What is aeration and how do I aerate the lawn?
According to Wikipedia, aerification is a technique used in horticulture to aerate the soil of a lawn.
A lawn is aerated with an aerator. These are available either as a machine or manually as a so-called hand aerator. The principle is the same for both. Holes, approx. 5-9 cm deep, are punched into the ground at equal intervals using so-called spoons. These holes are then usually filled with sand.
This breaks up soil compaction and allows air/gas exchange to take place. This promotes the soil life of aerobic bacteria and lawn growth. The surface can dry out more quickly. Waterlogging is also avoided as the holes act as a kind of drainage system, allowing water to run off.
Aerification is recommended because it brings oxygen into the soil, which is needed by microorganisms, among others.
We can recommend the aerator as a mechanical aerator.
The spoons are also available in different versions for different applications:
Hollow spoons
Full poons
Root knife
Kreuzspoons
Nadel Spoons
Quad Tines
1. hollow spoons
As the name suggests, these spoons are hollow, allowing soil to be cut out of the ground (the so-called cores) without compacting the surrounding soil. This makes soil replacement possible. These spoons are probably the most commonly used in home gardens. The holes in the soil are then refilled with sand (sometimes also with compost or turf soil). This allows air/gas exchange to take place and prevents waterlogging. In the case of heavy clay soils, these are additionally improved by the sand. The earthworms distribute the sand in the soil.
Aerating with hollow spoon can be described as optimal aerification.
Tip: You can dispose of the cores, also known as earth sausages, in your compost.
2. Vollspoons
These spoons are made of solid material, similar to nails. They work according to the displacement principle. No soil is removed, but the necessary gas exchange can still take place through the cavity that is created.
Tip: With full spoons you can also carry out a so-called deep deaeration. This is an optimal maintenance measure in winter.
3. root knife
Here too, the lawn is aerated with only minimal damage to the lawn. The cuts made by root knives do not open up even in very hot weather. The blades cut through the horizontal roots and stolons, which ensures more growth.
4. cross spoons
These spoons have a cross shape. They have a larger surface area than the full Spoons and therefore also cut into the root system. The damage to the lawn is also less than with the full Spoons.
5. Nadel Spoons
They are conically shaped solid spoons which, due to their small diameter of 5-8 mm, make tiny little holes in the lawn.
6. Quad Tines
These are hollow spoons with an internal diameter of 6 mm or more. This causes very little damage to the lawn. After just 3-5 days, the aerification work is no longer visible.