What is a lawn aerator?

A lawn aerator is a garden tool that pokes air holes into the turf. There are two basic types: Spike aerators and core aerators. Spike aerators push into the soil to create the holes. Core aerators push a cylinder into the soil, extract a plug and deposit it on top of the grass. Core aeration is the preferred method to relieve compacted soils. Click here to learn more about aeration practices.