Understanding the importance of a lawn aerator

Posted: Dec 22, 2010 |Comments: 0 |

To start, a lawn aerator is a garden tool to aerate or introduce air into the soil of the lawn. Regular aeration of the lawn improves soil drainage and encourages growth of worms, micro-fauna and micro-flora. Further, aeration of lawn involves two tasks. First, one needs to control lawn thatch, and secondly, soil compaction must be discouraged.

Lawn thatch is a layer of dead organic material that deprives the soil from much needed nutrients (i.e. water & air). Air and water are the external factors which cannot infiltrate into the soil and reach the grass roots if the soil is in a compressed condition. Consequently, grass on the surface begins to die. Lawn aerators ensure easy absorption of water, oxygen and other nutrients to the grass roots. Lawn aeration also helps increase the vitality of the microorganisms, which prevents accumulation of lawn thatch.

Ways to aerate your lawn

There are two ways to aerate your lawn, one with the solid spike aerator and second with the lawn plug aerator.

While the former aerator with spikes simply punches holes into the ground, the lawn plug aeratorspull out plugs of soil as well. These plugged holes can be later filled back with top soil and fertilizer. Out of the two methods, lawn plug aeration is said to be most effective because actual cores of soil are pulled from the lawn. This process of lawn aeration helps the soil to open up. It also increases the water infiltration, improves rooting and reduces thatch, thereby improving the overall lawn condition.

Further, lawn aeration provides many other advantages, in addition to minimal soil compaction and better drainage, it can do the following:

  • Increases the air flow in the soil which helps the grass roots to breathe better and grow healthier
  • Improves lawn thickness and vigor
  • Helps fertilizer penetrate down to the grass roots
  • Save water waste by increasing water infiltration and reduces run-off
  • Air penetration increases the microbial activity in the soil
  • Helps break down lawn thatch
  • Promotes a greener and weed free lawn

Finally, to help lawn soil breathe, it is advisable to give it some time to regenerate (after aeration and before seeding). This ensures uniform grass growth.

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    Ray Shank

    Soil that has been broken down by having too much organic material on its surface or has been crushed down cannot properly feed the grass growing in it. We need to remove "Thatch" and "Soil Compaction" to give us a healthy lawn. This is fairly easy to do, if you follow these simple instructions.

    By: Ray Shankl Home and Familyl Mar 27, 2009 lViews: 123
    Amy C.

    If you are not happy with the way your lawn has been looking lately, make plans to aerate soon. Aeration is the best way to give your lawn the opportunity to become lush and green. One of the best things you can do for your lawn is to aerate it once in a while.

    By: Amy C.l Home and Familyl Apr 25, 2011

    Aerating the lawn is something that many homeowners overlook, but it can improve the health of your lawn immensely by ensuring that plenty of oxygen and nutrients get to the grass roots.

    By: Alex Murphyl Home Improvement> Landscapingl Jul 09, 2010

    A drum aerator can aid your lawn care routine. Lawn root systems need oxygen to thrive and to absorb water and nutrients. Excess thatch, compact soil and poor drainage reduce the size of the pores that enable oxygen to reach the roots.

    By: Jack Turnerl Home Improvement> Gardeningl Dec 24, 2011

    The basic idea behind lawn aeration is that, like you, your lawn and the soil under it need to breathe. Providing much-needed lawn aeration for your grass entails dealing with thatch. Soils can become compacted in high-traffic areas or in areas that have mostly clay soils. This can kill off grass very quickly.

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