A celebration takes place on my lawn every September or October called “Doggy Doo Days”. No need for a scooper and plastic baggy for cleanup however. The lawn has an amazing ability to recover from summer stress in the fall with extensive tillering and rhizome growth as the wetter cooler weather of fall arrives. You can give this process a kick in the “plants” by aerating and feeding your lawn. Your lawn will look like “Doggy Doo Days” for a while until the cores break down.
Just let the soil cores lay on top of the grass until they crumble between the blades and are no longer visible. For lawns that are growing in a clay soil, or turf that is subject to heavy foot traffic, aerating provides oxygen to the roots and soil “spaces” to encourage tillering and rhizome growth = thicker healthier lawn. It’s also a great idea to aerate before overseeding an existing lawn. This provides some soil to seed contact. Feeding after you aerate also helps nutrients penetrate into the root zone and minimize surface leaching.
As an “entre-manure” encourage your neighbors to get in on the act. Rent a core aerator for the day and split the cost among a few neighbors. Doggy Doo Days is a great way to bring the neighborhood together with healthy exercise, fresh air and the camaraderie of a mutual effort. Step in it and have some fun……your lawn will certainly benefit, and you’ll have a leg up on others who choose not to participate.