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Do you always do your core aerating in the spring or fall or does it vary?
I found the video to be very helpful. I typically core aerate every fall early September and dethatch about every 3 years. The dethatching is never extensive or heavily needed but just gives the lawn an additional benefit overall.
Definitely in the fall, and seeding right after. The holes catch the seed and the germination is so much better. It never fails that when I don't aerate, we get a heavy flooding rain and all my seed is washed away. Aeration makes that not an issue.
Mechanical aeration is almost never needed for compaction. A large part of that is residential lawns are almost never physically compacted.
Mechanical aeration does help slightly with seeding as the plugs provide better seed to soil contact as they break down. It's not about the seeds falling in the holes.
You never need to mechanically dethatch if you follow proper care. If you do have thatch, you are much better served by spraying a sugar/molasses mix or one of the commercial liquid dethatchers.
If you think you have compaction, it's most likely just a chemically tight soil. Correct your nutrients and it should help. Also, you can chemically areate with a surfactant/liquid areation product/wetting agent for better results than mechanical.
Oh, and you don't have clay soil. Almost everyone thinks they do, but almost no areas have a true clay based soil.
I am with you, fall is the best. I was familiar with variation, but after watching the video I thought it was very informative. The benefits of core aeration are amazing. I love how it makes irrigation and fertilizing that much more effective.
What is your soil like where you live? Here in Northern Virginia as most people know it's very red clay like so we are constantly having to add organic material to help break it up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChessieMom
Definitely in the fall, and seeding right after. The holes catch the seed and the germination is so much better. It never fails that when I don't aerate, we get a heavy flooding rain and all my seed is washed away. Aeration makes that not an issue.
I am with you, fall is the best. I was familiar with variation, but after watching the video I thought it was very informative. The benefits of core aeration are amazing. I love how it makes irrigation and fertilizing that much more effective.
What is your soil like where you live? Here in Northern Virginia as most people know it's very red clay like so we are constantly having to add organic material to help break it up.
I have crap soil. Mostly heavy blue/gray clay a few inches down.
Since I live somewhat near you in Chantilly, I'm going to follow your lead movin2Reston. Is this upcoming Labor Day weekend a good time to prep the yard for the fall/winter?
I'm planning on core aerating tomorrow then do the below:
1) Cut the grass mid-height on Wednesday/Thursday, then lowest Saturday/Sunday. I've been cutting at the highest setting, and cutting mid first will probably be better then shocking the grass by going from high to low in one swoop.
2) Lightly rake only, as the handheld dethatcher rake may yank out more dormant grass than I'd like to see.
3) Level out some low spots with lawn soil from the big box stores. Rake in smaller amounts into thin sections of yard, and top layer in new section in backyard.
4) Overseed yard and new section with mixed fescues.
5) Apply starter fertilizer to new section, but not sure about current yard. Is that a waste?
6) Mid September, put down Fall slow release fertilizer.
Crossing my fingers that there won't be too many poa annual to fight off this year but who knows.
Quote:
Originally Posted by movin2Reston
Still suppose to be very warm this weekend, so holding off on core aerating for another week.
I am with you, fall is the best. I was familiar with variation, but after watching the video I thought it was very informative. The benefits of core aeration are amazing. I love how it makes irrigation and fertilizing that much more effective.
What is your soil like where you live? Here in Northern Virginia as most people know it's very red clay like so we are constantly having to add organic material to help break it up.
Yes - I have a lot of yellow clay in my soil. The yard is not actually "used" for anything but I'd like to think an annual fall core aeration helps the clay situation a bit.
Relatedly...if you aerate AND dethatch should you necessarily do one before the other?
All looks good, but with the warm temps still in the 90s, you might want to hold off a week.
Lesco (now called SiteOne Landscaping in Chantilly has an excellent price for Starter Fertilizer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by qtbrye
Since I live somewhat near you in Chantilly, I'm going to follow your lead movin2Reston. Is this upcoming Labor Day weekend a good time to prep the yard for the fall/winter?
I'm planning on core aerating tomorrow then do the below:
1) Cut the grass mid-height on Wednesday/Thursday, then lowest Saturday/Sunday. I've been cutting at the highest setting, and cutting mid first will probably be better then shocking the grass by going from high to low in one swoop.
2) Lightly rake only, as the handheld dethatcher rake may yank out more dormant grass than I'd like to see.
3) Level out some low spots with lawn soil from the big box stores. Rake in smaller amounts into thin sections of yard, and top layer in new section in backyard.
4) Overseed yard and new section with mixed fescues.
5) Apply starter fertilizer to new section, but not sure about current yard. Is that a waste?
6) Mid September, put down Fall slow release fertilizer.
Crossing my fingers that there won't be too many poa annual to fight off this year but who knows.
Last edited by movin2Reston; 08-29-2016 at 09:18 AM..
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