A Guide to Soil Aerators and Soil Aeration

Soil aerators improve the health of the grass by adding air and space to the dirt. Compaction naturally occurs over time, especially in areas that are heavily and/or frequently used. Clay soils are harder to begin with and tend to compress faster. In such compacted areas, there is no room for grass roots to grow deep as they struggle to push into the hard ground. Instead they tend to grow horizontally in the softer topsoil. This means that all the roots are removing the water and nutrients from just the first few inches, which leads to shallow roots and a lawn more susceptible to drying out or to succumbing to weeds. A regularly aerated lawn has softer, fluffier soil where the root system can go deep to get the nutrients and water it needs to produce healthy and hardy grass.

Liquid lawn aerators, also called soil conditioners or surfactants, are sprayed onto the grass. As they penetrate into the soil, they expand out, breaking up soil particles and adding more air. Frequently they include humic acid which is great for getting rid of toxins that may be in the root system. A top dressing added after will increase the benefits of the aeration process and improve the soil. If the lawn is not in good shape, it is a good idea to apply the soil aerator every month of the growing season, then ever other month the next year, only two times in the third and beyond that, annually will suffice if the lawn remains healthy.

It can be challenging to know whether or not a specific product is working as it should. Visible indications may not appear for some time. A good way to check to see if the soil is indeed being aerated is to use a soil probe. This T-shaped tool is shoved into the ground until significant resistance is met. After taking it out, the depth is measured. Check the day of each new application. The measurement should be deeper each time.

It is important to do other regular lawn care. Many lawns do best when they are also periodically aerated using core aeration, either manually or mechanically, in conjunction with the application of other aeration products. Also make sure that the grass gets the right amount of water. Mow regularly, keep the grass higher and avoid cutting more than a third off the grass at a time, all of which will improve overall lawn health and appearance.

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