Lawn aerator
A lawn aerator is a garden tool or machine designed to aerate the soil in which lawn grasses grow. Aeration improves soil drainage and encourages worms, microfauna and microflora which require oxygen.
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[edit] Lawn problems
Lawn aeration constitutes two things: controlling lawn thatch and reducing soil compaction. Lawn thatch is a layer of dead organic tissue that deprives the lawn of much-needed oxygen. Soil compaction makes it difficult for grass to root and it disturbs natural rainwater irrigation. Watering the lawn the night before aerating can make it easier to aerate a very dense lawn.
It is purported that scientific evidence exists that aeration makes a measurable difference in the long-term health or quality of a lawn.[citation needed]
Also is great for the planting of new lawns.
[edit] Types of aerators
There are two types of lawn aerators. Spike aerators use wedge shaped solid spikes to punch holes in the soil. Core aerators have hollow tines and pull out plugs (or "cores") from soil.
Core/plug aerator vs. spike aerator
A core/plug aerator removes soil from the ground and leaves the core on the turf. This reduces compaction in the soil, and the holes can stay open for a long time. Then air, fertilizer, and water will be able to reach the roots, thus benefit the grass. Meanwhile, the soil cores left on the turf will help break down the thatches.
A spike aerator creates holes in the ground by pushing the soil sideways using wedge-shaped spikes. This increases soil compaction, which is detrimental to the grass. Since there is no soil removed from the ground, water will make the compacted soil around the holes to expand and close up the holes in a short period. The lawn will return to its pre-aeration condition. Therefore the benefits of aeration will not be fulfilled.
Any serious lawn aerating should be done with a core aerator.
Powered aerator vs. manual aerator
Powered aerators employ the power from a gas engine to drive multiple tines into ground. They usually weigh hundreds of pounds and can aerate a large lawn in relatively short time (similar to mowing speed). This type of aerators are expensive and often owned by contractors or rental services.
Manual aerators usually have two or three tines mounted on a step bar. Operator puts one foot on the step bar and push it downward, forcing the tines to penetrate into the soil. Then he pulls the handle on the step bar upward to remove the soil cores out of the ground. By repeating the same operation, the cores left in the tines will be pushed out by next ones. Manual aerators are much cheaper than powered ones. The trade-off is the speed. For a typical residential lawn (1/4 acre lot), it will take hours to finish. Some products also have clogging issue, which slows down the operation even more. However, a well-made manual aerator offers advantages such as ease of use, selective aeration, and economy.
[edit] Brands
The main brands of aerators in the United States are Agri-Fab, EZ CORE, Brinly-Hardey, Ohio Steel, Precision, and Swisher among others.
[edit] References
- The Organic Lawn Care Manual, Tukey, Storey Publishing
[edit] External links
Media related to Lawn aerators at Wikimedia Commons
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