Core Aeration - Advice for Northern VA Homeowners

While many folks are familiar with core aeration, most don’t realize the impact aeration has on the lawn. A good aeration is judged by the depth and frequency of plugs pulled. A 2 ½ to 3 inch plug (about the size of your forefinger) pulled every 3 to 4 inches is very good.

There are two basic machine designs:

1. The drum type aerator which has the hollow tines that pull the plugs of soil mounted on a drum or series of weighted disks. This machine relies on its weight to penetrate the soil to pull a plug. If you’re dealing with a nice loamy soil that has sufficient moisture, you will pull an excellent plug. That is rarely the case in Northern Virginia. With our heavy clay soils and often hot, dry conditions well into September, the drum type aerator struggles to do a good job. I have seen cinder blocks wired to the top of drum aerators in an attempt to pull a better plug.
2. The other (preferred type) is a reciprocating or direct drive aerator. This machine’s design has offset steel tines that are driven into the soil by the force of the engine. This machine will pull a plug out of your driveway if you take a wrong turn. The depth, frequency and consistency of the plugs pulled by a reciprocating core aerator are far better than a drum type.

That being said, the vast majority of aerators used by professional lawn care companies and available for rent are drum type. Why? You get three guesses and the first two don’t count. That’s right, they are cheaper. Not only are the machines typically one third the cost, with fewer moving parts and less wear and tear, drum aerators have fewer maintenance issues.

When you are ready to have your lawn core aerated, be sure to ask what type of machine will be used. It makes all the difference in the world. We’re pulling plugs now at at my company, Bio Green, so let us know if we can help.


Photo credit: "AIREADORA 07" by Guipozjim - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AIREADORA_07.JPG#/media/File:AIREADORA_07.JPG

Author: Dave Schrader, the NOVA Lawn Guru