Q: I’ve seen hand aerators that you can step on to aerate your lawn. I’d like some exercise and avoid the expense of renting an aerator.  How long would it take to cover a half acre?

A: Let me break out my calculator:

You need 10 holes per sq ft to make a difference in hard soil. A half acre is appx. 21,000 sq ft, so you need 210,000 holes. If the hand aerator has two tines, you’ll step on it 105,000 times. Assuming you can do 4 aerator steps per minute, you need 26,250 minutes or 437 hours. If you work 2 hours per day, you can get it done in 218 days = 7 months.

You can buy back liniment in big tubs at Costco….have fun!

Or you can rent a motorized aerator for $70 and get it done in an afternoon….but you’ll still need the liniment 🙂

motorized aerator