While a lawn aerator will make your lawn aeration work easier, getting the best results requires proper pre-service preparation and post-service care.
Before or after successful lawn aeration, you need to ensure your lawn aerator is not clogged and is working perfectly.
You can prevent your lawn aerator from clogging by cleaning off mud or old soil from the blades and regularly sluicing the inside of hollow tines.
Additionally, you can water your lawn slightly before aerating, as your lawn aerator will work more efficiently on soft grounds.
This guide will provide you with various tips and tricks on how to prevent lawn aerator from clogging and help you achieve maximum efficiency with it.
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How to Prevent Lawn Aerator From Clogging
Lawn aerators are an efficient way to improve your lawn drainage, relieve its compaction and give it a clean finish.
Over time, your lawn aerator will get clogged with thatch, soil, and other organic materials.
Below are measures you can take to prevent your lawn aerator from failing due to clogging.
1. Sharpen Blades
One of the reasons why your lawn aerator is clogging could be blunt blades. Often, blunt blades mean you are not getting work done correctly.
For instance, you may be getting fine finishes on one side and massive clogs on the other side.
Consequently, this leads to soil and grass piling and clogging your lawn aerator.
Use a file in varying strokes to sharpen aerator blades to your liking.
If you are not sure of the correct way around it, consider contacting a professional to sharpen the aerator blades.
2. Wet the Ground Properly
Unknown to many people, ground conditions make a significant difference in your lawn aeration process and the overall efficiency of your lawn aerator.
For instance, the parched hard ground will be frustrating and hard to penetrate.
Similarly, if the ground is too wet, it will be muddy, water clogged, and difficult to penetrate and navigate through.
Using your lawn aerator in such conditions will lead to clogs and more compactness, resulting in ruined lawn grass.
Therefore, it is imperative to ensure you wet the ground carefully with light sprinkles of water.
You can set up a sprinkler before you start aerating to allow water to settle into the soil and moisten it before you start working on the lawn.
Also read: Top-rated commercial lawn aerators
3. Clean After Use
Debris, mud, or dry clumps of soil left on your lawn aerator after use are common culprits of poor performance in lawn aerators.
Apart from causing clogs, failing to clean your lawn aerator blades hasten their damage.
Remove any dirt from your lawn aerator spikes before use or storage.
For example, for small amounts of soil clumps, a simple rinse is enough to do the job, but you will need to scrub thoroughly for huge chunks.
After cleaning, ensure to let the lawn aerator dry before you store it or start using it.
How Liquid aerators benefit your lawn
Aerator Not Pulling Plugs
Have you had your aerator not pulling plugs, or are the plugs stuck in the tines?
If you notice this with your aerator, check for the following:
Correct assembling. Your aerator comes with several metal parts, and a minor issue of wrong assembling may prevent it from functioning correctly.
Make sure the spoons are curved and balanced towards the ground in the same direction on the front side.
In any case, they are in the reverse direction; your aerator will not pull plugs.
Secondly, your aerator may not pull plugs as expected if your lawn is too dry to penetrate.
Solve this by sprinkling the ground prior to aeration.
Also read: Top-rated stand-on aerators
Another reason for your aerator not pulling plugs as expected could be uncleaned soil that has stuck and hardened in the tines.
Avoid this by cleaning out any lay plugs after use.
FAQs- How to Prevent Lawn Aerator From Clogging
When Should I Aerate My Lawn?
Generally, aerating your lawn requires a little planning since several factors such as the grass type, the climate, and frequency come to play.
The best course of action if you want to get satisfying results is to wait until the soil is moist.
Fall is the most appropriate time to aerate during cool-season lawns. On the other hand, the most appropriate time for warm-season yards is between late spring and early summer.
You should avoid aerating during the dry periods because the soil will be too dry or muddy when it is wet.
Also read: Liquid vs core aeration: Which is the best method?
Notably, if your lawn has heavy traffic, consider aerating at least twice a year.
But if your lawn has little traffic, aerating once a year is enough.
What Should I Do After Aerating My Lawn?
After aerating your lawn, you can leave the soil plugs to decompose naturally on their own and later fill back the holes made by your lawn aerator.
After aeration, apply fertilizer to add nutrients to your lawn grassroots.
Finally, reseed the thin grass areas on your lawn.
Things to Keep In Mind
- Always make sure your lawn aerator is assembled correctly before use.
- Do not store your lawn aerator without cleaning as it will cause damage and rust to the blades. Clogged aerators also make work hectic and waste a lot of time.
- If you decide to sharpen the lawn aerator blades on your own, follow the safety measures and wear protective clothing appropriately.
- Contact a professional whenever you encounter challenges that you cannot handle on your own.
Aerating your lawn should be a crucial component of your lawn care routine.
It helps to break soil clumps, allowing your lawn grass to absorb nutrients better.
Also, aerating your lawn improves the drainage and prevents flooding, giving you a better-looking lawn.
Picking the right tool to aerate lawn is the first step toward successful lawn aeration. A well-functioning lawn aerator saves you time, energy and makes the process more enjoyable.
Your lawn aerator blades need to be sharp, clean, and efficient.
More importantly, by taking good care and managing your lawn aerator properly, you save yourself the hassle of replacing or hiring one every time you want to aerate your lawn.
Read through the steps in this guide to improve your lawn aerator’s efficiency, prevent it from clogging, and improve your aerating experience.
