Unique Ideas for Lawn Aeration

DIY Lawn Aeration Shoes

• Constructing your own pair of lawn aeration shoes can be as simple as driving nails through the sole of a pair of old shoes or flip-flops. If you want your aeration shoes to last, however, it is better to build plywood soles and strap them on to a pair of tennis shoes. To complete this project, simply cut a sheet of plywood to the approximate length and width of your shoes and drive long nails through the plywood at 1-inch intervals. To use your shoes, tie the plywood soles to your shoes and walk back and forth across the lawn.

DIY Plug Aerator

• A plug aerator removes plugs of dirt from the lawn, which allows water to seep into the soil. To create your own plug aerator, all you need is a metal rod between 3 and 4 feet long and between 1/2 and 1 1/2 inches wide. You may drill a hole through the tube about 6 inches from the end to prevent dirt from getting caught in the tube, and you may cut the tip at an angle so it cuts into the ground more easily. To use your plug aerator, simply drive the sharp end into the ground every 6 to 12 inches in your lawn.

DIY Handheld Aerator

• If you are looking for a simple way to aerate your lawn, you can construct a basic handheld lawn aerator using a broom handle, a piece of plywood and a few nails. To build the aerator component, simply cut a 4-by-10-inch piece of plywood and drive two horizontal rows of nails all the way through it. The nails should be spaced about 1 inch apart. Connect the broom handle to the aerator component by installing a metal or PVC adapter to the back of the plywood and screw the end of the broom handle into it.

General Tips for Lawn Aeration

• Before aerating your lawn it is important that the lawn be moist, so water your lawn well. If the ground in your lawn is moist it will be easier to penetrate and remove cores from the soil. You do not want your lawn to be too wet, however, or the holes may close up too quickly and the aeration will be ineffective. If your lawn is particularly dry, water it well two days before you aerate it.