The 4 Types of Lawn Aeration: Which is Best For Your Lawn?
Lawn aeration is a very crucial step for maintaining a lush garden. Apart from lawn mowing, aerating your lawn can also be a very tedious task. Therefore, you should know about different lawn aeration types and choose the most suitable one for yourself.
Before explaining the different lawn aeration types, you should know what lawn aeration is. It is the process of removing plugs of compact soil from the ground to help the roots breathe. Aeration helps various important microorganisms to reach the rhizome of the plant. Moreover, aeration allows water and numerous other minerals to access the plant/grassroots.
Lawn Aeration Types
Here is a list of the 4 most common types of lawn aeration. If you’re not sure which to perform for your lawn or simply don’t want to do it yourself, call our lawn service experts. We will transform your lawn into a drool worthy, healthy lawn all year round for an affordable rate!
Core Aeration
Core aeration is a well-known method for lawn aeration. It involves punching holes in the ground with a core aerator. These holes help water, minerals and various microorganisms access the plant more easily. These holes are typically two to three inches deep.
There are two ways to perform core aeration. You can manually plunge a pitchfork into the ground to form holes. This idea is not feasible for most people. Instead, you can use an electric core aerator, which will make the job a lot less troublesome. These machines can quickly aerate an average-sized lawn in less than half an hour.
The best time to use core aeration is during the growing season. The grass and the ground can quickly recover from the holes. Your lawn will gain a new look very quickly. The growing season for cool grass typically begins around early spring and fall. Warm grass is more suited for aeration in late spring.
Spike Aeration
Spike aeration is very easy to perform, but it is also less effective than the previous method. Spike aeration and core aeration use similar techniques. This method involves spiking the ground with a spike-aerating tool. This method consists of three instruments: Spiked slippers, manual spike tools, and electric spike aerators.
Spike aeration is arguably not the best choice for lawn aeration because of two reasons. Firstly, because the holes’ diameter is not significant, spike aeration essentially makes the soil surrounding the holes even more compact. This result is counter-productive. Secondly, they are only useful when the earth isn’t severely compacted. Therefore, it is not suitable for most people.
However, spiked slippers are beneficial for your lawn. Pointed slippers are a passive solution for aeration. If you frequently take walks in your yard, wearing your pointy slippers will keep your soil aerated for a longer duration. They will ensure that your lawn does not need aeration too frequently.
Liquid Aeration
Liquid aeration is a more modern solution for soil aeration. This method involves applying a layer of a fortified liquid solution. This liquid solution breaks down the compact soil. This liquid is non-corrosive and doesn’t cause any harm to your plants. Liquid aeration is also very easy to implement, and the solution contains various minerals that are beneficial for the soil.
However, on the downside, you should consider a couple of things before adopting this method. First of all, this method keeps your lawn aerated for a longer time and is, therefore, more expensive. Secondly, it is not as effective on heavily compacted soil. Moreover, the fortified liquid takes more time to act upon the ground.
If the pro points outweigh the cons in your case, you should go for it.
Plug Aeration
Plug aeration is the latest and greatest method for aerating your soil. Many studies have proved that plug aeration is the healthiest method for aeration of your lawn. The machine for plug aeration is similar to a lawn mowing machine, and hence very easy to store and use. In addition to this, a plug aerator is also very useful in preventing thatch buildup. Therefore, you can kill two birds with one stone.
Plug aeration is the method in which the plug aerator removes clumps of soil and turns it over. A plug aerator removes lumps up to three inches of depth. When you are satisfied with one area of your lawn, you can move on to the next. This method properly aerates your yard with the least amount of energy. After removing the compact soil plugs, you should break up the crumbs with a shovel. It will ensure a leveled yard.
Conclusion
In most cases, a plug aerator should be the go-to choice. There are various factors at play in such a decision. You can also employ alternative techniques if they suit you the best. For example, if your lawn isn’t in dire need of aeration, you can use liquid aeration. Weigh out the pros and cons points, and make an informed decision.
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