RD's Turf Tips
Why the obsession with Fall Aeration and Overseeding?
- RD's Total Lawn
- September 16, 2025
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Out in Pennsylvania the fall season comes with a heavy demand for Aeration and
overseeding. With primarily fescue turf it is the most ideal time to aerate and overseed your lawn to set it up for success. We wanted to cover some FAQ’s around aeration and overseeding. For more information about Aeration follow this link as well as read below.
Aeration and Overseeding Information
What is Aeration?
Aeration is a mechanical process of pulling plugs out of the ground. This serves
multiple purposes for your turf. You will 1. Relieve compacted soil from a season of wear and tear 2. Encourage deeper root health for existing turfgrass. 3. Improve absorption rate of your soil for sunlight, water, and other nutrients to get into your soil.
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Why is the fall such a good time?
The reason we like fall for seeding is for several reasons. First this time of year
brings cooler nights but still some warmth in the day. This is ideal temperatures for germination. Next when you seed in the fall you allow the seed to germinate in the fall and start to establish roots through fall, winter, and spring. That way when the summer hits and the cool season turf go under stress it has established roots to survive it.
Why should I seed with aeration?
Seeding at the same time of aeration is ideal. You have the soil opened and in
September and October in the northeast it is ideal for seeding. You will increase seed to soil contact for an improved take rate as well.
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Why not do aeration and overseeding in the spring?
If you are only going to be aeration, then the spring is fine. However, if you also
want to overseed at the same time the reason we prefer fall over spring is two main reasons. First there is heavy weed pressure in the spring such as crabgrass and other weeds. So, we like to get pre-emergent down in the spring. However, with pre-emergent you cannot seed at the same time as it will hinder germination. Also, in the spring if you wanted to seed you don’t allow the new seed much time to establish roots before the summer and it runs a high risk of dying out once the summer heat hits. Regardless of when you aerate, you’ll also want to make sure you are on a fertility program where you are feeding your turf regularly. More info here on a good structure of a program for a healthy turf.
How do I prepare prior to aeration service?
If you plan to do it yourself or have a company perform the service, there are a
few things you’ll want to do prior to the service. 1. Mow the lawn prior to service. More so you don’t want a long yard prior to service because you will have to wait 10 days or so until you can mow again. 2. Mark any in ground obstacles with flags or spray paint. Such as sprinkler system, underground wires, electrical dog fences or anything else in the ground less than 5 inches deep. 3. Plan to get on a fertilizer program after to feed the new grass seed after you lay it.
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What can I expect after service?
You will see plugs throughout the yard. These will break back down into the soil over the next few weeks. You’ll want to wait roughly 10 days to mow the lawn to not disrupt the new seed. If you can for best results, try to water daily for first 10 days to encourage germination.
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Final points
Aeration and overseeding is such a key step to have a healthy lawn. If you don’t have a foundation of grass, you’ll want to get that established as a first step. You can do all the other right things for your turf but if you don’t have grass there it makes no difference. One of the best defense in your yard from keep weeds out from taking over is filling the space with healthy grass.
If you wanted help with caring for your lawn you can always reach out to RD’s Total Lawn at 215-688-1622. Serving Bucks County Pennsylvania. Pricing here. We are able to get you pricing quickly online or if you wanted a free onsite evaluation we are happy to schedule that with the owner.
For more details on our program and company feel free to check out this page https://www.rdtotallawn.com/
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