Spike aerators are one type of lawn aerating tool. With lawn aeration, thousands of tiny holes are poked into the lawn, allowing water, nutrients and air to make contact with grass roots. This is one way to repair a floundering lawn.
Spike aerators use solid metal tines to poke holes in the lawn. The other type of aerator is a plug aerator, in which hallow spoons actually remove a core or chunk of lawn. In the spike aerator category, there are several types to choose from, but not all are created equal.
In order to get any success from spike aeration, you need a significant amount of weight to be exerted on the spikes. Two types allow for this. Hand and foot push spikes are designed to be pushed into the ground by the operator, ensuring that there is plenty of force to penetrate the ground. These aerators are durable and affordable, however they are extremely time consuming and labor intensive. For a more time-efficient method, you can use a rolling barrel spike aerator. This type of aerator has a hollow core studded with spikes that penetrate the earth as it is pushed by hand. You can add weight by filling the core with water or sand. There is then enough weight to penetrate the surface. The rolling barrel aerator covers a larger area in less time than does the hand and foot push aerator.
There are three other types of spike aerators, but none are particularly effective. Lawn mower spikes cover very little area and are too shallow to be effective. Shoe spikes are also too narrow, and push spikes are too light to penetrate.
The rolling barrel spike aerator and the hand and foot push spike aerator are both effective – picking the best one for you depends on your budget and time constraints.
