How to aerate with your zero turn mower

   Can you pull an aerator with a zero turn mower?

Yes, you can pull an aerator with a zero turn mower.
There are different types of aerating tools. The two major aerating tools are;
A spike aerator.
A plug (or core) aerator.
The other aerating tools are; garden fork, hollow tinder, seed sitter and spiked shoes. To aerate simply means to put air into something such as a soil. It involves drilling the soil with small holes to allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate deeply as far as the grass roots.

Why should I aerate?

Aerating the soil helps the roots grow deeply and produce a stronger lawn. The main reason for aerating is to alleviate soil compaction; this occurs when soil particles are pressed together, thereby reducing pore space between them.
There are different benefits you get from aerating your lawn. Aerating your lawn helps to;
Increase oxygen content by allowing air penetration.

Improve water movement.

Stimulate root growth by allowing fresh roots to grow deeper.

Improve yield and reduce fertilizer costs.

Improve drainage and slurry absorption resulting in less damage to land.

Reduce water run-off and puddling.
Reduce soil compaction.

Enhance thatch breakdown.

Adding weight to your pull aerator.
There are two aerator attachments; we have the electric aerator attachments and the manual pull aerators.
An electric aerator attachment has a power pressurizing mechanism that stimulates movement while a manual pull aerator needs some materials like cinderblocks, pavers, sand bags and bricks to be weighed down, giving it the extra pressure to dig into the ground.
Using an aerator with your zero turn mower.
When an aerator is used with a zero turn mower, it aids maneuverability and precise control. It helps maneuver around corners and covers oddly shaped sections of the yard like around trees, fences and other tight areas.

What should I do with soil plugs?
Soil plugs are dropped by core aerators while mowing the lawn. They are loaded with helpful soil microbes and fertilizers which helps the soil.
The two things that can be done with soil plugs are;
After mowing, you rake them to low parts of the lawn that are prone to erosion or flooding. You can also use them to fill holes where fence posts or tree stumps were removed.
If your yard is already leveled, you don’t have to do anything with your soil plugs. All you need do is just to leave them wherever they are to break down naturally with time. By allowing the soil plugs decompose inherently, the nutrients would be given back to the soil which is much better than refilling the yard with another soil or sand

Can you tow with a zero turn mower? Any zero turn mower can tow as long as it falls within its weight capacity. A zero turn mower can neatly tow a piece of equipment that is not more than 50% or 60% at most, of its weight. When considering the weight of equipment to tow with the rider’s weight is also important to be considered. The riders weight should be added with that of the equipment to bring the total weight required to tow successfully. The towing capacity of your mower is always indicated in the zero turn mower manual.
If you bought a secondhand mower, always know that residential mowers can tow only up to half of their weight while a commercial mower can tow up to twice its weight given that it is designed to pull heavy loads beyond its weight.
Many zero turn mowers have a built-in hitch where you can attach equipments to tow with.
In a spike aerator and a plug (or core) aerator, which is best?
Plug or core aerators do a much better job than spike aerators. Plug aerators are the best for relieving heavy compacted clay soils as they break down these soils intensely, leaving behind holes that aids healthy root growth.
Is it better to aerate or till?
It all depends on what you hope to achieve as the two are done for different reasons. Aerating is not the same as tilling, the former is done once the crops starts growing in order to ensure the soil gets enough oxygen while also pulling up the weeds.
Tilling on the other hand, is a process of loosening soil to prepare it for planting. Whichever method you choose to adopt should be according to the purpose you want it to serve as they both have their pros and cons. Let`s take a look at them;
Aerating pros
It is an easy “do it yourself” project.
It helps your lawn absorb water and nutrients.
There is no much issue of over-aerating.
It increases the penetration of air into the soil.

Aerating Cons
Aerating is simple but requires much labor.
In cases of renting an aerator, it could be very expensive.
Tilling Pros
Tilling allows you to start over with a section of lawn.
It prepares the ground for seeding.
It can be done in the fall when the weather is cool.

Tilling Cons
You will have an unmatched section of lawn for a while.
It requires a lot of hard work.

In conclusion, while adding an aerator to your zero turn mower, it is also advisable to measure a safe amount including your weight on the machine to provide your mower with enough horsepower.

Many may go against this because their mower has succeeded in carrying greater weights without breaking down but the truth still remains that you would be seriously deteriorating your mower`s life span as you continue.

 The difference between a spike aerator and a plug aerator is that, a spike aerator has sharp tines that penetrate the ground to make holes and aerate your lawn. They only get rid of soil compaction on a short term basis while a plug (or core) aerator has a hollow tine that penetrates the core and pulls out plug of grass and soil from the lawn.