Jeff Ball (1939-2011) was a full time garden writer for 28 years. He wrote 9 books which are the source of much of the information on this site. He produced garden videos, a gardening cdrom, and a garden planner software package. For 8 years he was the monthly gardening expert on the NBC Today Show in New York City. He wrote a weekly yardening column for the Detroit News and a monthly column on tools and vegetable gardening in the Michigan Gardener magazine. He lived in central Michigan and, formerly, in Pennsylvania. He coined the term YARDENER SM and was visionary in his efforts to provide expert online help to "homeowners who have lawns and plants to care for, but who aren't really gardeners" (1). His legacy and mission of helping yardeners is carried on through the Yardener.com website.
Yardener.com
How often should you aerate your lawn?
Here’s the part people usually miss: lawn compaction starts months before you ever see a problem. All winter long, foot traffic, snow weight, and frozen soil slowly squeeze the air out of the ground. By the time spring arrives, grass roots are already stressed before growth even begins. That’s why aeration works best when it’s planned early, not when the lawn already looks damaged.
Aeration simply means making small holes in the soil so it isn’t packed tight. Those holes let air, water, and nutrients reach the roots again. When soil is compacted, roots stay shallow, water runs off instead of soaking in, and grass starts thinning. Aeration gives the lawn room to breathe and recover.
So how often should you do it? It depends on what your lawn is dealing with. Lawns with clay soil or heavy foot traffic usually benefit from aeration once a year. Clay compacts quickly, and busy lawns get pressed down repeatedly. Sandy soil drains more easily, so those lawns often only need aeration every two or three years. If the ground feels very hard, water pools after rain, or grass struggles year after year, aerating annually for a short period can help reset the soil.
You can spot compaction with a simple test. Try pushing a screwdriver into the soil. If it’s hard to get in, air and water are struggling too. Puddles after watering signal poor drainage.
Timing matters as much as frequency. Cool-season lawns respond best to aeration in early fall, with spring as a second option once the soil dries. Warm-season lawns should be aerated in late spring or early summer. Aerating during peak summer stress can weaken grass instead of helping it.
After aerating, keep things simple:
1. Leave the soil plugs where they fall
2. Overseed if you want thicker grass
3. Fertilize within two days
4. Water deeply and evenly
5. Avoid heavy traffic briefly
Aerating too often can stress grass and invite weeds, so more isn’t always better. Planned aeration fixes problems before they show. It’s quiet work that keeps lawns healthy long before damage becomes visible.
Have you ever aerated your lawn before, or is this something you’ve been putting off?
1 day ago | [YT] | 0
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Yardener.com
Gardening teaches this fast. You can’t fix what already happened, but you can work with what’s in front of you. Thin, replant, adjust, feed, try again.
Gardens aren’t about perfect starts. They’re about choosing the next right step and letting the season finish strong.
2 days ago | [YT] | 1
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Yardener.com
The busy bee has no time for sorrow.
— William Blake
When you choose to stay busy, be present in your work, and focus on what matters, there’s little room left for sorrow.
Happy Sunday 🌿
5 days ago | [YT] | 1
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Yardener.com
Did you know?
Winter ivy problems often start with dry air, not pests or disease. Cold wind + winter sun pull moisture out of ivy leaves while frozen or cold soil can’t replace it.
The damage shows up later - as browning, curling, or leaf drop.
That’s why ivy looks fine… then suddenly doesn’t.
Seen this delay before?
1 week ago | [YT] | 1
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Yardener.com
How To Revive Spider Plant That Is Dying After Being Left In Cold
1 week ago | [YT] | 1
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Yardener.com
Thunder roars, but it doesn’t strike. Lightning strikes, but it doesn’t roar.
Stop announcing your moves.
Start making them.
Be the one who acts, not just talks.
Choose to be lightning.
1 week ago | [YT] | 0
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Yardener.com
A quote I am in love with this week
#mindfulthoughts
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 2
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Yardener.com
You are doing better today.
Progress still counts, even quietly.
Some days grow slower.
Your effort is not wasted.
Keep going.
4 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 1
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Yardener.com
Your soil works hard all season. Winter is its quiet recovery time. Feed it now with compost, protect it with mulch, and cover what’s bare. Spring always pays back good care. 🌱
#WinterGarden #SoilCare #GardenPrep #HealthySoil #Yardener
2 months ago | [YT] | 0
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Yardener.com
3 things you should plant in December indoors
Most people think December is the month when the garden sleeps.
But indoors, three plants stay awake: mint, rosemary, and lettuce.
They don’t need perfect light. They don’t need warm air. They just need a quiet corner and a gardener who doesn’t quit when the calendar turns cold.
Mint grows like it remembers summer.
Rosemary stands like a tiny winter tree.
Lettuce gives you the softest leaves when the world outside is hard and frozen.
Plant these three in December - not because they’re easy, but because they actually grow when most things won’t.
#gardening #yardener #indoorplants
2 months ago | [YT] | 2
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