Your plants need to breathe. When soil gets compacted it keeps roots from getting enough oxygen and limits drainage. One way to fix this is through aeration.
What is Aeration?
At its core, aeration means to add air to something. However, aeration, also called aerification, can mean many things.
When talking about aerating soil it means creating air gaps. The air and water flow created by these gaps reverses compaction. In turn, it allows for better water drainage and healthier roots.
How to Aerate Your Houseplants
Aeration is easy and should only take a few minutes, but you can reap the benefits for months!
What you need to aerate your houseplants:
A chopstick (disposable is easiest)
Some water
How to aerate your houseplants:
Gently poke the chopstick into the soil every inch or so. You might hear snapping, that's ok. If possible, avoid damaging roots.
Water the plant thoroughly. If you hear crackling, that's a good sign.
Repeat with the rest of your plants.
What is Happening When You Aerate Your Plants?
When you are aerating your plants, you might hear snapping. That is the roots breaking which, in this case, is alright. The roots will grow back stronger and with more access to oxygen.
Then, when you water the plant, you may hear a crackling sound. In essence, that is the water traveling through the soil. It is also a sign of proper aeration; however, if your soil is in good condition, you might not hear it.
Your plants may struggle briefly after being aerated. This is because they are registering the damage to their roots. However, if you did it properly, the plants will bounce back quickly.
Around two weeks afterward, the plant will begin to reap the benefits of having better airflow, water access and nutrient absorption. Soil aeration may even help lower salt stress on plants.
Manually aerating houseplants works great because it is usually a small area of soil. Plus, houseplants are prone to both becoming root-bound and having compacted or oversaturated soil.
Aerating Your Garden
You can aerate your garden in a similar way to aerating houseplants. However, you can also use lawn tools or a pitchfork depending on the size of your garden.
If you are feeding the soil in your garden properly, aerating it is not particularly important. However, if you have clay or otherwise compact soil, it can be helpful.
You can also plant cover crops like the tillage radish. Planting vegetables with deep roots is a great option for people who are trying to go no-dig.
Aeration for Lawns
It is common for people to aerate their lawns to promote grass growth and health. While the outcome is similar to aerating houseplants, it has special considerations.
Because of their size, I don't advise going out and aerating your soil with a chopstick. While the chopstick method would work for lawns, it would take time. If you do not want to buy any fancy equipment, you can use a pitchfork.
Shoes, aerifiers, or other machines are often used to aerate lawns. There are many methods, find one that works for you.
When Should You Aerate Your Plants?
If your plants are all in a climate-controlled area, the time of year you aerate your plants does not matter much. So, for potted plants, you should be proactive and aerate your plants before they need it.
When you water, pay attention to how fast it is absorbed. If it takes a while, your soil might be getting compacted. It is probably a good time to aerate your plants.
If your plants are not in a climate-controlled area, try aerating a month or so before they enter their main growing season. This gives the roots time to recover and begin reaping the benefits of aeration.
How Often Should You Aerate Your Plants?
As with a lot of gardening tasks, how often you should aerate your plants depends. Listen to the plants and pay attention to the soil compaction. When the soil starts to get compacted, it is time to aerate.
I aerate my plants about once or twice a year. I like to do all my plants on the same day. Since I already have the supplies ready it seems to go faster.
If you have heavy or clay potting soil, you may want to aerate more often. If you find your soil is compacted and needs aeration often, you may consider adding a soil amendment like sand or pumice.
Closing Thoughts
With houseplants, aeration may damage a plant's roots. Do not worry, they will come back stronger!
After around two weeks you will begin to see the plants becoming healthier and starting to reap the benefits.
If this worries you or you have a particularly sensitive plant, then don't aerate. If your soil is compact, you could also transplant or simply replace the soil. Aeration can be helpful, but it is only one option to help your plants thrive.
Another way to help your plants thrive is to pick healthy, happy plants from the start. Check out my five tips for buying healthy plants!