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When to aerate the lawn?

#1

C

cubby

Maybe I'm confused but I remember folks aerating their lawns in the fall. Now I read about doing
it now in the spring, Which is better?

Also is it easier to aerate when the ground is damp or moist like after a spring thaw,
or dry and hard.

I have a few bare spots that seem to get worse every year, so should I aerate now or wait
until the fall......cubby


#2

N

noma

Hay Cubby


I planed to aerate this spring when the ground is soft that works the best for me . I think it's a lot harder to get the aerate to penetrate when the ground is hard in the fall unless you do it after a good rain then it will work pretty good.:biggrin:


#3

K

KennyV

cubby said:
should I aerate now or wait
until the fall......cubby
Click to expand...

If it's been a long time, (or never), since you have aerated... do it this spring, use a core aerator if you can, and incorporate some fresh seeds in the bare spots.
Your soil will benefit from the spring rains and a bit of oxygen that the roots will get...
You don't want to over do it and thus always have the ground 'worked up'...

The only BAD time that I am aware of for aeration is going into a dry time, as it would further dry out your soil... But if there is a good chance of rain, it will keep things happy... :smile:KennyV


#4

C

cubby

KennyV said:
If it's been a long time, (or never), since you have aerated... do it this spring, use a core aerator if you can, and incorporate some fresh seeds in the bare spots.
Your soil will benefit from the spring rains and a bit of oxygen that the roots will get...
You don't want to over do it and thus always have the ground 'worked up'...

The only BAD time that I am aware of for aeration is going into a dry time, as it would further dry out your soil... But if there is a good chance of rain, it will keep things happy... :smile:KennyV
Click to expand...

I admit as long as I have been cutting grass that I've never have aerated my lawn, my next question
is once I aerate do I or should I do it every year? Or only when I start seeing problems.

I do rake by hand in the spring and fall and I notice that I drag out all the dead grass at both times.
I also notice that my lawn is not as thick and lush as it use to be. I reseeded a couple of times over
the years but never got any good results. I'm always fertilize too. So I'm hoping aerating will do
some good.

Thanks Kenny and to noma also for your help.....cubby


#5

S

stuckinnj

Core aerating is the only way to go. I usually do the lawn and pastures in the fall, but have aerated the lawn in the Spring. Ground moisture is key to the coring process. Too wet and the core posts will tear up your lawn. Too dry and you will not get deep penetration. Get it right and you値l pull good 3-4 plugs which will break down nicely over the next couple of weeks.
I mow my lawn high (about 4?, I dethatch 3 x/year, use pre-emergent at the end of March, after the snow is melted and then straight fert in June. Lawn is green, thick and feels like walking on carpet. Pastures are a different story. Wife & daughter have horses. They tend to take care of the fertilizer and keeping the grass in check. Usually mow 2-3x/year. The core aeration does seem to help the health of the grass. Gives me more time to ride my Iron Horse?.


#6

C

cubby

stuckinnj said:
Core aerating is the only way to go. I usually do the lawn and pastures in the fall, but have aerated the lawn in the Spring. Ground moisture is key to the coring process. Too wet and the core posts will tear up your lawn. Too dry and you will not get deep penetration. Get it right and you値l pull good 3-4 plugs which will break down nicely over the next couple of weeks.
I mow my lawn high (about 4?, I dethatch 3 x/year, use pre-emergent at the end of March, after the snow is melted and then straight fert in June. Lawn is green, thick and feels like walking on carpet. Pastures are a different story. Wife & daughter have horses. They tend to take care of the fertilizer and keeping the grass in check. Usually mow 2-3x/year. The core aeration does seem to help the health of the grass. Gives me more time to ride my Iron Horse?.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the good info, when I rake and all the dead grass comes up would that be considered
dethatching or should I get a machine and dethatch also?

As you know the winter was pretty nasty this year here, so I got a lot of raking to do.
Can't wait to get started but still have some snow still hanging around.

Thanks again.....cubby


#7

K

KennyV

cubby said:
...
when I rake and all the dead grass comes up would that be considered
dethatching or should I get a machine and dethatch also?
Click to expand...

Dethatching with a rake can be a LOT of work... get a power rake.. OR do like this guy did in this youtube clip, he made a modification to his snow blower to make it a light weight power rake... quite clever, & effective...
YouTube - converted snowblower to power rake, scarifier
:smile:KennyV


#8

C

cubby

KennyV said:
Dethatching with a rake can be a LOT of work... get a power rake.. OR do like this guy did in this youtube clip, he made a modification to his snow blower to make it a light weight power rake... quite clever, & effective...
YouTube - converted snowblower to power rake, scarifier
:smile:KennyV
Click to expand...
Kenny thats how I get my exercise by raking, the snow rake is a cool idea....cubby


#9

A

abeja_reina_1989

I've heard people debating this before and honestly, I think if you're unsure then doing it right in the middle of those times is probably your best bet. This way, it will probably work out. I've never had any trouble at all so I think either time is fine.


#10

H

Honey

I don't have much of a lawn anymore, it is mostly gardens, I can't remember the last time I aerated it. It has been quite a number of years.


#11

C

Cherokee5975

Early spring and then in the fall are the best times to aereate. I recommend it to all my customers and they are very happy with their yards. Some call me back after about a week and tell me they cant believe what a difference it makes.


#12

B

Black Bart

I have a 4 foot aerator and it has V shaped tines I like it better than the plug type it make many more openings in the soil without the mess you get from a plug type.

I always roll in the early spring with a really big heavy roller and it makes the ground smooth but compacts it so as soon as i Finnish rolling I pull my 4 foot aerator to open it after the roller sealed it.

I wait a few days till it firms up they I use my fertilizer cart to spread granular fertilizer then turn on the underground sprinklers and soak the fertilizer down the slots in the lawn. :thumbsup:

If you reseed without thatching it will grow in the thatch but since it did not root down in the soil as soon as it gets hot and stops raining it will die.

For successful reseeding you should dethatch first.


#13

D

djrussell

Does anyone know a good way to aerate without power equipment? It looks like there are a few options on the market that are very cheap in price and quality. There's the GRASS STITCHER but it seems pricey for what it is at $100 and I'm not convinced.


#14

K

KennyV

When it is HOT & Dry, you do not want to aerate, that will just speed up moisture loss...

The Grass Stitcher, looks like it should be worth 19.99 NOT 99.99... It may be an okay 'small area seed prep tool, but not a good aerator...
There was a manual aerator that you strapped to your feet, and walked around with long spikes... I've never seen anyone actually do this, seems like it would be very cumbersome..
The few times you will use one in any growing season, a small pull type or a rental powered unit seems very practical... :smile:KennyV


#15

D

djrussell

Those spiked shoes are all over amazon. People actually say they work well but are cheaply made and break. I wouldn't want to walk a whole lawn with them though.

Can you elaborate on a "small pull type". I don't have a tractor or equivalent to pull something with. The rental may be a good option though.


#16

K

KennyV

Something like this...: Agri-Fab 40 in. Turf Shark Curved Spike Aerator - 45-0369 at The Home Depot
They are not really worth the price, but for a small area, should last a long time... You will have to catch the soil at the right moisture level to get them to work... They are rather light... Various manufactures have these, all very similar, various widths. ... :smile:KennyV

Another variation... It's called a 'push' aerator ... BUT by the timr you add enough weight to make it work... you will not be pushing it... you will be trying to pull it... Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more


#17

D

djrussell

Thanks for the response, KV.

The first one is for tractor pulling so is a no-go for me.

I've seen the second one and most people say it's junk. Perhaps if I modify it some it could work.

It seems there's an unclaimed market segment here. Here's some other results I came up with after some intense Googling.

Mantis Tiller Attachment. There's this one and a similar one from Honda that attach to their tillers. I assume this is what I would get at a rental store.

Draper Electric Model. It's from the UK though and only penetrates 12mm. What's the point in that?

20" Hand Push. This is about what I was thinking but $222 for this thing is a rip off. Building one would be an interesting project.

Time for more searching. :)


#18

B

benski

dj;

That attachment for the mantis is a tiller, not an aerator. For $85.00, I rent a commercial aerator from my local rental outlet. This is for the whole day, and they have half day rates available as well. In that 8 hour time frame, I did a 3/4 acre lawn, drove 16 miles and did another 1/2 acre lawn, drove another 13 miles and did a site 75' X 550'. Maybe you and a neighbor can join forces and share the rental fee on one. I usually dethatch in the spring, then aerate and overseed, let the grass go through a couple of mowings, and then fertilize.


#19

K

KennyV

The big problem ...
If it is light enough to push, it will be infective & usually 'junk'.
If you add weight to make it work, it becomes too heavy to push, and too heavy for it's light frame to support...
:smile:KennyV


#20

D

djrussell

I'm arriving at that conclusion too.

Thanks for the tip, benski.


#21

M

MikeRoger

Cherokee5975 said:
Early spring and then in the fall are the best times to aereate. I recommend it to all my customers and they are very happy with their yards. Some call me back after about a week and tell me they cant believe what a difference it makes.
Click to expand...

I think when we should aerate typically depends on the type of soil and grass we have.For clay soils, we should generally aerate twice a year. For sandy soil,we should typically aerate once a year. If we have warm season grasses,late-spring to early summer is in most cases the best time to aerate.


#22

J

johnandrew

You should aerate in the spring, when the ground is soft, that works well for me. Even though I sometimes have aerated the lawn when the earth was very hard and I could feel that sitting on the aerator... does no harm but its better to do it when the ground is soft. How do you please to aerate? I suggest a mechanical aerator which will make your life very easy, what I do is rent an aerator from the construction equipment rental company at home depot ... that save me a bit :)


#23

J

johnandrew

You should aerate in the spring, when the ground is soft, that works well for me. Even though I sometimes have aerated the lawn when the earth was very hard and I could feel that sitting on the aerator... does no harm but its better to do it when the ground is soft. How do you please to aerate? I suggest a mechanical aerator which will make your life very easy, what I do is rent an aerator from the construction equipment rental company at home depot ... that save me a bit :)


#24

Parkmower

Parkmower

Been aerating on and off for last couple weeks at work. Been raining so the grounds nice and soft. Have a 72" plug aerator pulled by the ford 4610


#25

B

benski

Parkmower said:
Been aerating on and off for last couple weeks at work. Been raining so the grounds nice and soft. Have a 72" plug aerator pulled by the ford 4610
Click to expand...

THAT sounds like a serious tool for the job!:cool::biggrin:


#26

JimmyTheGlove

JimmyTheGlove

KennyV said:
Dethatching with a rake can be a LOT of work... get a power rake.. OR do like this guy did in this youtube clip, he made a modification to his snow blower to make it a light weight power rake... quite clever, & effective...
YouTube - converted snowblower to power rake, scarifier
:smile:KennyV
Click to expand...
Hey Kenny!
Thanks for sharing this YouTube video. I must say, that is very clever. I am looking for a good project so I might give this a try! Some guys are so smart. Who would have thought a blower could become a power rake?


#27

K

KennyV

I thought That was a rather clever modification & it looks like he has improved on it a bit more...
There should be plenty of the small power shovel type blowers around to make these... and it looks like it works well... :smile:KennyV


#28

M

mrficxit

Hey cubby, I'm going back to your post #4 where you talk about your grass not really growing like you think it should...and I'm not knocking aerating. I personally think spring is the best time.

I realize you said you fertilize, but I would recommend getting a soil sample analysis of the NPK and PH your soil has now. I have warm season bermuda grass. I used to just throw down 13-13-13 or 10-20-10 until I had a soil sample analysis done and was told that all I needed to do was put down 46-0-0. I had plenty of P and K already in my soil, but very little N. Also, my PH was too high and I needed to acidify my soil more.

Grasses have different needs of fertilizer. I don't know what kind of grass you have...but a soil analysis will give you a great insight into what component of fertilizer you need most. And PH is very important in order for your grass to absorb the different components in fertilizer.

Anyway, you may have already had this done...but if not, do it. Aerating will still be beneficial, but I think you will get a better result if you know what your soil PH is and the fertilizer your grass really needs.


#29

C

cubby

mrficxit said:
Hey cubby, I'm going back to your post #4 where you talk about your grass not really growing like you think it should...and I'm not knocking aerating. I personally think spring is the best time.

I realize you said you fertilize, but I would recommend getting a soil sample analysis of the NPK and PH your soil has now. I have warm season bermuda grass. I used to just throw down 13-13-13 or 10-20-10 until I had a soil sample analysis done and was told that all I needed to do was put down 46-0-0. I had plenty of P and K already in my soil, but very little N. Also, my PH was too high and I needed to acidify my soil more.

Grasses have different needs of fertilizer. I don't know what kind of grass you have...but a soil analysis will give you a great insight into what component of fertilizer you need most. And PH is very important in order for your grass to absorb the different components in fertilizer.

Anyway, you may have already had this done...but if not, do it. Aerating will still be beneficial, but I think you will get a better result if you know what your soil PH is and the fertilizer your grass really needs.
Click to expand...

Thanks mrficxit for the advice, mother nature has kinda aerated my lawn. Back in October we had
a freak snow storm that broke just about every tree on my property. The snow was heavy and wet.
A lot of the broken limbs ended up stuck into the ground. By the time I got it all cleaned up the lawn
was torn up pretty good. Now I'm getting ready to start all over for the spring so I'm going to throw
down some seed and fertilizer and hope for the best. Work for me has been so busy since that snow
storm that I don't get much time to do much these days except work and sleep.

As for the soil test It was and has been on my mind just one of those things I keep forgetting to do.
As soon as I get this place back in shape I will get this done thanks again...cubby


#30

R

RickO

No so much a to when to aerate but what type. The star type aerators will open up the lawn with a slice that will allow oxygen to get to the roots but the only thing you've done is to push the soil slightly to the side, in essences, you've compacted the soil ever so slightly. The plug type will (of course) aerate but more importantly, the soil will not be compacted. Truth is, there's a use for both. I use a combination star type with a drop spreader on top. The slice allows the seed to enter. I do this in the fall. The plug type I don't own (yet) but will within the next few weeks. Both have their benefits but do different things.

I am in a pitched battle with my beloved lawn with Red Thread. I hired a landscaper to come in last fall with a Kubota and a 6 foot plug aerator. It did an okay job but at 6 feet wide, the high bumps in the lawn were hit well and the low areas were not touched. In this case, bigger is not better. I need to get a pull behind for the garden tractor that's 4 feet. It should do a much better job.

RickO


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