Aeration questions

[flyin-lowe]

As I have read through this forum for many years I see more times than not, people saying never aerate, or I put my aerator in the shop and will never use it again. The common theme that pops up is the dormant seeds of undesirable weeds "waking up" and causing massive problems. Typically for every topic you research on the internet you can find arguments and counter arguments for both sides. I spent a few minutes this morning "googling" topics like "why you should not aerate your lawn" and or "the negatives of aerating your lawn". I also did some searches on you tube for similar information. I am sure they are out there and someone will point me to some but a huge overwhelming majority of the results I got were everyone explaining how good it is and why you should do it. Again I didn't scour the internet to all depths but I spent a few minutes looking for people making the argument why you shouldn't aerate and didn't find hardly anything. It was easier to find a video about why you shouldn't change the oil in your car than it was why you shouldn't aerate.

I am curious how many of you on here do aerate and if you saw the negatives too or was it a good result. I have done a renovation this summer and I plan to overseed this fall. Other than a few on this website, everyone I have consulted with says if you aerate first the germination rate will be hundreds of times better than not aerating. Even if the lawn itself doesn't need aeration due to compaction, just the seeds getting into the holes and having the plugs break down to help cover seeds, which really helps.

Would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this.

[MorpheusPA]

I actually HAVE aerated. I had a tractor going back and forth across the property when I had the patio put in out back and the gardens assembled. I aerated the crap outta that pathway (I requested they follow the same path each time, down to the same tire marks if possible).

It did help a bit to raise the compaction there, at the surface. The deep stuff took years to reverse. There was no grass remaining, so there were, of course, lots of weeds. It's about the one time I would recommend aeration.

[turf_toes]

Since you’ve read the posts on the site about why it’s a bad idea to aerate, you should probably already know the answer to your question.

I’d suggest there are more than a few discussions on the topic going back over the last 12 years or so.

In my experience, disturbing the soil in any way almost always leads to weeds.

If your lawn is so thick that you need to aerate to get seed to germinate, you probably don’t need to seed.

But assuming you wanted to do so anyway, I’d suggest cutting the lawn down to the lowest setting (which likely will scalp the grass.

That’s not ideal.

But as previously noted, most people who have a thick, dense lawn don’t need to seed in the first place.

On the other hand, if you don’t have a dense lawn, you don’t need to aerate during an overseed.

But landscapers love to upsell aeration and dethatching. It’s a good money maker for them.

You’ll find lots of people on the intertubes who swear by all kind of useless products and services.

That information gets repeated because “everyone I know” suggests that they do it.

But it doesn’t mean the information is correct or even useful.

Is it possible to do an overseed with aeration and get good results? Sure. But those results would likely have been the same even without aeration.

[bolson32]

Has anyone here seen an aera-vator? They're absurdly expensive for a homeowner. But a lawn service around here has one and I inquired about getting him out here for a few passes. As morph can attest I've got some real compaction issues.

Seems like it would be a better option than pulling plugs.

[Smolenski7]

I had my property aerated 2 years ago by accident. The landscaper confused my lawn for my neighbors! At the time (not this year) my lawn was thick and green....the best in the 'hood easily. Needless to say, I was a little piterbed when I got home and saw the "damage." However, there was no explosion of weeds or really any long term damage to the lawn.

I'm about to aerate again, and probably dethatch too, in preparation for an overseed. Because of my past experience, I'm not worried about dormant weed seeds coming out to say, "Hello." If they do, I'll take care of the problem easily enough.

[turf_toes]

I had my property aerated 2 years ago by accident. The landscaper confused my lawn for my neighbors! At the time (not this year) my lawn was thick and green....the best in the 'hood easily. Needless to say, I was a little piterbed when I got home and saw the "damage." However, there was no explosion of weeds or really any long term damage to the lawn.

I'm about to aerate again, and probably dethatch too, in preparation for an overseed. Because of my past experience, I'm not worried about dormant weed seeds coming out to say, "Hello." If they do, I'll take care of the problem easily enough.

With a “northern mix” lawn, you’ll probably never see real thatch. Some dead grass blades, maybe. But you won’t get real thatch with a northern mix, unless it’s 90 percent KBG.

Now if it makes you feel good to be doing something in the yard, then knock yourself out.

But your lawn won’t need it.

[LongIslander]

The majority on this forum over the years advise against aeration.

The popular youtubers (GCI, LCN, Knorr, Connor etc) all have videos about overseeing with aeration included as a step in the process.

In my experience, a seed falling in a 3 inch plug does off leading to a dime sized bare patch all over the yard. The folks at Hogan agree.

I won’t be aerating this Fall. Take what you will from my own experience.

[MorpheusPA]

With a “northern mix” lawn, you’ll probably never see real thatch. Some dead grass blades, maybe. But you won’t get real thatch with a northern mix, unless it’s 90 percent KBG.

Heck, mine's a hundred percent KBG, incredibly well-fed, and I have no thatch. Zero. Zip. Not even the minimal amount that would be useful to protect the crowns from a bit of stress and mulch the soil. It simply rots away as fast as it's produced.

Sometimes a Zoysia lawn will produce thatch, too, but treat it properly and you can even get around that.

And if you do get thatch, aeration and dethatching actually isn't the proper way to get rid of it anyway (as you already know, but others may not). It means the soil biology is out of whack. Fix that, and it'll take care of the thatch for you.

[ken-n-nancy]

... if you do get thatch, aeration and dethatching actually isn't the proper way to get rid of it ... It means the soil biology is out of whack. Fix [the soil biology], and it'll take care of the thatch for you.

Quoted for truth.