How late can I aerate.

[wedge40]

The grass is just turning green and when time permits I'm going to thatch the yard and get it ready. I live where clay is king and was thinking of getting an aerator this spring to loosen the soil and then maybe over seed.
How late in the year can I aerate?

Wedge

 

[silverking]

Not sure where you are but if you are going to you better get it done soon. Almost better off if you are going to wait any longer to wait till september before the rainy days of fall.


Good luck

 

[RobJ]

You can really aerate any time. Usually it's done when the grass is comming out. If you have a lot of clay, fertilize, dust the lawn with sand or composed rice hulls and whatever they sell in the area to help break down the clay a bit.

Are you more north or south?

 

[NuBota]

I always was under the impression that it was best to plug aerate in the fall. Since you usually seed at the same time, the holes work to trap seed. I also thought that aerating in the spring - since weeds are blooming, gives them a better chance to grab hold because of these "seed holes". Using a spike aerator is supposed to reduce this, while still helping the compaction issues. Don't think there is a hard or fast rule - if the soil is hard you're better to loosen it up, and just deal with the weed issue - if any

Same with de-thatching - generally done in the fall prior to overseeding, but shouldn't hurt. May hurt the appearance though, and may not recover before the dry season hits

No expert here - just read this and it is also how the lawn care company (when I had the service) did it, so I follow suit and have decent results.

 

[RobJ]

I always was under the impression that it was best to plug aerate in the fall. Since you usually seed at the same time, the holes work to trap seed. I also thought that aerating in the spring - since weeds are blooming, gives them a better chance to grab hold because of these "seed holes". Using a spike aerator is supposed to reduce this, while still helping the compaction issues. Don't think there is a hard or fast rule - if the soil is hard you're better to loosen it up, and just deal with the weed issue - if any

Same with de-thatching - generally done in the fall prior to overseeding, but shouldn't hurt. May hurt the appearance though, and may not recover before the dry season hits

No expert here - just read this and it is also how the lawn care company (when I had the service) did it, so I follow suit and have decent results.

I think it is a north and south thing like I asked. Down here we de-thatch(if we do it at all...I don't) in the spring, after what winter we have is done. Only a handfull of folks overseed with rye in the winter in the residential homes. The St. Augustine will keep a good cover during the winter and during some winters will never completly die out. So we do it in the spring at fertilizer time.

 

[wedge40]

Ya know the odd thing is you always see seed in the box stores in the spring and never in the fall? Hmmm Are you suppose to by in the spring and wait till fall? I've always hear that you should over seed in the fall, but last fall I looked for seed and I couldn't find any.

Well I'm going to aerate first, then thatch and then over seed. We'll see how that does. If the seed don't hold I'll over seed again in the fall. Problem is I have about 2 1/2 acres to do this too.

Wedge

 

[Kays Supply]

I just finished aerating and liming this past weekend. I prefer to do it sooner, but the rainy spring has made it impossible until now. I have had the best results with my lawn since aerating and liming. Fertilizer and overseeding didn't get near as good return on my efforts.

 

[CharlieatDelphi]

Live in Indiana. I use a John Deere Roto-Hoe about every 30 days. It's an old tool but does a good job and does not tear up the soil. Used to have a Core Aerater, same routine.

 

[CharlieatDelphi]

Live in Indiana. I use a John Deere Roto-Hoe about every 30 days. It's an old tool but does a good job and does not tear up the grass. Used to have a Core Aerater, same routine.

 

[Volfandt]

I just started core aeratng this past fall and it could be my imagination (or hope) but my mostly Kentucky 31 fescue laidened yard looks better than ever.
From my research, on lawns that haven't been aerated, twice a yr for the 1st couple 3 yrs is the accepted norm.
Once in early spring (March around here) and then again in the fall before the leaves start covering the ground or after the leaves have either been mulched up and/or bagged.
It's best to do it when the ground is soft a day or two after a good rain as this will allow for the core tines to pull full plugs better.
When done at the right time, your lawn should look like a battle zone w/ 3" plugs laying all over the place.
You can aerate just about any time but if you do it now your lawn won't look very good.
From what I've read, you won't have to dethatch if you properly aerate your lawn.
Google aerate and you'll find some excellent articles posted by several universities that tout aerating.

 

[anthonyk]

What do you mean "coring"? I've got one of those aerators from TSC that I pull behind my Cub Cadet 1046 for the acre or so around my house, but I don't think it's a "core" type. This looks more like those "throwing stars" you see on kung fu movies. I load the top of it up with bricks for extra weight, but to tell the truth, I don't know if it's doing much. If it matters, I have a TIF Bermuda grass rather than Augustine.

Is there a difference?

thanks,

anthony

 

[RobJ]

Coring actually pulls a plug out of the ground and discards it on top of the ground. Then you can water, fertilize, sand, etc. and it will get down a little better. The corer has a lot more moving parts to do this. I rent a walk behind every couple years.