Dethatching vs. Aerating: Which One Should You Do First in Spring?

Lawn care often revolves around regular mowing, watering, and fertilizing. However, even with these efforts, your lawn may still struggle to grow thick and healthy. One possible reason? The underlying soil and grass roots aren’t getting the air, water, and nutrients they need. When these essential elements can't penetrate the soil and reach the roots, your lawn will struggle, and grass growth will be stunted.

Dethatching and aerating are two crucial but often overlooked lawn care practices that help address this issue. Because they don’t need to be done as frequently as mowing or watering, they’re often put on the back burner. However, understanding when and how to dethatch and aerate can significantly improve your lawn’s health, ensuring it stays lush and vibrant throughout the growing season.

Should You Dethatch and Aerate Your Lawn in Spring?

Dethatching and aeration equally improve lawn health, but not all lawns require dethatching or aeration every spring, and some may not need either at all. Whether your lawn needs aerating depends on your soil type, grass species, and how much foot traffic it endures. Similarly, dethatching is only necessary when the thatch layer becomes too thick, acting as a barrier that prevents water and nutrients from reaching the soil.

Assess your lawn by checking for signs of compacted soil and excessive thatch. If you observe poor drainage, thinning grass, or a spongy feel underfoot, your lawn may benefit from either of these processes or both.

Why, When, and How to Dethatch Your Lawn

Thatch is a layer of dead and living organic matter—grass stems, roots, and clippings—building up between the soil surface and the grass blades. A thin layer of thatch—less than half an inch—can be beneficial by conserving moisture and regulating soil temperature. But when thatch builds up too thick, it suffocates grass plants and prevents proper growth. It can also lead to:

• Poor water and nutrient absorption

• Increased risk of lawn disease and pests

• Shallow root growth, weakening the grass plants

Improper mowing, compacted soil, and too much fertilizer can cause excessive thatch buildup. If your lawn feels spongy or if it’s difficult to insert your finger through to the soil, dethatching may be necessary.

When to Dethatch

Dethatching is best done when grass is actively growing to allow for quick recovery. For warm-season grasses like Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Zoysia, late spring or early summer is ideal, but in frost-free climates like Florida, early spring is also a good option. Because these grasses may not yet be coming out of winter dormancy, dethatching at this time allows for recovery before the intense summer heat sets in, reducing stress on the lawn. Meanwhile, early fall or spring is the best time to dethatch for cool-season grasses like Kentucky Bluegrass and Fescue.

How to Dethatch

Manual dethatching with a dethatching rake is effective for small areas, allowing you to pull up dead grass and debris by hand. For larger lawns, power dethatching with a dethatching machine or power rake is more efficient, as it removes thatch more thoroughly. After dethatching, remove loose grass clippings and dead thatch to prevent buildup and promote healthy lawn growth.

Lawn Aeration: Benefits and Process

Aeration involves perforating the soil to reduce compaction, improve drainage, and allow nutrients to reach the roots. It’s particularly useful for lawns with clay soil or heavy foot traffic.

Benefits of Lawn Aeration

• Reduces Soil Compaction – Creates space for air and water movement, preventing the soil from becoming too dense and restricting root growth. This helps maintain a healthier, more resilient lawn.

• Encourages Root Growth – Helps the roots spread deeper into the soil, making the lawn more drought-resistant and better able to absorb nutrients. Stronger roots also improve overall turf durability.

• Improves Nutrient Uptake – Allows fertilizer and organic matter to reach the roots more effectively, so the grass receives the essential nutrients it needs. This leads to greener, thicker, and more vigorous growth.

• Breaks Down Thatch Naturally – Removing small plugs of soil encourages microbial activity, which helps decompose thatch over time. By promoting a balanced thatch layer, aeration reduces the risk of disease and improves soil health.

When to Aerate

Aeration should be timed with the growing season to allow grass to recover quickly. Cool-season grasses are best aerated in early spring or fall, while warm-season grasses benefit most from aeration in late spring or early summer. However, unlike mowing or watering, aeration doesn’t need to be done annually. If your lawn is in good condition, aerating every other year may be sufficient. Lawns with sandy soil or light foot traffic may not require frequent aeration, while those with clay-heavy soil or heavy foot traffic benefit from more regular treatment to maintain healthy growth and soil structure.

How to Aerate

Core aeration is the most effective method, as it removes small plugs of soil, improving air circulation and allowing water and nutrients to reach the roots. Spike aeration, which uses solid tines to poke holes in the soil, is less effective and can potentially lead to further compaction over time. For small patches of compacted soil, manual aeration with a garden fork may be sufficient. Still, for larger areas, core aeration remains the best practice for promoting a healthier, more resilient lawn.

Which Should Go First: Dethatching or Aeration?

If your lawn needs both dethatching and aeration, dethatch first. Here’s why:

• Dethatching removes excess debris, allowing for better aeration penetration. Thick thatch can block air, water, and nutrients from reaching the soil, so clearing it first makes aeration more effective.

• Aeration works more effectively after dethatching since the soil is more exposed. With thatch out of the way, the aerator can better penetrate the ground, reducing compaction and improving root access to essential nutrients.

• Overlapping both in one season can stress the lawn, so spacing them out is recommended if your lawn is already weak. Performing them too close together can put unnecessary strain on the grass, slowing its recovery and making it more vulnerable to drought and disease.

• Aeration alone may be enough if your main issue is compacted soil rather than thick thatch. If water pools on the surface and the grass struggles to grow due to hard-packed soil, aeration can improve drainage and root expansion without dethatching.

• If thatch is the bigger problem, then prioritize dethatching. A thick thatch layer can suffocate grass, leading to shallow roots and increased disease risk, so removing it first will promote a healthier, more resilient lawn.

Post-Lawn Care Maintenance with NutriPod Grass Fertilizer

After dethatching or aerating, proper lawn care is essential for recovery and maintaining healthy soil and grass roots. Bare patches are inevitable after these processes, making repairing the lawn with grass plugs necessary. Unlike grass seed, which takes longer to establish, grass plugs provide an instant boost, filling in thin areas more effectively and promoting a fuller, healthier lawn. To accelerate growth and support strong root development, fertilize the new grass with NutriPod grass fertilizer, which provides essential nutrients and can help grass establish up to two times faster.

In addition to plugging and fertilizing, proper watering and mowing will aid lawn recovery. Keep the soil moist but not overly saturated to prevent further thatch buildup and encourage deep root growth. Mow at the recommended height for your grass type—typically 1–2 inches for bermudagrass, 2–3 inches for Zoysia, and 3–4 inches for St. Augustine—to prevent stress and promote healthy regrowth. For a more in-depth guide on post-dethatching recovery, check out this article, How to Restore Your Lawn After Dethatching.

Final Thoughts

Both dethatching and aeration improve soil conditions and grass health, but not every lawn needs them every spring. If you suspect your lawn’s struggling due to compacted soil or thick thatch, assess the situation before deciding which method to use. Dethatching should typically come first if both are required, but aeration alone might be enough for some lawns.

Regular monitoring and maintenance—including proper mowing, watering, and fertilization—can reduce the need for frequent aeration and dethatching, keeping your lawn green and healthy year after year. Give your lawn the best recovery and growth boost using NutriPod fertilizer for grass. With a 17-1-10 NPK ratio, it is formulated to nourish new grass and strengthen root development. With proper care and NutriPod’s targeted nutrients, your lawn will thrive faster and stay resilient throughout the seasons.