What You Should Know Before Aerating Your Lawn By Hand

Taking pride in your backyard means maintaining a healthy and green lawn, which can require a lot of time and effort. The constant need to mow and water isn't the only thing you should be considering — aerating your lawn is also very important. Aeration improves your lawn by helping water and nutrients soak into it more efficiently, as well as improving the overall air circulation of your soil. This is done by penetrating small holes into the surface. Luckily, you do not need an expensive machine to do this. There are several tools you can use to aerate your lawn by hand, including a manual core aerator, a manual spike aerator, a pitchfork, and even aerator shoes. You just need to decide which method you think would work best for you.

There are a few things to keep in mind before attempting to aerate your lawn by hand, and those are picking the right time to do it, properly prepping your lawn, using the correct equipment, and knowing what's needed when you're done. If you are prepared and have a solid plan in place, then you should undoubtedly see the benefits of aerating your lawn by hand.

Knowing how to aerate your lawn for healthier grass is something that can easily be learned. First things first, you want to make sure you pick the right time to do it. Ideally, you should aerate your lawn in either the spring or the autumn, as this is when the soil naturally contains more moisture and is easier to poke holes into. Spring also aligns perfectly with the growing season.

Preparation is key. Be sure to allow time for mowing and watering your lawn beforehand, so your lawn is easier to penetrate. Then, it's time to use your aerator. Whatever type of manual tool you have chosen, it's recommended to cover your entire backyard with holes that are approximately 5 inches deep and to leave around 6-inch gaps between each section. 

You can stop there, but if you want to take aerating your lawn a step further, then this is a good time to apply fertilizer. Fertilizer will give your lawn all of the added nutrients that it craves in order for it to be at its optimum health. Apart from this, continuing to regularly mow and water your lawn is important to maintain it properly.