Aerating yard is an important step in maintaining healthy turf, but it’s not always easy to know what to look for before getting started. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the top four things you should always check before aerating your yard. Read on to find out more!
Basic Theory of Aeration
Aeration is the process of introducing air into the soil of a lawn. De-compaction is the process of releasing pressure between soil particles, resulting in less dense soil. They are, for all intents and purposes, the same and result in more air entering the soil. These air gaps partially fill with rainwater and store it for use by the grass.
Aeration not only relieves compaction, but it also allows air, rain, and nutrients to permeate a hard surface, enhances bacterial activity, and aids in the reduction of thatch. It also improves surface drainage, enhances water holding capacity, and encourages roots and root depth, making the lawn more drought resistant. If your grass is drying out too quickly due to inadequate drainage or moss invasion, aeration will assist.
Spiking is a typical grass aeration technique. You can dig a hole in your grass with a fork, a lawn spiker, or an aerator, but where has the dirt on the sides gone? The fork has compacted it by squeezing it out of the way!! Is it worthwhile to do so?
Aeration Arsenal
Aeration with solid spikes is usually done to a depth of 1 to 6 inches, with the top two inches being the most significant, utilizing equipment such as the garden fork, aerator sandals or shoes, rolling lawn aerators, or motorized machinery. There are also star-shaped slitters that may be trailed behind ride-on mowers or lawn tractors or inserted as a cassette into grass gear.
Sandals or Shoes to Aerating Yard
These attach to your shoes and spike the grass as you walk, however I wouldn’t suggest them on hills. They take some getting used to, but after a few minutes you’ll be in the swing of things. They are easy to use, with a thick spike design for thorough aeration, and may be paired with other lawn care tasks if necessary. Your aerating yard duties would really nice.
Lawn Aerator
A rolling lawn aerator or spiker may be divided into two categories. They either feature permanent spikes or spring-loaded spikes. The fixed spikes caused significantly less jerking and bouncing, and it was much simpler and smoother to get it to adhere into the dirt.
Hence lawn aerator could attached with riding lawn mower, there are plus option which much easier as a tow lawn aerator. We have been included tow lawn aerator as a one of beneficial aerating yard tools to enhance nature elements on soil.
Hollow Tine Aerator
The removal of cores from the lawn, also known as hollow tining or coring, is an excellent approach to both aerate and relieve compaction. It will also help with drying, which will be important in the autumn when the rains begin, especially if you have a moss problem. It’s not recommended in the spring since when the sun grows stronger, you’ll need to save moisture!
Extremely sandy soils may not benefit as much, in which case the rolling lawn aerator and aerator sandals mentioned above will suffice. Heavy clay soils would benefit the most, however the sticky quality of the soil might jam the tines and prevent them from ejecting, rendering the device useless. Core aerating yard with hollow tines will benefit good quality or high usage lawns with soils in the middle of these two extremes every year in the autumn. Other lawns might be mowed every two to three years.
Aerators are the most common forms of coring equipment for lawns. The hand-held hollow tine fork, which looks like a garden fork but has hollow tubes instead of spikes, is one option. Then there are the hollow tine aerators that run on gasoline. The ‘lawn variant’ contains multiple spinning drums with a total of 30 or more corers. They won’t go much deeper than 2″, but they’ll get the job done. They’re pricey, but they’re commonly accessible at rental shops, and they can usually be equipped with solid spikes if desired.
Best Time For Aerating Yard
March to November
From March through November, you can spike with solid tines (2″ to 6″) using your lawn aerator sandals, mobile lawn aerator, garden fork, driven or towed aerators. You may do it as many times as you like since it’s incredibly healthy. Otherwise, get stuck in if the earth is extremely moist and sticky, or if frost is approaching.
Shallow spiking or pricking is only used in the dry months when the spikes won’t penetrate deeply, such as before sowing, fertilizing, or watering. This will allow even the tiniest of rains to penetrate the soil.
Spring and Autumn
If you have the right motorized equipment or a ride-on mower with the attachment, you may add slitting or chisel tining (flat spike rather of a circular spike) to the spiking. If you have a slitter, spring or fall are ideal seasons. The ‘pruning’ action of these tines works well on root development during the cooler months, so late fall, October to November, is also a good time. Keep an eye on the slits as the weather grows colder or warmer, as frost or dry weather can cause them to open up rather dramatically!
Autumn
Using a hollow tine to cor The use of a hollow tine aerator is the most intrusive of the therapies, and should only be done when a satisfactory recovery can be attained, as with other invasive operations. I recommend targeting the months of late September to mid-November because the weather will be wetter rather than dryer.
The aerator will help with drainage and soil temperature, which is perfect for this time of year. On the other side, if you aerate your lawn in the spring, the enhanced drainage and drying impact may cause difficulties for your grass if the weather turns too hot and dry too soon. Again, keep an eye on the weather when it drops, since any freezing soon after hollow tining can cause the lawn to heave!
Conclusion
Aerating your yard is an important task that you should take care of before it gets too late. By following these 4 simple tips, you’ll be on your way to a healthy and aerating yard in no time! Thanks for reading!