DIY (Do It Yourself) - An Improvised Manual Aerator

In a previous entry, this gardener wrote about the need to aerate compacted soil in the front and backyard lawns. Both lawns are not big and it isn't worth to invest on anything fancy or expensive. So an idea came up to build an improvised manual aerator using an old garden rake and some masonry nails. Here's the aerator in action in the lawn at the backyard (Carabao or Buffalo grass).



The nice thing with this manual aerator is that either foot may be used. The long handle of the rake makes it easy to pull out the spikes after pushing it down with the foot.

This photo was taken at the front lawn (Bermuda grass).


Mounds and tight spaces are easy to aerate with this improvised device.



How to Make the Improvised Lawn Aerator

Materials

• Old garden rake
  
• Wooden board
  
• Masonry nails
  
• Metal wire
  

Procedure

1. Measure a wooden board to fit on top of the head of an old garden rake. Cut the wooden board to size and shape.
   
   
   
2. Hammer several nails on the board so they go all the way through. For safety purposes, rest the board on top of blocks as the nails are hammered.
   
   
   
3. Attach the board with nails on top of the garden rake head by winding tightly a long metal wire around the nails and the tines of the garden rake.
   
   
   
4. Another view of the garden rake head.
   
   
   

UPDATE: Here's an improved version of the lawn aerator.