# To aerate or not to aerate



## someguybri (Sep 12, 2018)

Background

Front yard was sodded in July 2017.
Backyard did a boot leg reno not removing all old grass.

In fall 2017 I aerated backyard as it was most likely never aerated, ever. I skipped front bc I guessed it was best to let sod establish that fall.

This year

Should I aerate backyard again, front ?

Thanks as always for any and all input , much appreciated


----------



## Harts (May 14, 2018)

That's a hard question to answer without knowing if you have had any issues with your soil this year.

You certainly can if you want. It isn't going to hurt anything. But it might be unnecessary if you don't have a lot of compaction.


----------



## someguybri (Sep 12, 2018)

How can I tell if I have compactions. The lawn is walked on very little, I did read about it in the cool season lawn guide. Being that the front is never walked on and was ripped up with a big tiller in 2017, graded, sod put down it's probably not to compacted still right ?

The back being done last year and not used a lot either should be good ?

Trying to learn how to tell when to do it and when not to. I have to rent it from Home Depot so it's not something I love doing and make the lawn look shitty for a while with the low cut and plugs but if it's better for spring I'm all for it


----------



## Rucraz2 (Apr 8, 2018)

Screwdriver test. If you can push that into the ground with little to minor pressure then I would not. Aerating is somewhat of a controversial thing. Some guys do it every year and swear by it. Others do it only when needed. Others say not at all. There are a lot of weed seeds hiding in your top layer of soil. What do you think happens to them when you aerate? There are other soil amendments that can help before plugging. But if your soil is that bad then you have no other choice than too proceed with it. Not everyone's soil is the same as well as situation. Weed pressure etc. You have to do the research and decide for yourself.


----------



## Smokindog (Jun 20, 2018)

Serious question and not targeted at you. Your post just "triggered" my long standing angst on the issue.

QUESTION - Just when did aerating become a controversial thing? 

Again, not putting this on your head, I've read a lot of posts with similar statements. I've had a lawn for almost 40 years and even up north it was the norm to aerate every Spring and/or Fall. Always recommended and never controversial until the past couple years which, coincidentally, is about the time I started to follow lawn blogs  

I remember getting together with friends to rent an aerator for the weekend and do 6-8 or more lawns (and consumption of adult beverages)!



Rucraz2 said:


> Screwdriver test. If you can push that into the ground with little to minor pressure then I would not. Aerating is somewhat of a controversial thing. Some guys do it every year and swear by it. Others do it only when needed. Others say not at all. There are a lot of weed seeds hiding in your top layer of soil. What do you think happens to them when you aerate? There are other soil amendments that can help before plugging. But if your soil is that bad then you have no other choice than too proceed with it. Not everyone's soil is the same as well as situation. Weed pressure etc. You have to do the research and decide for yourself.


----------



## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

Possible reasons not to aerate:
1: Makes a mess
2: Hard to keep a level lawn after
3: High clay content leaves cores for a long time
4: Clay cores smear into existing grass killing it
5: May not be needed
6: Liquid aeration is much better these days especially with air8 type of products
7: Bring weed seeds to the surface so they can germinate easier
8: Verticutter removes thatch maybe better than a core aeration (personally think much better)
9: Molasses can be used to reduce thatch therefore reducing need for core aeration
10: Root cycling is quite effective in aerating and increasing OM (well maintained turf)
11: 99% of core aerators rented for residential use doesn't pull cores deep enough, past the root zone: 8"
12: Core aerating leaves you with a hard pan under the first 3" which is the common depth of core aerators
13: Core aerator beats you up, unless you have a stand/ride on version
14: Many are not seeing any visual benefits vs not doing it
15: Damage tree roots & low buried cable lines (what I usually find 1"-3" down) & sprinkler systems
16: Aerovator easily trumps core aeration
17: Spread Bermuda everywhere... Including bent and any other spreaders...


----------



## someguybri (Sep 12, 2018)

Thanks guys ,

I will do the test when I get home from work. Maybe will skip this year.


----------



## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

Maybe we should have a list of reasons to core aerate. The not to core aerate list was kind of long... Makes the practice look bad even though there are benefits.


----------



## Harts (May 14, 2018)

Just like anything with lawn care there are different ways to get the same result. A few examples of differing opinions you will find here and elsewhere on YouTube etc.:

1. HOC
2. Application rates for spoon feeding N
3. Aerating vs not when doing a reno or over seed
4. When to start feeding new grass N and how much

I'm sure there are more but this is what comes to mind.

There are very few absolutes. When to apply pre-m, irrigation practices etc are the more common ones.

The biggest lesson I have learned from this site and watching the regulars on YouTube is that everything is a guideline. It is our job to figure out what works best for us, depending on our situation - soil structure, finances, amount of time wanting to invest & lawn goals etc.

The point is, there is no "right" answer. There are many right answers. We just need to figure out what the right answer is for us. I think that is the biggest and most important lesson people new to lawn care need to learn.


----------



## Smokindog (Jun 20, 2018)

Thanks, nice list. This is more the type of discussion I'd like to see.

Here's my empirical responses.

The areas I lived in up in Ohio were clay and Ohio has some great clays 

I had KBG at those homes in central and southwest Ohio. Had St. Aug in TX and now Bermuda front and St. Aug. in the back.

When I say "No Data" I mean I have no data. Would love to see references if you have them.

Possible reasons not to aerate:
1: Makes a mess
2: Hard to keep a level lawn after
3: High clay content leaves cores for a long time
4: Clay cores smear into existing grass killing it
5: May not be needed
*1-5 - were never an issue for me.*​6: Liquid aeration is much better these days especially with air8 type of products
*6 - is not in my current knowledge. I try not to drop chemicals if I can avoid it. Any documents as to how far down chemical aeration gets?*​7: Bring weed seeds to the surface so they can germinate easier
*7 - seems plausible but I have no data*​8: Verticutter removes thatch maybe better than a core aeration (personally think much better)
9: Molasses can be used to reduce thatch therefore reducing need for core aeration
*8-9 - was done with a thatch rake bake in the day but not required all that often*​10: Root cycling is quite effective in aerating and increasing OM (well maintained turf)
11: 99% of core aerators rented for residential use doesn't pull cores deep enough, past the root zone: 8"
*10-11 - No data*​12: Core aerating leaves you with a hard pan under the first 3" which is the common depth of core aerators
*12 - seems plausible but I'd be more worried about putting inches of sand on top of the grass to level!!!*​13: Core aerator beats you up, unless you have a stand/ride on version
*13 - we were younger but the activity was worth it! Agree it's not for the faint*​14: Many are not seeing any visual benefits vs not doing it
*14 - not aware of any double blind studies but this is actually close to the core of my question*​15: Damage tree roots & low buried cable lines (what I usually find 1"-3" down) & sprinkler systems
*15 - been there but that's because the codes weren't followed. Chopped the phone line in my first house because they ran a temp line before the sod was laid, the sod came the next day and they never came back and re-ran it, at least not until after I cut it  As to sprinkler systems, flagging the heads isn't a problem.*​16: Aerovator easily trumps core aeration
*16 - Again, would like to see studies*​17: Spread Bermuda everywhere... Including bent and any other spreaders...
*17 - so can mowing but point taken. Not so much a problem though in single cultivar lawn, is it?*​


----------



## social port (Jun 19, 2017)

Harts said:


> There are very few absolutes. When to apply pre-m, irrigation practices etc are the more common ones.
> 
> The biggest lesson I have learned from this site and watching the regulars on YouTube is that everything is a guideline. It is our job to figure out what works best for us, depending on our situation - soil structure, finances, amount of time wanting to invest & lawn goals etc.
> 
> The point is, there is no "right" answer. There are many right answers. We just need to figure out what the right answer is for us. I think that is the biggest and most important lesson people new to lawn care need to learn.


I think this important point is well-stated here.

I don't know the proper ways to determine whether you need to aerate or not (if there is such a thing), but, in addition to the screwdriver test, I will add observing your lawn for areas of pooling water during rainfall. I've found that some areas of my lawn accept the screwdriver easily. Other areas don't (and, of course, sometimes this is a matter of subsurface rocks/debris rather than compaction in the traditional sense). Looking for areas where water drains well vs much slower may help you make the best assessment.
If you are trying to address select areas of compaction rather than your entire lawn, then you might consider using the heave method, a technique that was recently introduced to me.
https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5619&p=101498&hilit=heave#p101498


----------



## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

Harts said:


> Just like anything with lawn care there are different ways to get the same result. A few examples of differing opinions you will find here and elsewhere on YouTube etc.:
> 
> 1. HOC
> 2. Application rates for spoon feeding N
> ...


 :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


----------



## someguybri (Sep 12, 2018)

Thanks for the input everyone - much appreciated


----------



## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

Harts said:


> Just like anything with lawn care there are different ways to get the same result. ....
> 
> The biggest lesson I have learned from this site and watching the regulars on YouTube is that everything is a guideline. It is our job to figure out what works best for us, depending on our situation - soil structure, finances, amount of time wanting to invest & lawn goals etc.
> 
> The point is, there is no "right" answer. There are many right answers. We just need to figure out what the right answer is for us. I think that is the biggest and most important lesson people new to lawn care need to learn.


Where is the "like" button?


----------



## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

Reason 1-5 above to not aerate is why I rake up up the cores and put new compost on top to fill in the holes.

I want to get rid of my clay, aerating it every year isnt going to do much of anything if its still in my yard. Yes it can break down over time, but getting rid of it and replacing it slowly with compost and better soil makes things happen much faster.


----------



## outdoorsmen (Jul 23, 2018)

Will compost bring in unwanted seeds with it?


----------



## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

outdoorsmen said:


> Will compost bring in unwanted seeds with it?


If it has been cooked, fully heated during processing, then it shouldn't. Never a guarantee though... If you use a good fert and humates routine, you shouldn't need to add any organic matter. The grass makes it all for you.


----------



## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

Smokindog said:


> When I say "No Data" I mean I have no data. Would love to see references if you have them.
> 
> Possible reasons not to aerate:
> 1: Makes a mess
> ...


----------



## thegrassfactor (Apr 12, 2017)

Smokindog said:


> 10: Root cycling is quite effective in aerating and increasing OM (well maintained turf)
> 11: 99% of core aerators rented for residential use doesn't pull cores deep enough, past the root zone: 8"
> *10-11 - No data*​


No-till farming is a good place to start for root cycling data.


----------



## Smokindog (Jun 20, 2018)

12: Core aerating leaves you with a hard pan under the first 3" which is the common depth of core aerators
12 - seems plausible but I'd be more worried about putting inches of sand on top of the grass to level!!!
*All golf courses and sports fields top dress with sand year after year. They grow grass just fine.*​
That's because the "base soil" has a USGA specified mix which is already high in sand content. Placing an inch or so of sand on top of a clay soil can create a lot of problems. You can easily get inconsistent run off, inconsistent absorption, differing water requirements as some areas will dry out faster, ... There are a lot of reasons not to do this.



Suburban Jungle Life said:


> Smokindog said:
> 
> 
> > When I say "No Data" I mean I have no data. Would love to see references if you have them.
> ...


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

This thread is turning too argumentative. I think all parties have stated their positions. It is now a choice each member will have to make if aearting makes sense in their case.

In the interest of avoid the topic to spiral out of control I will lock it. PM me or a moderator if you feel that there is something to add (e.g reference a study).


----------

