# Is it too late to aerate my lawn AFTER I've overseeded? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 1, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-to-aerate-my-lawn-after-ive-overseeded/398289 "2007-04-01T13:05:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-to-aerate-my-lawn-after-ive-overseeded/398289/1 "2007-04-01T13:05:10Z")
Taking advantage of a predicted rainstorm, I hurriedly overseeded my back yard last weekend. The ‘soil’ in my area has a very high clay content, and growing a decent lawn is difficult. Yesterday, my neighbor mentioned that he was going to rent a power aerator next weekend before overseeding his own yard, and asked if I wanted to use it. I’m sure it would be helpful in general, but I don’t want to ruin any work I’ve already done. Having already put down the seed, is it too late for me to use the aerator myself? Should I aerate and then overseed again? Any advice? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-to-aerate-my-lawn-after-ive-overseeded/398289/2 "2007-04-01T14:59:48Z")
An aerator makes half-inch holes spaced 5 inches apart. Therfore 10% of your seeding job would be ruined. Seedlings where you walk and in the wheel tracks may or may not survive. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-to-aerate-my-lawn-after-ive-overseeded/398289/3 "2007-04-01T15:18:45Z")
Not too late at all. I aerate 2-3 times a year. It makes for a healthier lawn. When it comes to nice green well maintained lawns…excess is only a factor when it comes to watering and fertilizing. Otherwise…have at it! BTW, I baby my lawn. I take it’s care very seriously, aeration can make or break a good season. What geographic region do you live in? ---
**Author:** ![Barrington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Barrington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrington)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-to-aerate-my-lawn-after-ive-overseeded/398289/4 "2007-04-01T19:30:39Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Duality] An aerator makes half-inch holes spaced 5 inches apart. Therfore 10% of your seeding job would be ruined. Seedlings where you walk and in the wheel tracks may or may not survive. [/QUOTE] It’s been many years since I studied maths, and I might well be getting confused here, so please feel free to correct me: Surely it would be a lot less than 10% loss? Your figures work for a one-dimensional lawn, but I’d have thought that in two dimensions, when you’re working with squares, you’d be looking at less than 1% of the total area of the lawn. If they were 0.5"x0.5"square holes in a 5"x5" grid, that would be 1%. Since you’re presumably talking about round holes, it’ll be even less, since a circle of diameter 0.5" has a lower area than a 0.5"x0.5" square. Or did I go wrong somewhere in there? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-to-aerate-my-lawn-after-ive-overseeded/398289/5 "2007-04-01T20:13:23Z")
You loose some seed, but it’s not going to be sprouted yet. You need to consider that the removed plugs are where the seeds will drop if a rain moves them. You may lose much of the seed down the removed plug holes. I would say absolutely no if the seed has sprouted. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-to-aerate-my-lawn-after-ive-overseeded/398289/6 "2007-04-01T20:34:56Z")
I would think that the seeds have most likely not sprouted and an aerator could still make fine holes for the seeds to drop in. I would go for it. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-to-aerate-my-lawn-after-ive-overseeded/398289/7 "2007-04-02T01:55:21Z")
I would think that such cultivation practices right now would be equivalent to you begging for a lawn full of weeds. And I mean a lawnful, to the point they overrun you. Aeration is best in fall, but ‘ok’ in Spring. If you choose to aerate and seed in spring, please get a special pre-emergent treatment that can block weeds but allow your seeds to germinate. Otherwise, you’ll be in here crying over the mess you have on your hands. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-to-aerate-my-lawn-after-ive-overseeded/398289/8 "2007-04-02T03:56:47Z")
Around here, they really push spring aeration, with fall aeration seen as an optional bonus. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-to-aerate-my-lawn-after-ive-overseeded/398289/9 "2007-04-02T14:59:15Z")
Yes, after going thru winter with no income, or reduced income, I’d push spring aeration, too. Then you get to sell seed and extra chemicals, too. It is a bad practice. Seed when nature seeds: in the fall. Aerate when weeds are at a disadvantage: in the fall. This extension is in a zone comparable to the OP’s, and the blend of grass referenced is typical, too. This advice is consistent with what other extensions recommend. [http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/turf/430-002/430-002.html](http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/turf/430-002/430-002.html)