Why Use a Turf Aerator and What Types of Aerators Are Available?
If your lawn is no longer thriving and plagued by yellowed and/or patchy areas, using a turf aerator can help bring it back to health, replacing those troubled spots with thick, lush and green grass. Aeration breaks up compacted dirt, making it easier for roots to reach water, nutrients and air so they can grow deeper and stronger. There are three general types of aerators.
Soil Aerators. Soil aerator can refer to anything that aerates the soil, but most frequently is used to describe soil conditioners. These products are applied to the lawn and penetrate down into the soil to chemically add space between soil particles. It is best to use them every other month during the growing season and especially in conjunction with another method of aeration done at least once a year. Prices begin at as little as $5 per container, but vary greatly with amount and type that you are purchasing.
Manual Aerators. A manual aerator is a hand-held tool consisting of a handle, a long pole, and a crossbar at the bottom with usually 2 or 3 prongs attached. The prongs are placed over the ground and pushed into it with a foot stepping on the crossbar. The prongs can either be solid spikes or hollow. The solid ones are easier to push into the ground, especially in harder areas, but the holes they make fill up faster, so the roots have less time with improved space and access. The hollow coring types actually pull up a dirt plug that is left on top of the lawn, so the benefits of aeration last longer. They are harder to use and get more difficult with increased numbers of prongs. Manual turf aerators take longer to use, but are much cheaper.
Mechanical Aerators. There are a few different types of mechanical aerators. As with the manual ones, the coring types do a better job than the spiked kind. Gas-powered machines, similar to lawn mowers, are pushed back and forth across a lawn. Rolling ones are made of solid spines or hollow tines attached to a barrel that make the holes in the ground as it is pushed along the turf or pulled behind a tractor. With prices from around $100 to a few $1000 or more, unless you need to aerate frequently, most people choose to rent as they need it or hire a professional.
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