A lush, thriving garden requires just the right amount of water and air penetration to allow vital nutrients to enter the soil. Gardens made up of hard, compact soil do not allow oxygen, water and nutrients to reach the roots of the grass. The aeration of the garden allows the soil to be broken up to favor a free flow of air and water absorption.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Determine When It's Time to Air Your Garden
Step 1. Know the type of weed
Different types of grass grow more actively during certain times of the year. It is best to aerate your lawn just before or during the most active growth period, so that the grass will quickly grow back and stabilize following the aeration treatment.
- Macrothermal herbs, such as Pampas grass, Gramigna Rossa and Gramignone grow more actively during the summer. If you have such weed, it is best to air out during late spring or early summer.
- Micro-thermal grasses, such as Poa, Festuca and Loglio have the most active growth period during the autumn, when the temperature drops. Air the micro-thermal herbs in late summer or early fall. Just be careful to do this early enough to allow the lawn to stabilize from aeration for about a month before the first cold hits.
Step 2. Know the type of soil
Heavy and clayey soils need to be aerated frequently, about once a year, since the soil tends to be dense and compact. Sandy soils need to be aerated approximately every two years.
Step 3. Know the habits of the lawn
Do you often drive on your lawn? Or does it often happen that a large group of people walk on it? Lawns that are often walked on must be aerated once a year to prevent the soil from becoming too compact.
- Have you recently re-seeded your lawn? It is preferable not to aerate within a year of sowing, since the grass needs time to fortify itself.
- Check if you need to aerate your lawn by examining how deep the roots extend into the soil. If the roots do not go deeper than 5 cm, you need to aerate the soil.
Part 2 of 3: Preparation
Step 1. Determine which type of aerator (powered or manual) best suits your needs
- A powered scarifier is a diesel powered machine that is best suited to large gardens. This type of scarifier uses a spike system that creates holes in the soil or a coring system that extracts cylinders of soil from the soil, to allow for the absorption of water and nutrients. You can rent one for a day for a small fee.
- A manual scarifier works best in small gardens or heavily trampled areas of your lawn. There are two types of manual scarifier: coring, which uses a spiked cylinder to extract soil cylinders and a spike that moves along areas of lawn to create holes without extracting soil. Lawn care specialists and enthusiasts promote the use of core drilling models, as they allow for better absorption of water and nutrients.
Step 2. Prepare your garden for airing
Scarifiers work best on mowed and raked lawns.
- Rake up debris, such as leaves, twigs, and other plant matter from the garden to make sure nothing stands in the way of the aerator.
- Mow the garden before aerating to ensure easy access to the ground. If your mower does not have a bag to hold the cut grass, rake it and throw it away or use it to compost when you are done mowing.
Step 3. Check the humidity level of your lawn
If your area has been dry recently, water your lawn for a few days before aerating the garden to soften the hardened soil. Scarifiers perform best on soft ground.
Step 4. Recognize which areas of your garden are most trampled on
Plan to walk through these areas more than once with your machine to ensure sufficient ventilation in that area.
Part 3 of 3: Air the Garden
Step 1. Place the aerator on one of the corners of the garden
Move from one side of the lawn to the other in regular lines until the entire area is adequately ventilated.
- Don't cover the entire garden more than once. Go twice only on the areas that need the most attention.
- If your garden requires it, run the aerator in the opposite direction to the first pass to maximize the process.
- Leave the clods of earth undisturbed after airing. These will turn into compost over time and add nutrients to your garden.
Step 2. Fertilize your garden after airing it
Sprinkle some compost, sand, peat moss, or any other fertilizer on hand to help your lawn stabilize after aeration. The fertilizer will be absorbed easily through the newly created holes.
Advice
- Plan to ventilate your garden every 3 years, or more often if it is heavily trodden or if the soil is clay, to keep it in good condition. You can safely aerate your garden once a year by using a spiked scarifier to encourage grass growth.
- Consider special airing shoes for use in smaller gardens. The shoes are equipped with steel nails that make holes everywhere you go.
