Why then
Aerate warm-season lawns in late spring to early summer, once the lawn is fully green and growing fast — that’s when Bermuda and Zoysia recover quickest and the holes close in weeks. Never aerate a warm-season lawn while it is dormant or just waking up; it cannot heal the disturbance.
Frequently asked questions
When should I aerate my lawn in South Carolina?
Across South Carolina's featured cities the window runs Mar 4 – May 23. Your own town can sit at either end of that range — use the city table on this page or the ZIP lookup for your exact dates.
Why do the dates vary within South Carolina?
Because climate does. The dates here are calculated separately for each city from its own NOAA 1991–2020 frost records, and elevation, latitude, and terrain spread them across South Carolina — the same task can be a week or two apart between towns. That local spread is exactly what generic national advice misses.
What if I miss the window?
You get a second-choice window on the opposite shoulder of the season (spring for cool-season lawns, later summer for warm-season) — results are usually a step down, but far better than working in the wrong season entirely.