Lawn Aeration: When, Why, and How to Core Aerate Warm-Season Grasses

Aerate zoysia, Bermuda, and centipede lawns in early summer after green-up but before heat stress. But first, ask if you need it. Aeration—poking holes to loosen soil and improve oxygen and water penetration—helps if soil is compacted. It also combats thatch: the layer of undecomposed stems that builds up with infrequent mowing, forcing roots to grow in dry thatch instead of soil.

A rented core aerator pulls soil plugs that sift into the thatch, inoculating it with fungi that decompose organic matter. The combined benefits of thatch reduction and soil softening far outweigh the rental cost.