Lawn Aeration Tips for Beginners: How to Aerate Your Lawn
To grow and maintain a beautiful and lush lawn, you should put in place basic care practices such as moving and watering often. While these processes will ensure that your lawn grows nicely, it may not become as beautiful as you expected if it does not receive the required nutrients. Grass requires nutrients that are added to the soil to enrich it. The nutrients come from fertilizers and manure.
Once the grass is grown, it covers the soil and nutrients cannot penetrate to the roots and hence the need to create space for them to reach the roots system.
With this quick guide, you will learn about what you need to do to achieve your desired results for your lawn.
What is Lawn Aeration?
Aeration of lawns is done by putting small holes in the soil on your lawn to allow water, air, and nutrients to penetrate to the roots. It is done to strengthen the roots of the grass for them to grow faster and healthy. Lawn thatch may have been buried deep under the root system thus starving the roots of essential nutrients. When roots are starved of water and nutrients, your grass may turn pale and may dry up and you would have to start all over again.
When to Aerate Your Lawn?
You should aerate your lawn is during the rainy season preferably in early spring or fall. Grass flourishes more when it is rained on because rainwater is rich in minerals from the nitrification process that occurs in the sky. When you aerate your lawn at this season, the grass will easily fill up the open spaces created by the aerator. It will flourish so well that it will be the envy of your neighbors. Good lawns also increase the value of homes if you are planning to sell your home in the future.
How to Aerate a Lawn?
Aeration is best done using an aerator. An aerator is a tool that pokes holes while removing small plugs of grass and soil from the soil. You will put your fertilizer into the small holes that are created by the aerator. The holes that are created allow for water to move deeper and its retention is enhanced.
There are different types of aerators for you to choose for your lawn.
Lawn Spike aerator
The spike aerator has spikes and a roller that create holes in the soil to create spaces for oxygen, water, and nutrients. The roller enables it to move along the lawn while the spikes strike the ground with minimal force to create the holes. The spikes are small and long enough to go deeper into the soil. The roller enables the spike aerator to move along comfortably and you will use very little energy while you move around your garden.
Lawn Plug Aerator
The lawn plug aerator has a tray that additional weight can be added if the ground is too hard. The extra weight makes the spikes get to deeper levels in the ground. It is larger in size and is appropriate for bigger lawns such as golf courses or playgrounds. During certain times of the year, the ground may become too hard to prick and the fact that you can add extra weight to make the spikes dig deeper is an advantage for you.
Rolling Lawn Aerator
The rolling lawn aerator is the best to use for a small lawn. It is easy to assemble and to use. It has a handle and a compartment that has the spikes and works similar to the broom. Due to its ease of use, you can have younger people or friends help you to aerate are you have a chat in the backyard.
The rolling lawn aerator comes in different shapes and forms and also in different sizes and you will choose the one you prefer. It also has a provision of being attached to a mower so that you carry out the tasks at the same time.
Manual Lawn Aerator
The manual lawn aerator is a simple block of spikes that are held on a handle and used manually to prick the holes. Its advantage is that you only prick holes on specific points of the lawn. It may take longer to finish but it will enable you to give the process enough attention and notice any other issues that your lawn may have.
It is best to buy it if you have enough time to spend tending to the lawn since it is slower. It also provides you with an opportunity to exercise your body as it requires quite some energy. If you are a retiree or a work from home professional this is certainly the machine for you.
Lawn Aerator Shoes
Lawn aerator shoes have spikes at the bottom that you use to create holes in the lawn as you walk around it. Their advantage is that you can wear them when you are working in the garden during mowing. As you push your mower cutting the grass, your feet step on the part that has been mowed creating holes in the soil. They save time because you will not have to come back for the same exercise.
Conclusion
To make your lawn green and beautiful, you must decide on which aerator to use. One of the factors to consider is the size of your lawn and how often you plan to be aerating it. You should choose a machine that is within your budget and one that is easy to use. Your availability at home is also a factor to consider because you may decide to leave your teenage son to do the aeration. He will appreciate if you have an aerator which is easy to use.
Finally, you should consider the quality of the material used to manufacture the aeration machine. No one wants to keep having tools that break down in the middle of a work session. Choose machines whose manufacturers provide good after-sales support and can give guarantees about their quality.
