Posts Tagged ‘aeration’

PostHeaderIcon Knowing What Lawn Aerator Equipment Suits Your Lawn

Lawn Aerator EquipmentTending to the lawn need not be hard and tedious. There are different equipments that will help you aerate the lawn in a few days. The weather changes make the lawn unpredictable and hard to manage, also making the lives of plants hard. With soil that is not aerated, the roots will have a hard time finding nutrients to be used to create their food. Due to this, the plants lose their luster and shine, and they become unappealing. To prevent the lawn from turning into an unattended piece of land with overgrown brown grass, it is important that you pick the right lawn aerator equipment.

There are two main types of aerators, the plugged and spiked aerator.

The first kind of spike lawn aerator equipment is the core aerator. This has tines that are inserted through the ground to create holes in the ground about 2-3” in diameter. The interval between holes is usually 2-4 inches. The core aerator removes a portion of the soil about the size of a finger for each thrust in the ground. These cores can be collected or left to naturally contribute to the soil. The core aerator is recommended for use on soil types that are not too hard to manage by hand. As a preparation, the lawn can be watered the night before. You can also schedule aeration after rain has passed so that the soil is more manageable. A cordless lawn aerator is also available. This one consists of a series of tines that vibrate when the motor is turned on, causing the soil to loosen up enough for water and fertilizer to get through. Even when the motor is off, you can still use this as a kind of spike tool. There is no need to water the soil beforehand because it is able to navigate through hard soil.  Blade aerators have blades that rotate as spikes and create 2-inch deep holes. You can rent if you feel that you do not have to aerate your lawn often.

Spiked shoes also fall under this category and are the least expensive of all. It is also easy to operate: all you have to do is put on the shoes and walk along the lawn, leaving holes behind you. Some of spike aerators can be attached to the lawn mower.

Lawn Aerator EquipmentNext is the plugged lawn aerator equipment, which is bulky and big, compared with spike aerators. These are the ones that are for large lawns and hard soils. They require a sufficient storage space that can accommodate them when they are not out aerating the lawn for you. These plugged lawn aerators need to be checked for efficiency at some point and they can go a long way in your lawn. Because of the space they cover in one sitting, they are recommended for large areas. And because they are heavy, there is no problem with ejecting them deep enough in the soil. They also leave large holes in the ground which will not close easily. They are fit for the worst kind of soil.

PostHeaderIcon Shopping for a Rolling Lawn Aerator? Take These Tips

Rolling Lawn AeratorThe secret to getting a healthy, lush green lawn at any time of the year is to keep the soil aerated. The purpose of aeration is to break up the soil and make it coarse so that the nutrients and water can reach into the soil and circulate. This, in turn, promotes the growth of the grass by producing more roots. Fortunately, you don’t need to do the aeration manually, as people used to. These days, you can simply use a rolling lawn aerator to do the job. This tool is easy enough to operate for the average gardener like you and me.

Those who realize the value of aeration in keeping their lawns healthy often consider buying their own lawn aerator. There are different types of lawn aerators to choose from. Each type has advantages and disadvantages over the other types. But many experts consider the rolling lawn aerator as the best. Aside from the fact that it efficiently aerates the soil, it also has features that make it easy to use and maintain.

A rolling lawn aerator can either be manually operated or power driven. To operate the manual type, you usually simply hold on to the handle and roll the tool on the ground, pushing it forward and pulling it back out. Operating a manual aerator requires a lot of hard work, especially if the machine is the heavy type. If you plan to invest in a manual aerator, it is best to choose the lightweight type so you can apply more pressure on the forward and backward motion at the least weight resistance.

In terms of the labor required, the better choice is always the walk-behind or towing aerator. These types run exactly like your typical lawnmower, whereby the operator simply guides the machine as to where to go, but the machine itself does the forward movement. And as the machine moves forward, the cylinder attached to it rolls on the ground to work on the soil.

Rolling Lawn AeratorThere are also rolling lawn aerators that can be attached onto a lawnmower. These types are easier to control, and can be maneuvered even into corners or tight spaces. These are also lighter in weight, so transportation and maintenance are easier. It is difficult to come by an aerator with all the features that you want, so it is advisable to consider which features are more important for you. For example, think about whether power is more important to you than portability and weight, or whether you want it heavier in weight rather than more movable.

Shopping around for an aerator also requires that you consider the purpose and use that you are eyeing it for. If you have a relatively small lawn to maintain, for example, you could probably make do with a manual rolling lawn aerator, especially if you need to deal mainly with brown spots or bare patches. However, if you have a pretty big expanse of lawn to maintain, it might be better for you to invest in a power-driven model to make your annual aeration an easier task.

PostHeaderIcon All You Need to Know About Hollow Tine Aerator

Hollow Tine AeratorAeration is an important component of lawn maintenance, as it keeps the soil healthy despite the piling up of thatch, fungi infestation and compacting of the soil over time. Aeration breaks up the soil so that there is more space for the roots to grow, and so that the soil is coarse enough for water, nutrients and air to circulate underneath. One of the best ways to aerate the soil is by using a hollow tine aerator. This requires a relatively low investment but can efficiently keep the soil healthy and your lawn fresh and green.

Many experts prefer the hollow tine aerator to other aeration tools, including those lawnmower attachments fitted with spikes. If you look at how these aerators work, you will know that those with spikes only break up the soil. In contrast, hollow tine aerators work by spooning out soil particles for more efficient aeration.

These types of aerators likewise come in different models. The most basic of these types are the manual and power models. Both of these models work in the same way. The only difference is that the manual type requires more labor and longer time and is only ideal if you want to aerate a small portion of your lawn. In contrast, the power type requires little effort and allows you to finish the task in a shorter time. This doesn’t mean though that the power type is the better choice at all times. In cases where your lawn has fairy rings, you will need better precision than speed. As such, the manual type could help you target the areas that you need to aerate.

Do you have to buy your own aerator? Typically, the frequency of aeration that lawns require is only once a year. As such, there is really no urgent need to buy your own aerator. You can simply rent one from your local garden or home improvement store. The cost of renting one can be anywhere from $70 to $100 per day.

Hollow Tine AeratorOne of the best things about hollow tine aerators—especially the power type—is that they are easy to operate. They work just like lawnmowers, in fact. When you push the machine across the lawn, the cylinder begins to rotate, and the spoons attached to it scoop out soil as you move across. The spoons typically go up to a depth of three to four inches into the soil. While they may be easy to operate, they can however be difficult to transport and push around because of their weight.

Because of this, it pays to know the type of preparation that you will have to make before you aerate. The first thing that you need to consider is to pick the right timing when the grass is just about to grow. Also, water the lawn thoroughly the night before you aerate to break up the soil and make it easy for the spoons to dig into it. This is especially important when you are aerating during the summer and the soil is dry or clayey.

After you have done this, it will be easy to work your hollow tine aerator and keep your lawn lush and green all year round.

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