A yard aerator is absolutely indispensable to get a healthy lawn. A yard aerator adds space and air to the soil, breaking up dirt clumps and packed down sections. This makes more room for water, air and nutrients to flow to the roots and encourages roots to grow deep into the ground instead of sideways where the looser topsoil makes it easier for them to grow through the dirt. Shallow roots make grass less hardy and more prone to yellowing or browning out. Regular aeration is part of the best lawn care methods to get that great looking green and healthy grass.
It can be difficult to determine whether or not your yard needs to aerated. Many typical grass problems look similar. As a general rule of thumb, healthy lawns in good condition with quality soil need to be aerated every few years. If the dirt is very compressed, has a high clay content or sees a lot of heavy use, you should go over it with the yard aerator more frequently, probably every year. Truly compressed areas that are not thriving might benefit from a little work with the yard aerator at the beginning and end of the grass-growing season until the soil and grass are improved and then aeration can be done every year or so.
To check how compacted the dirt underneath your grass is, the best tool is a soil probe. It is T-shaped with measuring marks on the side. If you do not have one, a screwdriver or something similar will work too. You plunge the probe into the ground as deep as you can. If it is hard to push in and does not go very far, the ground is compacted and it is a good idea to aerate soon. To figure out how frequently to aerate, measure how deep the probe goes in, doing several different spots in the yard since conditions can vary. Take measurements again two months later when soil wetness is similar (having the ground really soggy one time and really dry the next may confuse the results) and see if it is shallower, which indicates increased compaction. Continue recording measurements to give you an idea how frequently yard aeration is needed and which areas should be done more often than the rest. There are many different types of yard aerators available so look around to find one that fits your, and your lawn’s, needs.
