Season: mid/late April – August
Bermuda & Zoysia Aeration
Professional Aeration for a Lawn That Thrives. Core aeration for warm-season lawns, done mid/late April through August while the grass is growing hard enough to heal fast.
Have a fescue lawn? Fescue aeration and overseeding is in season now. Fescue aeration and overseeding →
Core aeration, timed to your grass
We run a core aerator over the lawn, pulling small plugs of soil and leaving them on top. The holes let air, water and nutrients get to the roots, and give Bermuda and Zoysia room to push new roots and runners into loosened soil.
It's aeration only. Your grass fills the holes in on its own — that's what warm-season grass does best when it's growing.
- Better root growth
- Improved water absorption
- Reduces soil compaction
- Greener, thicker lawn
Why late spring and summer
Bermuda and Zoysia are warm-season grasses. They go dormant and brown after the first hard frost, green up in spring, and grow fastest in the heat.
Aeration puts a little stress on any lawn. Done while the grass is actively growing, it recovers in a couple of weeks and comes back thicker. Done while it's dormant or still greening up, the holes just sit there and weeds get a head start.
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Mid/late April
Once the lawn is mostly green and growing, not while it's still half brown.
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May through July
Peak growth. Recovery is fastest.
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August
Still good. We stop at the end of summer so the lawn has time to heal before it slows down for fall.
Zoysia note: Zoysia grows slower than Bermuda, so it takes longer to fill back in. Earlier in the season is better for Zoysia lawns.
Why we don't overseed Bermuda or Zoysia with fescue
It comes up a lot, so here's the straight answer: putting fescue seed into a Bermuda or Zoysia lawn doesn't make it thicker. It makes it patchy.
- Fescue grows in clumps and is a different color and texture, so it stands out.
- In summer, the Bermuda or Zoysia outgrows it and the fescue thins out in the heat.
- In winter, you get green fescue clumps scattered across a tan dormant lawn.
The way to thicken a Bermuda or Zoysia lawn is to help it spread: loosen the soil, feed it, water it and mow it right during the growing season. Aeration is the soil part.
If your yard has fescue in the shady areas and Bermuda in the sun, that's common. The fescue areas can be aerated and overseeded in fall. See fescue aeration and overseeding.
Red clay and warm-season lawns
Much of North Alabama sits on heavy red clay, and plenty of Bermuda and Zoysia lawns here were laid as sod right on top of graded, packed-down subsoil at build time. That's one reason a lot of newer yards in Huntsville and Madison drain poorly, stay thin, and dry out fast in August even with regular watering. The water isn't getting in.
Core aeration pulls plugs of that clay out so water and roots can get down into it. Bermuda and Zoysia are aggressive spreaders when the soil lets them, so loosened soil tends to show up as a thicker lawn.
Clay packs back down over time, so this isn't a one-and-done. Most lawns do well aerated once or twice a year.
One tip: dry summer clay is like brick. If it's been dry, water the day before your appointment so the tines can go deep.
After aeration
Warm-season aftercare is simple.
- Water. Give the lawn a good watering in the days after, especially in hot, dry stretches. It helps the grass recover and the cores break down.
- Keep mowing at your normal height. Mowing over the cores helps break them up.
- Fertilize on your normal schedule. Actively growing Bermuda and Zoysia use the boost to fill the holes. If a lawn care company handles your fertilizer, let them know the lawn was aerated.
- Leave the cores. They break down on their own with rain, watering and mowing, usually within a week or two in summer heat. In heavy clay they can take a little longer.
The holes themselves close up over the next few weeks as the grass grows into them.
Getting ready
- Let us know about sprinkler heads, shallow irrigation lines and invisible dog fence wires, so the aerator can steer around them.
- Mow at your normal height before the visit.
- If it's been dry, water the day before.
Common questions
When should I aerate Bermuda grass in North Alabama?
When it's fully green and growing, from mid/late April through August. May through July is prime time, when Bermuda recovers fastest.
When should I aerate a Zoysia lawn?
Same window, after it has fully greened up. Zoysia recovers slower than Bermuda, so late spring or early summer is better than waiting until late August.
Can I aerate in the fall like my neighbors with fescue?
Fall is right for fescue, not for Bermuda or Zoysia. By fall, warm-season grass is slowing down for winter and won't fill the holes in before it goes dormant.
Should I overseed my Bermuda lawn with fescue?
No. Fescue ends up as clumps that look different from the rest of the lawn and thin out in summer heat. Thicken a Bermuda or Zoysia lawn by helping it spread — aeration, fertilizer, water and good mowing.
How long before the holes and plugs go away?
The plugs usually break down in a week or two with summer rain and mowing, a little longer in heavy clay. The holes fill in over a few weeks as the grass grows into them.
My yard is new construction and the grass won't thicken up. Will aeration help?
Often, yes. Sod on new builds is usually laid over graded clay that got packed down by equipment. Aeration opens that clay up so roots and water can get in. Expect it to take more than one season if the compaction is bad.
Book your warm-season aeration
Mid/late April through August. Call or text (256) 286-3998 to get on the schedule.
Choose Aeration Man for a Lawn That Thrives.