Short answer
Core aeration pulls thousands of soil plugs out of the lawn so air, water and fertilizer reach the root zone. Early fall is the best window in Illinois, from late August through October, because soil is warm and the turf recovers fast. EKKO Lawns aerates across five counties and prices the job off measured square footage.
What compaction does to a lawn
Every mower pass, every kid running the same route to the driveway and every hard rain presses the soil tighter. Clay compacts faster than sand and holds that structure once it sets. Roots hit a layer they cannot push through, so the plant stays shallow, dries out in July and thins out where traffic is heaviest.
- Water soaks in instead of running down the driveway
- Fertilizer reaches the roots rather than sitting on the surface
- Roots push deeper, which is what carries a lawn through August
- Thatch breaks down faster once soil microbes get air
- Seed makes real contact with soil, which is why we pair it with overseeding
Core aeration is a separate seasonal service. It is recommended and priced on its own rather than included in the Essential, Enhanced or Elite programs. Compare the lawn programs
How the aeration visit runs
The whole job takes one visit. What you do the week after decides how much you get out of it.
Mark the yard
You flag sprinkler heads, invisible fence and shallow utility lines before we arrive. We will not run over anything we know about.
Water first
Soil should be moist, not soaked. A dry lawn gives short plugs and a soaked lawn makes a mess, so we time it around rain.
Pull the cores
The machine runs the lawn in two directions on compacted properties, which doubles hole density where the traffic is worst.
Leave the plugs
Cores break down in one to two weeks and return soil and organic matter to the surface. Raking them up removes the benefit.
Seed and feed
Holes are the best seedbed you will get all year. Overseeding and a fall feeding go down right behind the machine.
Water it in
Two to three weeks of consistent moisture gets new seed established. We tell you the schedule before we leave.
Core aeration beats spike aeration
Spike units and shoe attachments punch holes without removing anything, which shoves the soil sideways and packs it tighter around each hole. On clay that makes the problem worse.
Core aeration removes a plug of soil about three inches deep and leaves a real opening. That is the version that relieves compaction, and it is what our machines pull.
- Two directional passes on heavily compacted lawns
- Plugs left to break down and feed the surface
- Paired with overseeding while the holes are open
- Fall booking, so the lawn recovers into cool weather
Pairs well with
Lawn overseeding
Seed dropped into open aeration holes germinates far better than seed thrown on hard ground.
See overseedingFertilization
The fall feeding right after aeration is the single most valuable round of the year.
See fertilizationLawn restoration
When a lawn is more bare than grass, aeration and seed alone will not carry it back.
See lawn restorationAeration questions we get
Late August through October is the best window. Soil is still warm, cool nights push recovery and any seed you drop has time to establish before frost.
Once a year for clay soil or a lawn with regular traffic. Sandy or lightly used lawns can go every other year.
No. They break down in one to two weeks and return soil and organic matter to the lawn. Removing them throws away part of what you paid for.
You can, and sometimes it is the only option. Spring aeration opens the soil right when crabgrass seed wants to germinate, so it works against your pre emergent.
Moist soil pulls better plugs. If there has been no rain for a week, run the sprinklers a day or two ahead.
It runs off lawn size. Call (815) 521-6356 with your address and we can measure and quote it.
Open the soil before the fall feeding
Fall aeration slots fill fast. Call and we will get you on the schedule.
