What is Lawn Aeration?
Lawn aeration involves the removal of small soil plugs or cores out of the lawn. Although hand aerators are available, most aeration is done mechanically with a machine having hollow tines or spoons mounted on a disk or drum. Known as a core aerator, it extracts 1/2 to 3/4 inch diameter cores of soil and deposits them on your lawn. Aeration holes are typically 1-4 inches deep and 2-6 inches apart. Other types of aerators push solid spikes or tines into the soil without removing a plug (spiking). These are not as effective because they can contribute to compaction. Core aeration is a recommended lawn care practice on compacted, heavily used turf and to control thatch buildup. What Will Aeration do for My Lawn? As lawns age or sustain heavy use from play, sports activities, pets, vehicle traffic and parking, soil compaction can result. Soil compacting forces are most severe in poorly drained or wet sites. Compaction greatly reduces the pore space within the soil that would normally hold
Though you may not think much about lawn aeration, most professional landscapers and groundskeepers will tell you that it is a vitally important part of making sure grass is well taken care of. Over time, soil has the tendency to compact, oftentimes becoming harder and allowing in fewer nutrients. This has potentially damaging effects on the grass and other plants. While lawn aeration is recommended for nearly all soil types, it is especially important for very dense, heavily organic soil. Soil that has more of a sand base may not need lawn aeration as much. This type of soil is more porous by nature, which helps the root system breathe more. Still, lawn aeration is recommended every once in a while. Lawn aeration has a number of benefits. First, healthier growth of grass roots is promoted if the soil is loose. Also, it helps fertilizers get access to the grass to promote a healthier lawn. In addition, it also provides for better drainage and soaking when rain events or irrigation take
Lawn aeration is the process of aerating the soil of an established lawn. The most effective lawn aeration method is known as core aeration. It involves removing soil cores from the ground and depositing the cores on the lawn. The process creates holes in the ground that are approximately 2 to 3 inches deep and 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter. The soil in the ground is “cored” out with sharp hollow steel tubes known as tines. Although hand-operated manual aerators are available, lawns larger than several hundred square feet will usually require mechanically driven lawn aerator machines. The machines have hollow tines mounted on a rotating hub. Although they are self-propelled by the rotating hub, these machines can be difficult to operate due to their weight of 240 lbs or more. Lawn aerator attachments with coring tines that are adaptable to garden tillers are lighter and more suitable for homeowners. Lawn aerators with solid spikes are also available but they are not as effective and are
Lawn aeration involves the removal of small soil plugs or cores out of the lawn. Although hand aerators are available, most aeration is done mechanically with a machine having hollow tines or spoons mounted on a disk or drum. Known as a core aerator, it extracts 1/2 to 3/4 inch diameter cores of soil and deposits them on your lawn. Aeration holes are typically 1-6 inches deep and 2-6 inches apart. Other types of aerators push solid spikes or tines into the soil without removing a plug (spiking). These are not as effective because they can contribute to compaction. Core aeration is a recommended lawn care practice on compacted, heavily used turf and to control thatch buildup. What will aeration do for my lawn? As lawns age or sustain heavy use from play, sports activities, pets, vehicle traffic and parking, soil compaction can result. Soil compacting forces are most severe in poorly drained or wet sites. Compaction greatly reduces the pore space within the soil that would normally hold
Aerating a lawn is a simple process of removing small cores of soil and grass to allow air, water and nutrients into the root zone. Another way of aerating a lawn is to use a spike aerator that punches spikes into the lawn to make small holes. However, this method isn’t considered as effective as core aerating.
