Aerating Your Lawn By Hand

If you live where heavy clay soil is the norm annual aeration is probably needed to keep your lawn from becoming thin and weak.

Aerating your lawn by hand.

Plug aerators remove a core or plug of grass and soil from the lawn. Thoroughly water your lawn a day or two before you begin the aeration process. How to aerate a lawn. Things needed hand aerifier with tube hollows 1 4 to 1 2 inch in diameter or spading fork lawn watering device optional tape measure or ruler lawn rake optional wheelbarrow or basket optional.

With a spike aerator you simply use the tool to poke holes into the ground with a solid tine or fork. Thatch is the layer of decomposing organic matter that forms right at the lawn surface between soil and grass. The grass is starting to change color or look unhealthy. A lawn care professional explains how and why to aerate a lawn including what tools can be used for the job and how to properly use t.

The most effective type of aerating is with a gas powered machine called a core aerator that pulls out small cores of grass and soil. This soil type needs aeration as it tends to. Apply at least one inch of water. The day before aerating your lawn apply 1 inch of water to the lawn to soften the soil.

Spiking is not nearly as effective as core aerating but it s better than nothing. For lightly compacted soil go over your entire lawn once with the aerator making sure to follow directions for use. Once you aerate the lawn in the fall you can apply weed killers so the open holes are protected from weeds. Your soil type is clay.

In areas where the soil is too compacted the foot bar offers extra leverage. The best method of manually aerating your lawn is done using a manual core aerator this is a tool designed with a handle and a foot bar. This will help with the number of weeds growing in the springtime. Dethatching and aerating are two different tasks but they often go hand in hand.

Aerating is the process of punching small holes all over your lawn. Other aerators use short spikes to punch holes in the turf. Although aerating your lawn in the spring certainly isn t wrong it would have to take a close second compared to aerating in the fall. How do you decide whether your lawn needs aeration.

Make sure to mark any sprinkler heads or shallow irrigation septic or utility lines so that you won t accidentally run them over. Two main aerating tools exist a spike aerator and a plug aerator. For the best results use an aerating tool or machine that actually removes plugs of soil.