Aerating ????

[MIKE IN lINO III]

Is it best to do it in the fall or can I do it in the spring?

The lawn has never been aerated so I want to do that then I would like to roll it to try and get the bumpy spots out. It is not a new lawn. Is there such a thing as too much rolling??

Mike

[LwnmwnMan2]

What is it that you're trying to accomplish??

Is it REAL bumpy?? or do you just have some bumps here and there?

Right now it's too early. I deal time is the fall. Right now the plugs will tear apart your lawn.

I've not aerated a yard in 18 years of lawn service, and they're all just as healthy as others.

Again, what is it that you're looking to accomplish? Other than getting rid of the bumps?

[DOAducks]

Do it in the fall, if you do it in the spring you are just asking for the dandelion seed to blow in to your yard and make a mess. I always do mine in the fall. just my .02 cents

[MIKE IN lINO III]

I would like to get my lawn back in order. We put a new mound system in a couple of years ago and with the trucks driving thru the yard the ground is uneven and the grass is shot. I thought aerating would loose up the soil so I can over seed and thicken the lawn. I know I should just level it with a bobcat and fill in the low spots but with two dogs the mud would kill me.

[Powerstroke]

I recommend aereating for two things, compacted soils and excessive thatch. I know lwnmwnman and I differ on this, but I think that dethatching does less for your lawn than aerating. At least when you aereate you are loosening the soil, allowing water and nutrients to reach deeper down and when the plugs break up (if you use a plug style instead of a spike style) you also create a top-dressing effect with the deteriorating plugs.

Compacted soils can suffer and its is good for that too, probably more so that anything else. Your lawn will more more water and nutrients and thicken up better with a looser well drained soil.

If its severe, I've aereated in the spring and fall of the same year and then go to fall only after that.

One big concern with spring aerating is you can make holes in the vapor barrier of your crab grass preventor. One year we had a lawn customer who had aereating done in the spring after we treated and that summer he had a little grid patern of crabgrass everywhere there was an aereation hole.

[LwnmwnMan2]

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I recommend aereating for two things, compacted soils and excessive thatch. I know lwnmwnman and I differ on this, but I think that dethatching does less for your lawn than aerating. At least when you aereate you are loosening the soil, allowing water and nutrients to reach deeper down and when the plugs break up (if you use a plug style instead of a spike style) you also create a top-dressing effect with the deteriorating plugs.

Compacted soils can suffer and its is good for that too, probably more so that anything else. Your lawn will more more water and nutrients and thicken up better with a looser well drained soil.

If its severe, I've aereated in the spring and fall of the same year and then go to fall only after that.

One big concern with spring aerating is you can make holes in the vapor barrier of your crab grass preventor. One year we had a lawn customer who had aereating done in the spring after we treated and that summer he had a little grid patern of crabgrass everywhere there was an aereation hole.

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I guess I don't really differ with Powerstroke, I've just only had 1 handful of yards that have been aerated in 18 years.

Aertating can / does help. One thing you have to realize though, that it's not a cure-all. Propert fertilzing / mowing techniques will help.

Also, using a mix of sand and topsoil, which can be purchased from different companies around the cities will tremendously help in the long run.

Not only will this help with creating a layer of soil that's no longer prone to being compacted, but will also help in the drainage of your yard as well.

However, this step can also be quite expensive, but it's what is done with football / soccer fields to keep them going. A 10k sq ft lawn can go for as much as $1,000.

However, this will also fill in low spots, ruts, and you don't put on so much as to cover the whole yard with dirt, just enough so the top 1/3 of the grass blade is still showing.

I've even started to get away from dethatching yards. There's issues that arise from that, but that's a different topic, that I'm sure will come up.

[TwinkeeDink]

What would you recommend LwnmwnMan2 for lawn care. Been in my place just over a year now and got my lawn in pretty good shape last summer just using the basic fertilizer and then winterizer late fall. Anything else you recommend without spending the $$ to have someone spray all spring/summer? Another ? 4 you. My backyard is a swamp as the whole neighborhoods backyards run into mine which is the low point. I'm considering just digging a couple trenches and throwing down some rock and tile to help with the drainage. Don't know what else to do.

[Shack]

I just bought a plug aerator last summer. I had gotten a good deal on one. It is a pull behind model. I purchased a new simplicity zero turn (Champion) and modified it to pull unit. I aerated last fall, before reseeding at end of year.

I will be interested to see how grass comes up. It started to grow last week and now is on hold. I did aerate when I got it last summer to try out and had no problems. Actually it helped get moisture down to root. I also dethatch once and awhile and before I seed. I have an irrigation system with a boost pump (furthest head over 400' away). I also fertilize like a freak. When you trail and error, but get it all to blend. You have a golf course yard. I love the new simplicity zero turn. It strips lawn as you cut. It leaves a great looking cut. I think Ferris does this to. I found out simplicity makes Ferris when I bought mine. I irrigate and groom a lawn on about 2 plus acres of my property. When she is in full bloom, I will post some photos.

[LwnmwnMan2]

FYI, Ferris IS owned by Simplicity, but their riders don't stripe ANYTHING like each other. The Ferris doesn't have much of a stripe at all. Had them for 3 years.

[Shack]

Ok, there for simplicity makes Ferris correct?

[LwnmwnMan2]

Not really, it's like Lexus is owned by Toyota, but you don't have a Lexus rolling off of the Toyota line.

Supposedly it's in the works though, that Simplicity's engineers are coming over to the Ferris side of things to get a better deck, at least that's what my dealer has said.

The biggest problem is, that Simplicity is something of a higher end homeowner unit. Yes, there are A FEW commercial cutters that are using the product, but not covering the amount of sq ft that most commercial cutters are.

That being said, the Simplicity mower is usually on a garden tractor type setup, few zero turn setups anyways. These mowers operate at slower speeds than the Ferris does, so the decks aren't able to cross over very well.

If you look at the zero turn market, which is what 99.9% of commercial cutters are running, the best units at striping are probably Exmarks. Now Toro owns Exmark, but the cut between the two machines are totally different as well.

If you look at the deck of an Exmark compared to the deck of a Toro, you'll notice the deck of an Exmark is about 1-1.5" deeper than the deck on the Toro.

This does a couple of different things. First, it creates more of a vacuum, standing the blade of the grass up, for a crisper, cleaner cut. It also allows more grass to be blown through the deck, out the discharge side.

Finally, it 'lays over' the grass which is how you get the stripe effect.

This is the problem with the Ferris, the deck is too shallow. They've deepened them somewhat, but now the new decks on the Kubota and Exmark ZTRs are 6.5" deep, whereas most of the other companies are still at 5 or 5.5" deep.

Also, the Simplicity mowers have a roller right behind the deck, at least the ones that I've seen. That's what makes the most dramatic part of the stripe, and some commercial guys fab their own "striping kit" which anyone can do to their own mower, even a self propelled push mower.

[Shack]

In a round about why, that is what I was trying to say. I do know the Ferris we bougth this winter displays Simplicity and Farris right on headache bar. I will say the simplicity is slower by a couple of mph, but it does cut much nicer and leaves a great stripe. I heard Simplicity owns patten on stripe kit(roller bar behind deck). Is this true? One of our guys has been running an exmark for years and stands behind them. Another just bought a Hustler last summmer. The Simplicity is mainly for my home. We tricked it out with a couple of neat upgades and going to use as a back up if needed. I also purchased triple bagger and turbo vent. I think now it was a little over kill, but it sure helps with leaves in fall. If your slower down a bit. I am thinking of changing rear tires, do you recomend any brands. The new ones grab a bit when turning. i only have about 25-30 hours on her and have thought about wearing tires or shaving tires to help against ripping grass.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Quote:

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In a round about why, that is what I was trying to say. I do know the Ferris we bougth this winter displays Simplicity and Farris right on headache bar. I will say the simplicity is slower by a couple of mph, but it does cut much nicer and leaves a great stripe. I heard Simplicity owns patten on stripe kit(roller bar behind deck). Is this true? One of our guys has been running an exmark for years and stands behind them. Another just bought a Hustler last summmer. The Simplicity is mainly for my home. We tricked it out with a couple of neat upgades and going to use as a back up if needed. I also purchased triple bagger and turbo vent. I think now it was a little over kill, but it sure helps with leaves in fall. If your slower down a bit. I am thinking of changing rear tires, do you recomend any brands. The new ones grab a bit when turning. i only have about 25-30 hours on her and have thought about wearing tires or shaving tires to help against ripping grass.

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Mike in Lino.... sorry about hijacking your thread here.

As far as turf tires, Carlisle makes a decent one.

Go to www.J-thomas.com they'll have a better price on tires than most around here.

Yes, I know Fleet Farm stocks tires, as well as your local dealer, but this place has "dealer tires" at "Fleet Farm" price. Even for you guys that have your own mowers where the front or rear tires need replacing, instead of going to the tire shop.