Lawn Aerators

A lawn aerator is a useful tool to have when a brown spot appears in the lawn. Sometimes, the cause of the problem is actually microscopic parasitic worms lunching on the roots, or possibly a fungus, and so forth. Quite often, however, the cause of the brown patch is lack of water and oxygen, which in itself will make the lawn vulnerable to other infestations.

Grass is such a stubborn, invasive plant that it's sometimes hard to understand that not all soils are ideal for lawn grass to grow. We need to tell ourselves that, every time grass grows where we don't want it to be. This includes between the cracks in an asphalt, concrete or brick driveway, or in tediously weeded flowerbeds.

One of the most difficult soils for some grasses is the kind that packs down hard in dry, hot weather. A clay soil, for example, becomes hardpan, where nothing short of a power tool can penetrate it. Less difficult soil can also become compacted, not allowing water, nutrients, or air to reach the roots of lawn grass.

Lawn aerators range from the simple manual tool that is pressed into the ground by the user's body weight to more powerful tools with rotating spikes that can be rolled along. Prices range from $30 to $150 and up. One of the most useful aerating tools, which always bring a chuckle when first seen, are lawn aerating sandals. They put golf spikes to shame! Available from several suppliers, the sandals fit over most regular shoes and have spikes almost two inches long. Walk your way to a healthy lawn!