Pull the plugs. Seed the gaps.
Core aeration pulls small plugs of soil out of the lawn so air, water and seed can get to the roots. In Central Ohio, September is the best month to do it.
Prices
Why September
Cool-season grass seed germinates best when the soil is still warm and the air is getting cooler, which in Columbus is roughly late August through September. Seed sown then has two months of good growing weather before winter and less competition from weeds than in spring.
Why our clay needs it
Much of Central Ohio has heavy clay soil that compacts under foot traffic and mowers. Aeration loosens it. If your lawn is thin, puddles after rain or feels hard underfoot, it will help.
After
Water lightly every day or two for the first couple of weeks so the seed stays moist. Leave the plugs; they break down in the next few rains.
Book September before it fills up.
The lawn care site, built in seven days.
Sixteen pages: an instant price by lot size, online sign-up, a season calendar, and the Ohio applicator license on the treatment page where the state expects it.