How to Aerate Your Lawn With a Pitchfork

Keep your lawn lush and green with routine aeration.

Aeration is a process that introduces small holes into the surface of your lawn. It improves the rate of air and gas exchange in your lawn, which helps your grass grow faster, and it also reduces the compaction of your lawn, which keeps the turf healthier. While some aeration occurs naturally due to nature, you can help your lawn by aerating it yourself. If you have a small lawn, a pitchfork is the only tool that you need.

Things You'll Need

• Pitchfork

Instructions

1. Place the tines of the pitchfork on the grass at a 45-degree angle to the turf.

2. Push the pitchfork between 2 to 3 inches into the soil using your foot.

3. Pull the pitchfork out of the soil.

4. Continue pushing your pitch fork into the soil, putting between nine and 16 holes into the earth every square foot. Leave any plugs that pull back out on the soil, as they will break up within a week and nourish the turf.

Tips & Warnings

• Aerate your lawn right before the heaviest growth period. This changes depending on the kind of grass you have.

• If your lawn grows on a heavy clay soil, the more holes you put in per square foot, the healthier your grass will grow.

• Be careful when pushing the pitchfork into the ground with your foot, as your weight will be first on the rear foot and then on the pitchfork. Keep your weight evenly distributed to prevent overbalancing.

References

• Nature Lawn: Lawn Care Tips
• Online Discount Mart: How to Aerate the Lawn