New to Lawn Care/Aeration
New to Lawn Care/Aeration
I live in Western NY (Rochester) I would like to core aerate my lawn this coming month. I keep reading it's best to overseed in fall, so will aerating without overseeding be beneficial? Thanks everyone.
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- andy10917
- Posts: 29739
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
Why do you need to aerate? Do you have trucks driving across your lawn, or a herd of cattle?
Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
We moved in a couple years ago and the whole yard is really hard and compact.
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- Kmartel
- Posts: 343
- Joined: October 4th, 2013, 7:16 pm
- Location: Berwick ME
- Grass Type: KBG/PR
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
Compaction is something that is uncommon in residential lawns. If there is compaction is is usually due to heavy vehicle/equipment traffic from some type of construction or building event. There is definitely a time and place for aerating but typically not needed and specially over entire yard.
Why do you think soil is compacted?? Poor turf quality, water ponding, indicator plants??? Pics may help us.
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Why do you think soil is compacted?? Poor turf quality, water ponding, indicator plants??? Pics may help us.
Sent from my iOS device using the Yard Help App
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- Posts: 721
- Joined: April 20th, 2014, 1:48 pm
- Location: E. Tennessee
- Grass Type: KBG: Midnight, Bluebank, Mazama
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Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
Not to mention aerating brings all those weed seeds buried in your soil to the surface, where they will germinate and provide you with countless hours of enjoyment trying to eradicate them. I would suggest using a soil conditioner, http://aroundtheyard.com/articles/154-s ... mates.html , as well as a soil test from Logan Labs. Your soil may be lacking a nutrient that makes it hard/tight, and without a soil test you won't know what it is. Post the results in the soil forum and the members of Soil Team 6 will translate it for you and devise a plan to get your soil into shape. Without a soil test, you could be wasting money on products you don't need, or even applying things that will make your conditions worse.
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- Posts: 1259
- Joined: June 1st, 2015, 3:10 pm
- Location: S.E. Mass.
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Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
Do you have any puddles of standing water when it rains very hard?
Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
I believe there might be a couple spots when it rains, its hard to remember now since it's been winter. My grass is just very thin and the dirt looks abused if that makes sense.
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- Posts: 1259
- Joined: June 1st, 2015, 3:10 pm
- Location: S.E. Mass.
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Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
I thought I had compacted soil when I first started lurking here. It turns out my existing grass wasn't very good and I needed a reno or an over-seed. After following the excellent advice offered here my lawn is in great shape, my soil was not the problem.
x2 to what others have said; get a soil test via logan labs, keep the weeds out best you can until August, and then plan on an over-seed or a reno. It takes time and can be a lot of work, but with the help of this site you can do wonders.
The only downside is once your lawn is good, you really want it to be great, I think that is when the obsession kicks in
x2 to what others have said; get a soil test via logan labs, keep the weeds out best you can until August, and then plan on an over-seed or a reno. It takes time and can be a lot of work, but with the help of this site you can do wonders.
The only downside is once your lawn is good, you really want it to be great, I think that is when the obsession kicks in
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- Posts: 817
- Joined: September 22nd, 2013, 8:56 pm
- Location: Long Island, NY
- Grass Type: KBG - Bewitched; some areas PRG
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Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
The first rule of Lawn Club is: You do not disturb the soil.
- probasesteal
- Posts: 1032
- Joined: March 29th, 2014, 3:39 pm
- Location: Winston-Salem, NC
- Grass Type: FRONT: SPF30, NuGlad and Midnight. BACK: Hogan's TTTF with SPF30 HBG
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Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
Don't feel bad, almost every landscaper and extension pounds fall aeration into our heads.
Don't do it. Just look at all the threads on Poa annua and Poa triv, leave the soil undisturbed.
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Don't do it. Just look at all the threads on Poa annua and Poa triv, leave the soil undisturbed.
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- turf_toes
- Posts: 6042
- Joined: December 17th, 2008, 8:46 pm
- Location: Central NJ
- Grass Type: 77% Blueberry/23% Midnight Star KBG in front. Bewitched KBG monostand in back.
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Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
I think this is the best post ever.ligrass wrote:The first rule of Lawn Club is: You do not disturb the soil.
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- Posts: 6837
- Joined: September 14th, 2012, 10:53 pm
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Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
I might be at odds with every one else on here, but...If it's truly mechanical compaction (been there, had that issue) I'd core aerate. How do you know? If you've had vehicles driving over it, etc. *But* I would wait until at least mid August to do it, because it tends to bring up weed seeds.
If it's not mechanical compaction, there are better solutions that you can start now.
If it's not mechanical compaction, there are better solutions that you can start now.
Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
Ok. And the climate i live in, if i was to overseed should i wait until fall?
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- Posts: 6837
- Joined: September 14th, 2012, 10:53 pm
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- Grass Type: KBG, TTTF, TTPR, and FF (various mixtures)
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- Level: Experienced
Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
Yes. Without a doubt Fall (late Summer) is the best time to overseed in the Northeast. And if you find you still need to aerate by that time (having tried other things in the meantime and learned lots of things from this site) you can do so between mid August and early September, and overseed then, too. Or, you might find you no longer have to core aerate. You might find that your issue might get taken care of by other things you can start doing very soon.dmykins wrote:Ok. And the climate i live in, if i was to overseed should i wait until fall?
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I did aerate...didn't listen to everyone on here...but then again, I had legit mechanical compaction. I saw the trucks driving over it and packing it down for weeks (and years) on end.
So, the question really becomes: "What can you do now?" Well, depends how serious you're planning to get. If you're on this site, you're probably getting serious!
- GeorgeH
- Posts: 154
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Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
In spite of the ideology prevalent on most any lawn forum, there is a time and place for aeration. You just won't get a balanced response here; you will need to find alternative resources. I don't have the time or energy to swim up the current though.
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- Posts: 2692
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- Posts: 2475
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Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
No one has mentioned it yet, so here's a suggestion to use: http://www.aroundtheyard.com/articles/1 ... mates.html
Another pre made soil conditioner that I have used is Revive. http://www.revive.com/
If you can get your hands on Revive, give it a try, you can apply with a hose end sprayer.
Give it a thorough watering after applying then on the next day or two, do a screwdriver test.
You may be surprised. Another product I've used is Natural Guard Soil Activator, from Fertilome which also helps to loosen the soil.
Good Luck!
Another pre made soil conditioner that I have used is Revive. http://www.revive.com/
If you can get your hands on Revive, give it a try, you can apply with a hose end sprayer.
Give it a thorough watering after applying then on the next day or two, do a screwdriver test.
You may be surprised. Another product I've used is Natural Guard Soil Activator, from Fertilome which also helps to loosen the soil.
Good Luck!
- andy10917
- Posts: 29739
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
Tony, have you tried all of these products, or are you trying to become the Googler that gets the first "Truckie" award?
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- Posts: 6837
- Joined: September 14th, 2012, 10:53 pm
- Location: CT (Zone 6B)
- Grass Type: KBG, TTTF, TTPR, and FF (various mixtures)
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- Level: Experienced
Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
I'm not him, but Tony said he has used both Revive and Natural Guard.
And...This thread is turning into an advertisement for BLSC, et. al.
And...This thread is turning into an advertisement for BLSC, et. al.
- oze
- Posts: 881
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Re: New to Lawn Care/Aeration
Speaking of BLSC...Andy, I think I recall that you were working on a new formula, right? Or maybe I just dreamed that over the cold winter nights.
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