Lawn treatment

[lambdacoug]

I don't think you want to be seeding in the spring anyway. The seeds generally don't have time to get a good root system down before the heat comes and they wither. But I guess if you've just got bare dirt there you could try seeding just to get some coverage, but you'll have to do it again in the fall.

That's what I figured. I guess I'll just have to continue being "that guy with the ugly lawn" until I can get it reseeded in the fall. At least my lawn is now the most dandelion and other weed free lawn in the neighborhood.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I want to form a lawn aeration skeptics club. I don't think it makes a lick of difference.

[falafel]

I want to form a lawn aeration skeptics club. I don't think it makes a lick of difference.

It makes a big difference for compacted soil. If you have loose soil, or if you have a lot of earth worms + fairly loose soil, you may not need it.

My parent's lawn (in Sandy) has always looked great and they've never aerated. My lawn (Las Vegas) looked good for a year or so, but my kids ran all over it and the soil became pretty compacted. I fertilized, raked out dead grass, overseeded, etc., it still looked like crap. I finally aerated this spring and its looked better than it ever has, excepting when it was first laid down.

In other words, I think your club sucks!

[TripletDaddy]

I want to form a lawn aeration skeptics club. I don't think it makes a lick of difference.

I wonder if SoCalCoug has any information on this topic?

[creekster]

I wonder if SoCalCoug has any information on this topic?

I have heard that bigfoot manure really greens thigns up, which is why the pacific northwest is so verdant. Or do you think it is juts a coincidsence that most places people see bigfoots (bigfeet?) have trees and grass and stuff?

[Clark Addison]

I want to form a lawn aeration skeptics club. I don't think it makes a lick of difference.

It probably does depend where you are. In a place with a compact clay soil, like we have here, it is quite important. That may make me overvalue it in general though.

[beefytee]

Does power-raking after aerating get rid of the plugs left from the aeration?

I've never power-raked before but probably need to in the next year or 2.

[falafel]

Does power-raking after aerating get rid of the plugs left from the aeration?

I've never power-raked before but probably need to in the next year or 2.

Why do you need to power rake?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Why do you need to power rake?

Once I get may aeration skeptics club off the ground I am going to start another one on power raking.

[mtnbiker]

I don't think you want to be seeding in the spring anyway. The seeds generally don't have time to get a good root system down before the heat comes and they wither. But I guess if you've just got bare dirt there you could try seeding just to get some coverage, but you'll have to do it again in the fall.

I think you could seed and be ok. You'd want to prepare the soil a bit first (rake it out so it's a little loose and not a brick), spread seed, rake it in, and cover with a light layer of peat moss or something like that that helps retain water. Then water it 2 or 3 times a day to keep it fairly moist for the first couple of weeks.

[mtnbiker]

Once I get may aeration skeptics club off the ground I am going to start another one on power raking.

I think most people who aerate don't do it correctly. It should pull 1- or 2-inch plugs out of the ground and leave them on top. That helps oxygen get to the roots of the grass and also breaks up compacted areas. The plugs eventually break down, but they're a pain for the first week or two. Most times someone aerates my lawn, they just end up punching holes in the ground without pulling plugs, and it's not effective.

[WashingtonCoug]

That's what I figured. I guess I'll just have to continue being "that guy with the ugly lawn" until I can get it reseeded in the fall. At least my lawn is now the most dandelion and other weed free lawn in the neighborhood.

You could always lay new sod. It's more expensive, but it would work now.

[beefytee]

Why do you need to power rake?

With my reel mower I don't bag my grass, so it seems like the debris it starting to build up underneath the grass.


If you're asking in general
http://www.nutrilawn.com/Your-Lawn/d...aking/641.html

[TripletDaddy]

I think most people who aerate don't do it correctly. It should pull 1- or 2-inch plugs out of the ground and leave them on top. That helps oxygen get to the roots of the grass and also breaks up compacted areas. The plugs eventually break down, but they're a pain for the first week or two. Most times someone aerates my lawn, they just end up punching holes in the ground without pulling plugs, and it's not effective.

So those aeration shoes that I bought from SkyMall don't work?

[mtnbiker]

So those aeration shoes that I bought from SkyMall don't work?

Ha ha ha, sorry to disappoint you. Just don't let taekwondave get hold of those. He'd do major damage to someone or something.