Can anyone tell me the simplest way to aerate a yard?
Answers:
Take a piece of board about one inch thick. Trace around you shoe on the board. Cut out the shape. Drive several 16 penny nails through the board until the heads are flush with the board. The pointed ends will be sticking out the other side. Using string or cord, tie the boards to the bottom of your shoes. Now walk around your lawn. Each step aerates the lawn. Walk carefully or you will stumble. Keep these boards handy and use them each time you do yard work. Your lawn will be aerated without having to devote extra time for it.
Other answers:
Walk on it with golf shoes or other shoes with cleats.
Walk on it with golf shoes or other shoes with cleats.
Get a pitchfork and start stabbing the lawn
Rent an aerator from a tool rental store. It's easy, takes very little time.
They have shoes that are specifically designed for you to walk through and aerate your yard at the same time. I saw them in one of those flight magazines while on a plane.
You can either use shoes with spikes (like golf shoes above) or rent an aerater and just roll it around the yard.
The simplest way: pay a lawn service to do it.
The second simplest: rent an aerating machine.
Both produce good results.
Shoes and home fashioned devices aerate by compressing the soil around the hole they make. This helps a little, but is not the best way to do it.
I like the pitchfork idea, thats about what I would have said too. If you have a truck, renting an aerator would be fine too, just shop around. One thing no one touched on was using earth worms. I use them in my lawn and its perfectly fine.
Wear golf shoes when you mow. You know, the ones with the metal spikes coming off the bottom.