Core aeration & overseeding · Ottawa
Lawn aeration pulls plugs of soil out of a packed lawn so water, air and food reach the roots. Add overseeding and fresh seed fills the thin patches while the holes are open.
What we do
Core aeration fixes the soil under the grass. Lawn overseeding fixes the grass itself. Most thin lawns in Ottawa need both, which is why we offer aeration and overseeding in one visit.
Aeration prices
Priced by lot size, plus HST. Overseeding includes the seed, chosen for your lawn’s sun and shade.
Pair it with a fall cleanup or a mowing plan and we do it on your regular visit day.
What moves the price
How it works
Why aerate
Much of Ottawa sits on heavy clay soil, and newer subdivisions in Barrhaven, Kanata and Riverside South often have only a thin layer of topsoil over packed fill. Foot traffic, play and snow piles press it down further every year.
Packed soil sheds water instead of soaking it up, and grass roots stay short. The signs are puddles after rain, grass that browns quickly in dry weather, and thin patches that never fill in.
For cool-season grass, the best window is from late August to the end of September. The soil is still warm for seed to sprout, nights are cool, and weeds grow less, so new grass has little competition.
Spring aeration in May also works, especially for heavily compacted lawns, but new seed then has to survive summer heat.
If the lawn is thick but hard and slow to drain, core aeration alone is enough. If you can see soil between the grass blades, add overseeding. Seed sown into the aeration holes has better soil contact and sprouts far better than seed thrown on top.
Not sure which your lawn needs? Push a screwdriver into the soil. If it is hard to get in when the ground is moist, the soil is compacted and lawn aeration will help.
Canada’s landscape trade association publishes standards and advice for lawns and landscapes: Canadian Nursery Landscape Association
More lawn care
Aeration FAQ
See your lawn aeration price now. September dates go first.