists of sanding and overseeding. So, let’s first clarify why these steps are helpful and how you can find out whether the effort is also worthwhile in your garden.
Sands For Loamy Soils
You can sand in spring or autumn. The ideal time is after scarifying or aerating the lawn. For sanding, you use pure quartz sand with a grain size of 2 millimeters. How much sand you need per square meter depends on the soil. 2 kg / m² is sufficient; very loamy soils need about 5 kg / m².
Aerate The Lawn And Apply Sand
You spread the sand by hand or with a practical sand cart. The most important thing is that you distribute the sand evenly. Otherwise, you’ll do more work afterward. Then work in the sand with the flat side of the rake. To do this, rake several times from back to front and left to right.
You can also mix the sand with fertilizer to save yourself the effort. Only reseeding is affected by sanding. More on that now.
Reseed Before Or After Sanding
If your green looks a little bare after aerating or scarifying the lawn than before, healthy reseeding is required. However, this should not be done at the same time as sanding. The sand does not hold back enough water and young grasses need sufficient moisture. Either do the reseeding immediately after aerating the lawn and dedicate yourself to sanding about a month later. Or you sand first and then re-sow. Bear in mind that you can use the help of experts such as Earth Development to take care of your lawn.