Aerating and dethatching your lawn are two essential ways to maintain healthy turf. Both techniques help make the most of limited watering, especially important during times of drought.

Aeration can be done any time of the year. Simply put, it pokes a pattern of holes in the soil allowing your turf to breathe more and better absorb watering. Aerating, coring, and aerifying are different terms you might hear for the same procedure. An aerator pulls plugs out of your soil. This helps loosen compacted soil and allows air and water to reach the roots.

Dethatching goes much further by removing the carpet of matted dead grass and debris that can build up over time. Since it's more intrusive to your grass, it is best done in the fall or early spring.

See an informative video at www.lakewoodcity.org/dethatchvideo.