
You should, however, avoid spiking wet soil that smears and when you notice that frost is imminent as your tools can get stuck. You can repeat this process once every couple of months. Spike your turf between 2 inches (5 cm) to 6 inches (15 cm) using a rolling lawn aerator, lawn aerating sandals, or a garden fork. What is the best way to aerate your lawn? Without the proper absorption, the grass won't grow and thrive as it should. The soil may not react to rain, mowing the lawn, and grass nutrients like it should. If you over-aerate your lawn, the soil can become damaged because it won't absorb the right amount of nutrients and water. In fact, aeration in the springtime may be more effective than in the fall in some areas where the soil has already been loosened by wintertime freeze and thaw cycles, which makes it easier for the aerator to penetrate the soil. Is it better to aerate in the spring or fall?Īs noted earlier, spring aeration can also be very beneficial. 1 Generally, though, spring aerating is discouraged because the aeration holes provide a perfect spot for weed seeds to germinate. If the soil is so compacted that existing grass can't grow, it may be necessary to aerate in the spring. Spring is not the ideal time to aerate the lawn, but circumstances may require it. In diffused air aeration method compressed air is blown through the sewage and air is diffused in sewage by diffuser. There are three methods for aeration in activated sludge process. What are the different methods of aeration? With time, the soil will readjust and close the small holes you made in the ground. Does Spike aeration work?ĭoes spike aeration work? Spike aeration works but provides short-term results because when you push the aerator into the soil, it pushes soil down and to the sides instead of removing the thick thatch that is causing compaction. Relieves surface compaction, lessening the gradual build up of thick that below the lawns surface. Is a spike or core aerator better?Ĭore aerators do a much better job than spike aerators of breaking up severely compacted soil, and the holes they leave behind encourage healthy root growth and improve access to water and nutrients for the grass. Spike aeration is suitable for small lawns with mild compaction while plug aeration is good for fixing severe soil compaction and on large areas. When hollow tining beware of upcoming frost, as if the soil freezes after you've aerated it, it can cause the lawn to heave up. Start aerating at the end of August through mid-October as those the months when the weather will start getting wetter rather than drier. Ideally, aerate the lawn with cool season grass in the early spring or fall and those with warm season grass in the late spring. The best time for aeration is during the growing season, when the grass can heal and fill in any open areas after soil plugs are removed. However, if you used a plug aerator even once in the last two seasons, you may need to spike-aerate just once a season to get rid of minor compaction problems. It is best to spike-aerate your lawn 2-3 times every season because the results do not last long. You want to aerate the lawn when your grass is in its peak growing period so it can recover quickly-think early spring or fall for cool-season grasses, and late spring through early summer for warm-season grasses. The coring method produces the best results of any aeration technique. Core aeration is the best technique for the easily compacted clay soils of DFW. Spiking is a common method of lawn aeration.Ĭore aeration is recommended by most lawn care professionals and most lawn research organizations as the most effective method for reducing soil compaction. If your lawn suffers from premature drying, poor drainage or moss invasion aeration will help. It also improves drainage from the surface, increases the water holding capacity and therefore stimulates rooting and root depth giving a more drought tolerant lawn.

BEST HEAVY DUTY: Agri-Fab 45-0299 48-Inch Tow Plug Aerator.BEST MANUAL: Yard Butler Lawn Coring Aerator.BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Gardzen Plug Aeration, Hand Hollow Tine Lawn Aerator.BEST OVERALL: Agri-Fab 45-0544 40-Inch Spike Aerator.Then find out why the models below are among the best lawn aerator options available. Plug aerators are usually more effective at relieving compaction in lawns with a heavy clay soil since the solid tines used on spike aerators compact the clay soil further when they push into the ground. Is Spike aeration better than no aeration? Spike and plug aerators are used to alleviate the negative affects of compacted soil on your lawn. Core aerators do a much better job than spike aerators of breaking up severely compacted soil, and the holes they leave behind encourage healthy root growth and improve access to water and nutrients for the grass.
