How to Aerate Lawn by Hand
If you want a lawn that looks like it’s out of a home and garden magazine, it will require some maintenance. Lawn aeration is one task you will need to do once a year. This will keep your grass healthy by helping nutrients enter the soil. In this article we will discuss how to aerate a lawn by hand the right way.
There are two options when it comes to lawn aeration – you can use a machine, or do it by hand. Some people might not have access to a gas powered aerator and they aren’t the best for smaller yards. The good news is you can get this job done by hand, with some tools and a little elbow grease.
What is Lawn Aeration?
Lawn aeration is a maintenance task that helps keep your grass healthy throughout the year. A tool is used to remove small amounts of dirt underneath the grass. These sections of dirt will decompose after 2-3 weeks on their own.
You can either use an aerator, or a handheld tool. An aerator will always be faster, as it can cover a larger surface area in a short amount of time. There are two basic kinds of machine aerators that can help maintain your lawn.
The first is more difficult to control, as you will need to lift the machine up each time you want to perform a turn. The other kind of aerator is much easier to maneuver, as you can take turns while the machine stays level on the ground.
How Aerating Helps
So, why would you want to aerate your lawn in the first place? This method has many benefits for your lawn’s health. The main idea behind aeration is that it provides water, air, and nutrients down to the grass roots.
What happens over time is that the soil beings to pack down. This can be caused from walking on the grass, mowing the lawn, and pets. But once the soil becomes overly compacted, it creates an unhealthy environment for the grass.
When it rains for example, water will pool up and won’t be able to seep down into the soil. As a result, grass will only receive a limited amount of resources and it won’t grow as well. If your grass is discolored, it could be from compact soil.
The good news is that this common landscaping problem can be fixed with aeration. You can test your lawn by inserting a screwdriver into the soil. It should be able to easily slide into the dirt. If the screwdriver is met with resistance, you will need to aerate your lawn.
Best Time to Aerate Lawn
Regardless of where you live, the best time to aerate your lawn is between the late summer and early fall. The date will really depend on your exact location and the weather conditions. It shouldn’t be too hot, or to cold.
The main idea is that the soil needs to be warm enough for the aeration spikes to penetrate the surface. This will be more challenging after the first frost, because the ground will be harder.
That’s why it’s important to aerate your lawn before the weather gets too cold. Some people also choose to fertilize their lawn after aeration. And it’s much easier to accomplish this task when the soil is still warm.
How to Aerate a Lawn by Hand
1. Push Spike Aerator
A push spike aerator is by far the easiest way to aerate your lawn by hand. It’s the closest you can get to a machine, without actually having to use a machine. This tool works by force, as you will need to stand behind the push spike aerator to operate it. One this to remember when using this tool is that it needs downward force to be effective.
You need to continue walking forward, while maintaining pressure on the handle of the push spike aerator. This will allow the metal points to pierce the soil. If you only use a small amount of pressure the spikes will not be able to enter the dirt. As we mentioned above, this is critical step for the grass roots to get water, moisture, and nutrients.
2. Aerator Shoes
Another way to aerate a lawn by hand is to use aerator shoes. These devices work like sandals and they will fit directly over your shoe. Once you have them secured over your feet, all you do is walk over the surface of the lawn. The shoes are probably the least effective method for aerating your lawn, but they should still be mentioned.
For starters, it will take a long time to aerate your lawn with these shoes. The spikes are also smaller than a push spike aerator, or garden fork, which will make it harder to see where you have walked. You could try wearing aerator shoes while you cut the grass with a push mower. You will need to mow your lawn beforehand, as long grass will get in the way.
3. Garden Fork
A regular garden fork can also be used to aerate your lawn by hand. This tool looks like a rake, only it has long metal spikes on the end. It’s also a much slower method compared to a push spike aerator. But if you have a small yard, a garden fork will get the job done. It’s not recommended to use this tool on a large surface area.
The garden fork tool can work well when paired with aerator shoes. You could use both at the same time, which would allow you to cover more square footage. If you don’t want to use a push spike aerator this is the best method. Slowly walk back-and-forth across your lawn, while using the garden fork to penetrate the soil in the process.
Other Tips
Aerate on dry soil – If you choose to aerate your lawn by hand, it’s critical that you choose a sunny day. Doing this job in the rain will not only be messy, but it will damage your lawn. You will be pulling up too much dirt and grass in the process. If you choose to aerate with a machine, the aerator will slide over the lawn and you will need to plant new grass seed after.
Mow the lawn first – Aerating the lawn will be much more effective if you mow the lawn first. You need to remove a layer of grass before using one of the tools listed above. With this approach, it will be much easier to access the layer of soil when it comes time to aerate. Even gasoline powered aerators will have trouble getting through a thick layer of grass.
Take your time – If you really want to aerate by hand, it’s important that you take your time. Ask anyone who has done this job and they will tell you how physically demanding it is. Don’t wear yourself out by rushing the process, because your back will be very sore after. You should also take the time to do the job right, in order to achieve professional looking results.
Conclusion
You now have all the information needed on how to aerate a lawn by hand. It should come as no surprise to learn that this job is hard work. But it can still be done if you don’t want to use a machine.
For smaller lawns this job can be done in a few hours. A push spike aerator is by far the best tool to use for this job, because it’s the least demanding on your body.
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