Aerating Your Lawn
by Guest on Aug 3, 2010
Lawn aeration is beneficial when the soil has been compacted. Soils get compacted for a number of reasons: sports, car or other vehicle traffic and parking or wet, poorly drained soil. Think about a football field. All that activity compacts the soil which kills the grass. Aeration is a common practice on sports fields to keep the grass healthy. When the soil gets compacted there is little pore space in the soil to hold air. Grassroots need air to grow and the space to absorb water and nutrients.
Lawn aeration removes small soil plugs from the lawn. A manual aerator is a cylinder with a handle that extracts a soil plug approximately ½ to 1 inch wide and 5’ to 6” deep. The plug is pushed out of the top of the cylinder the next time you use it and deposited on the lawn. These holes are made 2 to 6 inches apart depending on the degree of compaction. It is better to use an aerator that pulls the plugs out of the soil. Some aerators simply push solid spikes into the soil to aerate and are not as effective as the cylinders.
Aeration is needed when the grassroots are less than 2 inches deep. To check and see if aeration is needed to remove a small piece of the lawn to determine the depth of the grassroots.
It is best to aerate in the fall. During the dry summer months, lawns are already stressed and aeration may damage the lawn. Soil should be moist when aerating so it is best to water the lawn the day before aerating if it isn’t moist from rain. Try and aerate in two different directions to make sure you get air to all the roots. The soil plugs can be left on the lawn. If the soil in the plugs is compacted you can break them up and they will work back into the soil faster.
Your soil will benefit from aeration in many ways. The soil microorganisms will be able to work faster at decomposing thatch. The soil will receive more water, oxygen and nutrients moving into and through it. Roots will grow stronger. Water will filter through the lawn better. If your lawn needs fertilizer or seeding you can do both of these things right after you aerate.
If you have a large lawn you can rent an aerator at rental equipment stores or you can hire a lawn service to do it for you. Make sure the machine that is used has hollow tines so that the soil plugs are brought to the surface.
Popular Articles
When to Use a Brush, Roller or Sponge Brush
Brushes are a good choice for painting trim and woodwork. They are also useful for cutting in the edges around the top and bottom edges and corners...
65304 Views
Three Places to Spend Money on the Exterior of Your Home
When you have the exterior of your home remodeled, you are investing, time, energy and convenience into the project and you want to make sure that...
63374 Views
Homemade Headboards-Make an Upholstered or Wooden Headboard
Homemade headboards can add a lot of personality to any bedroom. They can be coordinated with existing furniture and room decor or they can be the...
58904 Views
Creating a Cottage Kitchen with Bead Board
Kitchen decor can range from modern and bold to elegant and elaborate by using strategic kitchen pieces. One of the most popular decorating trends...
40222 Views
Gas Fireplace Diagnostics and Troubleshooting
Follow these steps for diagnosing and troubleshooting Gas Fireplaces repairs. For the average DIYer, this may seem intimidating, depending on the...
25224 Views
Latest Articles
What is the Average Cost to Repair a Foundation?
The most important part of any structure is the foundation, considering that it gives support to everything above it and ensures that the structure...
on Apr 26, 2022
6 Favored Methods for Foundation Waterproofing You Should Know
If you have ever walked down to your basement and noticed a small trickle of water or a small puddle on the floor, you may dismiss it as no big...
on Apr 24, 2022
7 Great Hacks For People Who Hate Doing Chores at Home
Count yourself lucky if you find cleaning and doing chores therapeutic. For the rest of the population, doing chores can be one of the most...
on Apr 12, 2022
Driveway Drain - Why is it Important for Safety
A driveway is often our first impression of a home. It tells people how we want them to feel when they're welcomed in. That's why it's important to...
on Apr 1, 2022
7 Tips for Choosing Your Bathroom Doors
Replacing the door is an excellent starting point when doing bathroom renovations. However, with the various door types in the market, choosing the...
on Mar 31, 2022
Featured Articles
What Type of Licensed Contractor Should You Hire?
on Feb 28, 2017
Hire Contractors / Estimates

Looking for a specialty project? There are many types of contractors available for your home improvement needs. Finding the right type of...
Sponsored Articles
Juan Plumbing - Learn about SCAMs
on Sep 17, 2021
Hire Contractors / Estimates

I can firmly say, I'm only trying to be an advocate for a neighbor that is a DISABLED SENIOR who was taken advantage of in this SCAM. I feel the...
Actions
Top Categories
- Garden / Landscaping / Patio — 258
- Kitchen / Bathrooms — 233
- Real Estate / Finance — 188
- Appliance / Repair — 185
- Interior Design / Decor — 181
- HVAC / Air Conditioning — 145
- Cleaning / Maintenance — 138
- Improvements / Remodeling — 131
- Floors / Tile / Hardwood — 114
- Plumbing / Basements — 114
- Doors / Garages — 112
- Safety / Security — 112
Articles Archive
More DIY Articles
Different Types of Landscaping Features for Your Front Yard
Managing a greenery enclosure can truly enhance the look of your home, both in the front and in your yard. A very much oversaw greenery enclosure...
6 Tips for Improving Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality
If you are concerned about the air quality in your home, the good news is that there are things that you can do about it to make it better. Below...
3 Signs That You Need to Call a Plumber
From burst pipes to unexpected blockages, there are a million and one things that can seemingly go wrong with the plumbing in our home. Some of...
10 Budget Friendly Tips to Keep Your House Warm
Keeping the house warm during winters can be an expensive task. Especially if you’re on a budget or trying to cut back on extra costs. While...
Gas Furnace Dos and Do Nots
The cold weather is just around the corner and BAM! The furnace will not start. With freezing temps, your furnace becomes the most important...