Regular aerating of your Raleigh-Durham lawn provides the roots of your grass with better access to oxygen, helps alleviate compacted soil as well as improving the ability of your soil to absorb the water that it needs to support a healthy lawn. There are two common types of aerators; spike and core. Spike aeration uses a roller with solid spikes to puncture the soil and create spaces for air and water. Core (sometimes called plug) aerators use hollow tines to remove plugs of soil leaving small gaps in the soil
A big determinant of which aerator to use has to do with soil composition.
Spike and plug aerators are used to help with the negative affects of compacted soil on your lawn. Soils that have a heavy clay content are more likely to become compacted, limiting the ability of the roots in your lawn to access oxygen. Plug aerators are usually more effective at relieving compaction in lawns with a heavy clay soil since the solid tines used on spike aerators compact the clay soil further when they push into the ground. With that said, soils that crumble easily are usually high in loam and sand which benefit more from the use of a spike aerator.
The process of aerating improves the condition of your soil in the long run but puts stress on your grass in the short term. The best time to use a plug aerator is during the active growing season of your lawn. The best time to aerate cool season grasses such as bluegrass, fescue or ryegrass is during the early spring or fall. Warm season grasses including bermuda, buffalo or zoysia grasses perform best when they are aerated during late spring or early summer. Spike aerators have less of an impact on the health of your lawn and are appropriate for use at any time of year.
Considerations
Plug aerators are the most effective when they are used annually for at least three consecutive years. Spike aerators provide a more temporary benefit that is offset by the compaction that occurs around the sides of the holes the spike aerators leave.
Cheat sheet on aerator types:
Core Aerator
- Plug aerators have hollow tines that remove plugs of thatch when pushed into the ground.
- Provides long-term decompaction because plugs of soil are removed from the core to create air spaces.
Spike Aerator
- Spike aerators have sharp spikes that penetrate into the ground.
- Provides short term soil decompaction since no soil is removed.
