What is Soil Aeration and Why Does Soil Need to Be Aerated?

For plants to grow, we all know that they need the proper amount of sunlight and water. We fertilize them regularly because plants require certain minerals and nutrients for reaching their full potential. When they are stunted, plants wilt or grow irregularly. So, it is important to examine whether they are getting too little or too much sunlight, water, and fertilizer. Also, it is significant to check whether they are getting enough oxygen. Or do you need to aerate the soil? Now, let’s see what soil aeration is and why it is important!

 

What is Soil Aeration?

Soil aeration is the process of rapid exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen between the atmosphere and the soil pore space. This phenomenon happens to stop the toxicity of carbon and deficiency of oxygen in the soil air. The well-aerated soil comprises sufficient oxygen for the respiration of aerobic microbes and roots as well as for oxidation reaction for proceeding at the optimum rate.

Many homeowners understand that their lawns often require to be aerated. The buildup of foot traffic and thatch from pets and family can result in compact soil. As the lawn soil turns compacted, it loses more space for holding oxygen. Without oxygen, the vascular systems of the soil could not function properly and the roots could not absorb water. Organisms and microbes that reside in the soil also require oxygen for their survival. If soil compaction becomes a problem, it is best to aerate your lawn.

Usually, soil aeration is done either using a spike aerator or a plug aerator. Plug aerators remove cylindrical plugs from the lawn soil, whereas spike aerators poke holes in the lawn soil using a spike. Many lawn experts suggest using a plug aerator because piercing the lawn soil using spikes may result in more soil compaction.

 

Why Does Soil Need to be Aerated?

The advantages of soil aeration are fertile, rich, well-draining soil, and healthy plants. Without the exchange of oxygen and water within the areas between soil particles, shrubs, herbaceous plants, and trees might suffer as well. 

Dense or large root structures can result in compact soil in a landscape bed. Plants that have thrived in the past can suddenly wilt, not bloom, and drop leaves because they could not respire from compact soil around the plant roots. This could even happen to a large potted plant too.

Transplanting or un-potting large plants in compact soil isn’t possible. It is not even simple to use spike or plug aerators in a container or landscape bed. While a spike aerator is available as a hand-held tool with long handles and spikes that roam around a tiny wheel, you need to take care of big surface roots of shrubs and trees.

Root damage can leave a struggling, already weak plant more susceptible to diseases and pests. In tight locations in your garden or containers, it is necessary to hand drive one spike for aerating compact soil. Digging planting holes or making raised landscape berms two or three times the width of the root balls of a plant can help in preventing soil compaction.

Also, one can add earthworms in containers or garden beds and let them carry out the process of aerating while putting in organic matter for nutrient uptake.

 

How Should You Aerate the Potting Soil of Your Plant?

You do not need a special tool for aerating the plant soil. It just requires repurposing of items available in or around your place. You can employ chopsticks for bigger pots and satay sticks for smaller pots. Or else, you can use a pencil. However, do not employ sharp items like skewers or knives, which could harm the root system and expose it to pathogens.

Next, insert the chopsticks into the soil’s surface and loosen it up a bit with small circular motions. Now, repeat the process several times about the potting soil’s surface. While doing so, you might hear some sounds of root cracking or experience some resistance. This is fine provided that you do not do it often or vigorously.

 

When Should You Aerate the Potting Soil?

When you witness that your plant’s soil has become compact and water remains on the soil’s surface for longer, that is an indication that you have to do soil aeration. It is important that you aerate the plant soil before watering the plants. Aeration helps in distributing the water evenly and dislodging the soil clumps that have solidified and stuck together.

Also, you should not aerate every time when watering your houseplants. This could disturb the root structure of the plants. However, you should do it once every month. Once you make it a habit, you will begin to notice a huge difference!

 

What Happens When You Do Not Aerate the Potting Soil?

The roots of your plants need both air and water. They do not like big air pockets. However, they need some area for breathing and absorbing water, oxygen, and nutrients from the soil.

The absence of airflow may make your plants more vulnerable to root damage as compacted soil would not allow thorough water drainage. If you are dealing with compacted soil, it would be difficult for the plants to absorb and access nutrients, where fertilizing would not be of any help.

However, if your plants are becoming yellow and their leaves are plummeting, the soil might have become settled and they may need to repot!

Conclusion

So, soil aeration is important for plants, which is to create space in the potting medium. If the soil is aerated, oxygen can reach the plant roots easily. It does not take much effort to aerate the soil. In the wild, micro-organisms, worms, and insects take care of soil aeration as they crawl in and out of the soil and enable a good flow of oxygen.

However, when we grow plants in an artificial setting with no worms, we have to look after soil aeration. So, aerate the soil regularly to have thriving plants!