# Do you aerate every year?



## cnet24 (Jul 14, 2017)

I'm going into season 5 with my lawn. The first year I did not aerate and had minimal goose grass pressure later in the year. The last 3 years I have aerated and noticed a really bad goose grass outbreak in mid summer. I'm on the fence this year and leaning more toward liquid aeration. Is core aerating really necessary every year?


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I have never aerated, but every lawn is different.


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## Buffalolawny (Nov 24, 2018)

Was the aerator cleaned and importantly sanitized before you first used the machine.

Could of had a live root or plant sill in the core or tines


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## Slim 1938 (Aug 24, 2019)

Ive never aerated either and never had any problems.


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## tigertailbell (Mar 13, 2017)

Not necessary every year. You're breaking your preemergent barrier and introducing weed seeds to the profile.


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## HarryZoysia (Aug 27, 2019)

tigertailbell said:


> Not necessary every year. You're breaking your preemergent barrier and introducing weed seeds to the profile.


This is not true. There are a lot of studies proving this theory wrong. I aerate every other year and have never notice an uptick in weed presence on aerate years


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## Mister Bill (Apr 12, 2019)

HarryZoysia said:


> tigertailbell said:
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> 
> > Not necessary every year. You're breaking your preemergent barrier and introducing weed seeds to the profile.
> ...


Ditto on the studies. I would be looking more at the pre-m application rather than the aeration being the culprit if I was having repeated outbreaks. As for core aerating every year, typically not necessary. However, here in Georgia, the red clay compacts like concrete, so each yard would be different depending on how thick the topsoil level is established under the turf. Liquid aeration, in my opinion, is a waste of effort.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

DNA-resistant goosegrass


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## tigertailbell (Mar 13, 2017)

HarryZoysia said:


> tigertailbell said:
> 
> 
> > Not necessary every year. You're breaking your preemergent barrier and introducing weed seeds to the profile.
> ...


I'm sorry, but it is 100% true. 
Do I avoid pulling plugs bc I'm worried about weed germination? No. But I can assure you there will be more weed pressure on an aerated lawn vs a lawn without disturbed soil.

Not to mention breaking the preM barrier.


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## Mister Bill (Apr 12, 2019)

tigertailbell said:


> HarryZoysia said:
> 
> 
> > tigertailbell said:
> ...


The pre-m barrier is not a sheet of plastic. :lol: I'm not wanting to get into a peeing contest here, but the reality is, the cores breaking the pre-m barrier is indeed a myth, not fact based, and has been consistently debunked by the slide rule people. It seems logical that it would, and for that reason, many people do believe it. How's the saying go, repeat a lie often enough.....


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

Mister Bill said:


> tigertailbell said:
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> 
> > HarryZoysia said:
> ...


Try to convince yourself this is a myth all you want, but the history of my yard tells me it's not a myth. Again, weeds aren't deadly and can be dealt with easily enough, but breaking the soil surface will create greater weed pressure. Whether the cause is breaking the pre-emergent barrier or not could be debated, but in my opinion the added weed pressure cannot.


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## Mister Bill (Apr 12, 2019)

Spammage said:


> Mister Bill said:
> 
> 
> > tigertailbell said:
> ...


I am not the one who needs convincing, however, the Universities of Missouri, North Carolina, Georgia, and many others apparently do.

I see this has already been addressed here by the same players. Rinse and repeat. You can lead a horse to water......I'm finished here. Carry on. 
https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1180


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## HarryZoysia (Aug 27, 2019)

IF it affected the barrier, there would be a lot less of it done. I've never seen evidence of it negatively affecting it and there are a lot of universities that agree with me. It absolutely does not 100% break the "barrier". If you're convinced that it does, don't aerate


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## cnet24 (Jul 14, 2017)

Not meaning to start anything. My question in the OP could be misleading. Really what I'm getting at is if there will be incremental benefit in aerating for the 4th year in a row because selfishly I'm getting tired of core cleanup. The goose grass is just something I've observed over time.


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## McDiddles (Feb 24, 2020)

I've seen a lot of goosegrass in the metro atl area for the past 2 seasons. Guess @Ware link probably explains some of that... IMO it's never a bad idea to aerate, and it's never going to hurt. If you've top dressed and have better soils then the native garbage, then you're probably fine to go without. Assuming you don't have any obvious compaction issues, and that the lawn is in good shape. The hell with raking the cores up every year though!

I'm on the, it doesn't break down the barrier bandwagon. So, I don't think the aeration is related to your weed problem.


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## William (Oct 2, 2017)

2X a year. I figure between that and a hearty de-thatch it can only help. As for a explosion of weeds, I usually only have them in the spring. This year I am putting pre and post down to combat it.


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## TNTurf (Mar 20, 2019)

In 12 years I have done it once. Maybe it needs it, maybe it does not but it does not change the Bermuda growing fast enough to need PGR nor turning green from the iron and nitrogen. So, I dont bother.


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## Carrollr78 (Jun 12, 2019)

Depends on where you live and the soil compaction level in your lawn. Aeration is not necessary in florida, because the soil is absolutely pour here. Aerating will help to get air into the soil to allow the bacteria oxygen necessary to breakdown necessary fertilizers so the turf may absorb. Again, in Florida, the soil is loose enough and not necessary. More specifically because we live on a sand bar anyways. If your lawn has some serious soil compaction, then I would aerate. Otherwise don't fix what isn't broke. Also GooseGrass and Crabgrass are unfortunately rearing its ugly head in most of my lawns around spring time(now). Could just be coincidence that you just recently aerated and now you're seeing the GooseGrass.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Ware said:


> I have never aerated, but every lawn is different.


Same.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

I've done it 2 times in 7 years....after pre-em (late April and May). One of those times was by the fert n squirt co who clearly wasn't worried about a "barrier".

Can't recall any weed pressure difference.

Zoysia, non prodiamine yard rhough

Aeration may help dethatch more than anything....your not going to get deep enough for much more?


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