What type of aerator

The flat-free tires roll smoothly and will never need to be filled. With a three-year limited warranty, this solid steel aerator will last through many years of lawn care. When you have heavy soil, you need a heavy-duty lawn aerator.

The Agri-Fab plug aerator has 32 galvanized plugs that will penetrate to a depth of three inches. Able to hold pounds of weight 4 concrete blocks , the steel construction will withstand years of use. For best results, secure the blocks with bungee cords to prevent shifting during use. With a universal hitch that fits all lawn tractors and UTVs, the cantilever transport handle makes raising and lowering the plugs an easy task.

The ten-inch tires will not deflate and roll smoothly over even rutted terrain. Fortunately, you can still loosen the soil by using a liquid aerator like Simple Lawn Solutions. The proprietary mixture of surfactants and other ingredients breaks apart soil colloids to improve water and nutrient absorption.

The product mixes with water and is used at a rate of one ounce per 1,square-feet of grass. This soil loosener works well before seeding a lawn or manual aeration to make the task easier. You can still aerate the lawn with the Agri-Fab push aerator if you don't have a lawn tractor. This push aerator is outfitted with spikes and works best on small lawns with loamy soils.

You can also pull this aerator. Just inches wide, it can accommodate one concrete block to help push the five spiked discs into the ground to a depth of 2. It is inches high, weighs about 27 pounds, and has a small footprint for storage. A handheld aerator is much easier to store and can get into tight places where a tow-behind aerator cannot go. Yard Butler offers both plug core and spike handheld aerators. The plug type has two tines that will penetrate up to 3. The spike aerator has four 3-inch spikes.

Both aerators are made of steel, measuring inches high and weighing around four pounds. Each has rubber padded handles and a footrest for ease in pushing the aerator into the soil.

While you might be tempted to try aerating a lawn with golf shoes or cleats, you need actual aerator shoes to get the job done. With 13 solid steel spikes in each shoe, penetrating up to two inches, the Ohuhu Lawn Aerator Shoes will aerate a lawn properly. The spikes strap onto sturdy shoes with adjustable hook and loop fasteners.

Measuring 12 inches long and 5-inches wide, the shoes will fit most men and women. It takes a bit of practice to find your rhythm. Start with small steps and use a walking stick or tool handle for support until you get the hang of it. To make the task easier, lightly water the lawn for easier penetration. Our top pick is the Brinly-Hardy inch Tow Behind Plug Aerator view at Amazon , which works well on clay and sandy soils, and has a heavy-duty steel construction that will last for years.

If you're specifically looking for a tow-behind spike aerator, the Agri-Fab Spike Aerator view at Amazon is a great choice. It has galvanized spikes that can penetrate to a depth of 2. If you have hard, clay soil or water puddles in the grass after rain, then you should choose a plug aerator. By removing larger pieces or plugs of dirt, nutrients can penetrate more easily to the roots of the grass.

If the soil is sandy or loamy , then the more narrow puncture of a spike aerator will give you the aeration needed. Not sure what type of soil you have? Grab a handful of the soil and squeeze. If it forms a hard lump in your hand, you have clay. If the soil does not stick together and falls away easily, you have sandy or loamy soil.

Tow-behind aerators are best for lawns larger than one-half acre and regular in shape. Consider the width of the aerator and your turn radius as you shop. For smaller lawns and irregularly-shaped grass spaces, choose a push aerator, handheld model, or aerator shoes. A tow-behind aerator is going to require something to pull it along.

You must have a lawn tractor, ATV, or small utility vehicle. Tow-behind models and push models also need weights usually several concrete blocks to help them penetrate the soil. Consider the storage space required for all of these items. Every type of lawn aerator creates small holes in the ground so that water, fertilizer, and air can reach the roots of the grass and improve growth and health.

The best time to aerate the lawn is dependent on the type of lawn grass. Cool-season grasses Kentucky bluegrass should be aerated in the fall. The growing season is still active, but weeds are under control, and temperatures are cooler. The amount of air provided by the fans can be much higher than in other system designs.

Contact fan manufacturers about their company designs of this type of fan. The exhaust from one fan blows directly into the intake of another fan. Powered exhaust fans on the roof are needed for these systems to remove moisture. These systems are more expensive, but allow for higher moisture grain to be stored.

They can be used in either concrete or steel tanks. Manifold systems These systems use fans pushing air through manifolds in multiple bins Figure 5. There are fewer fans to maintain, which can save money, but the management of the system is more difficult and the air distribution is harder to control.

Cross flow systems Cross flow aeration systems Figure 6 move air from one wall of the bin through the grain bulk to the center of the bin or to the other side of the bin.

Ducts run vertically on the walls of a bin and air is blown sideways. The static pressure and the horsepower of the fans are less in this design. However, the initial installation cost of these systems is higher and maintenance of the equipment is more difficult. The floor has concrete channels that route the grain into the sump Figure 7.

Air assists the grain along these channels, guiding it into the reclaim system. Temporary storage of grain can take on many different configurations. For aeration to be used in most of these configurations, ductwork is necessary. Flat storage structures are in this category as well as outdoor piles. The most common type of aeration in temporary outdoor piles uses ductwork around the sidewall perimeter. Some outdoor piles have a center fill tower.

Air can be pulled through the grain pile and up through these towers by fans located on top of the towers. Aeration is almost always negative pressure for outdoor piles and can be either positive or negative pressure for flat storage. In the case of outdoor piles, negative pressure aeration not only provides air movement through the grain, but also holds tarps on the piles. Ideally, the best time for lawn aeration in the UK is either in autumn or spring.

This is when the soil is mostly likely to be naturally moist and it is suitable for the holes to be set effectively.

Ideally you would aerate in the spring when it is just coming into growing season for the grass, as this gives the grass the opportunity to heal properly. Keep in mind that the weather in the UK varies a great deal and aeration is very condition dependent.

If it is too wet then the holes will not let water and air through as the sides of the holes will seal up. When it comes to frequency of lawn aeration it is dependent on the lawn.

New lawns should be aerated more often as they have a less matured root system, and aerating helps this develop and grow. We would recommend you aerate your lawn twice a year for a new non-established lawn. Lawns with hard or clay soil should be aerated once a year as they have more difficulty getting air and water to the roots. For all other types of soil and lawn you should aerate at least every 3 years, but more frequent if the grass is looking unhealthy or not growing well.

There are different methods of aeration that you should consider before taking to the garden to start the work. Each method is appropriate for a different severity and size of lawn.

Also known as spike tine aerators, this is the act of punching solid holes into the turf. Solid tines are useful for all general aeration and can be done well with a number of cost efficient tools.

The only caveat to this method is that it can sometimes cause compaction in the sides of the hole that the spike creates.

Hollow tines actually extract the compacted soil through tubes that are driven into the turf. The act of removing cores from the soil is aimed at lawns with severe compaction and is generally regarded of the most effective form of aeration. Before you aerate your lawn there are a number of things you can do in preparation to ensure that the aeration is as effective as possible.

First off you should mow your lawn low the day before, and scarify your lawn if it is in particular need of work. It can sometimes help to re-mow the law after scarification to clear any resulting debris. It is also recommended to water the grass the day before if the soil is dry and there is no rain showers likely to help with moistening the soil for aeration.