How Often Should You Aerate Your Lawn?

We hear this question from the community and customers all the time, and it goes a little something like this:

“How often should we be aerating our yard so that it stays healthy, lush and green all the time?”

As much as I wish I could come back with a magic bullet of an answer that fits all situations every single time, that’s just not the case. But don’t you worry, we’re here to help you get the right answer. Knowing how often to aerate your lawn really comes down to answering two different questions:

#1. What Kind of Soil Do You Have?

• Does your location have clay or sandy soil? If your location has clay soil, you’ll need to be aerating at least once per year.
• On the other hand, if you’re in a very desert-like climate, then you could get by with aeration once a year and maybe even alternate every other year.

#2. What Is Your Lawn’s Traffic Level?

• People who do a lot of entertaining or have grass that can withstand high traffic areas are going to need to be aerated once per year, maybe even twice. These high levels of traffic can cause the soil underneath the grass to compact, therefore making it harder for the lawn to root and continue to thrive.

Best Way To Aerate Your Lawn

Almost anyone is capable of aerating their own lawn, no matter the size of their property (within reason). If you do have a lawn that spans a few acres, there are still a couple of options for aerating your own lawn so long as you have access to a tractor, ATV or riding lawn mower.

Machine vs Manual Aerators

When it comes to aeration of your own lawn, you’re going to need to pick your weapon of choice: manual vs machine aerators. Each has their own pros and cons and are used for different applications and purposes:

Manual Aerator – It’s just like it sounds, and it’s hard work. If you’re willing to get a little sweaty and want to get that lawn knocked out for a low price, then consider checking out a manual, hand lawn aerator. While it may take you a little longer and make you work a little harder, it’s going to save a little bit in your pocket-book.

Pros:

• Great for a small lawn area
• Good overall cost saver

Cons:

• Very labor intensive (especially for large yards)
• Difficult to use on hard soil

Machine Aerator – Now we’re talkin’! This is what the big boys use and it’s no wonder why: Not only is it gonna’ be a whole heck of a lot easier, but it’s going to get the job done faster. The drawback to using a machine lawn aerator is going to be the cost, but if you have a budget that can squeeze er’ in and ya’ know you are going to have to use it yearly, then doing so will save you in the long run…trust us!

Pros:

• Easier than dirt (no pun intended) to use
• You’ll get the job done fast

Cons:

• The initial upfront cost

By now, I hope you’ve found out that for most people, on average, aerating your lawn once per year is recommended and the best way to aerate your lawn is either with a manual or machine aerator, depending on the type of job you have on your hands. Of course, if you don’t feel up to the challenge you can always call a local landscaping company who will come out and be more than willing to knock out the job for you!

We’d love to hear from you: let us know in the comments if you’ve decided to aerate your own lawn or if you have in the past and how it went!

Extras

There’s nothing like having a quality mower to cut your grass, which is the reason I share what a brushless lawn mower is and break down why you might want one!

This recent guide shares the best garden tiller for breaking new ground quickly.