How does aerating benefit my lawn?

Using a tow behind aerators to aerate you lawn, helps your lawn look greener and reduces the cost of watering by:

1) Reducing soil and root compaction

2) Reducing water run off and improving drainage.

3) Reducing drought stress and the probability of drought damage.

4) Helps to break up and decompose thatch.

5) Aerating allows water, air, nutrients and fertilizers direct access to the root system.

6) Helps lawns get established and helps with reseeding.

How do pull aerators work?

Pull aerators attach to a tractor or a riding lawn mower. If soil is dry or compacted you will need to add weight to the aerator to get it to work properly. For best use, tow the aerator either in straight lines back and forth or in a circular pattern. Some lawns will get the best results by making two passes over the lawn with a tow behind aerator.

How do I use a Pull aerator?

5 steps to using a Tow Behind Aerator:

1) First, attach the tow behind aerator to your riding lawnmower or tractor.

2) Fill aerator with weight, either by adding lead, water, or sand.  The amount of weight needed depends on how dry or compacted the soil is.

3) The next step is to test the pull aerator to make sure it is going to desired depth.

4) Aerate lawn as mentioned above. Make two passes if necessary.

5) Clean out tines using water,  a rag and if needed a small flat screwdriver to dislodge dirt and small rocks.

The major advantage of a pull aerator is that they are typically wider than most other kinds of aerators so they save you a lot of time when you aerate.  Because they are wider they are a little harder to maneuver. Another advantage is that they are relatively cheap because you don’t have to buy the mower.  Lastly they can often do two things at once, such as aerating and over seeding or aerating and fertilizing.

In the long run, buying a pull behind aerator is a lot less expensive than renting.  Pull behinds range in price from $100 to $700 versus $70 to $110 dollars to rent a tow behind aerator for a single day.  It doesn’t take very many aerations to pay for your tow behind attachment. Plus having an attachment can also save you a lot of time.  If you already have a riding lawn mower or a tractor, a towable aeration attachment will upgrade the capabilities of your rig.