How to Calculate Plugs Per Square Foot for Lawn Aeration

Core aeration helps your lawn by relieving it of soil compaction, facilitating nutrient movement and water movement throughout. It prevents too much thatch from accumulating on your lawn’s surface, and it increases the rate at which your lawn roots. Aeration should be done in the grass's growing season so it can quickly repair the effects of the aeration. April and September are appropriate times to aerate cool-season grasses, and June and July are suitable for warm-season grasses.

Tape measure

Instructions

- 1
  Calculate how many aeration holes your aerator can produce. Most lawn aerators produce between eight to 10 holes per pass. Run the aerator over a square foot of your lawn and count how many holes are produced in one pass.
- 2
  Decide how many holes you want in your lawn for proper aeration. Most lawns need 20 to 40 holes per square foot, according to the Iowa State University website.
- 3
  Calculate how many passes it will take to get the proper amount of holes for your lawn. Divide the number of holes the aerator produces in one pass by the number of holes you want in your lawn. For example, if your aerator does 10 holes per square foot, you’ll need to run it over the lawn two to four times to get the proper number of aeration holes.

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