What's the best way to aerate a small 30'x40' lawn without damaging
grass?

On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:13:18 -0500, AKT wrote:

What's the best way to aerate a small 30'x40' lawn without damaging
grass?


I have a beautiful lawn and have never aerated it. The worms keep it
well aerated. Is your lawn compacted? If so, eliminate the cause.
Heavy machines and kids can quickly compact a lawn, so keep these off
the grass especially when wet.

Seriously - if you have a friend who has golfing shoes, have that
firend walk around on the grass when the soil is softened by a steady
rain.

On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:13:18 -0500, AKT wrote:

What's the best way to aerate a small 30'x40' lawn without damaging
grass?

On Jun 16, 3:13*pm, AKT wrote:
What's the best way to aerate a small 30'x40' lawn without damaging
grass?

Assuming you need aeration plunge a spading fork into the soil full
depth and give it a wiggle. Repeat about every 8". No need to do it
all in one day.
Here it's the eathworm's job, have yours been decimated by turf grass
chemicals?

"Fran" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:13:18 -0500, AKT wrote:

What's the best way to aerate a small 30'x40' lawn without damaging
grass?

Seriously - if you have a friend who has golfing shoes, have that
firend walk around on the grass when the soil is softened by a steady
rain.

You're showing your age... it's been nearly 30 years since golf shoes had
spikes... today golf shoes use screw-in plastic cleats that are designed
specifically not to penetrate sod. Today golf courses will not permit
anyone on the course with the old fashioned spikes. The correct method for
aerating a lawn is with a plugging tool.

Thanks for all the replies. Our lawn is not decimated or anything, just
some areas are better than others and I read one should aerate lawns.
Our situation doesn't allow us to forbid kids and people from the lawn.

At Home Depot I saw a gadget that had 2 hollow spikes, presumably to
remove some dirt each time? Another had 4 solid spikes, so it will just
make holes, which I suppose aerates enough.

But my reaction was, how inefficient? Shouldn't there be a tool which
has a square with 16 spikes instead of a line with 4?

That's what I meant, something that would make efficient use of time
and labor.

Thanks for your thoughts.

AKT wrote:
: What's the best way to aerate a small 30'x40' lawn without damaging
: grass?

"AKT" wrote in message
...
Thanks for all the replies. Our lawn is not decimated or anything, just
some areas are better than others and I read one should aerate lawns.
Our situation doesn't allow us to forbid kids and people from the lawn.

At Home Depot I saw a gadget that had 2 hollow spikes, presumably to
remove some dirt each time? Another had 4 solid spikes, so it will just
make holes, which I suppose aerates enough.

But my reaction was, how inefficient? Shouldn't there be a tool which
has a square with 16 spikes instead of a line with 4?


You'd need to weigh 500 pounds to stomp it in. There are roller type
aerator/pluggers but they're too large for your little lawn and they cost
big. Use the dual prong plugger, you'd be surprised at how quickly you can
cover your small lawn... I bet it wouldn't take more than 3 hours and you
don't have to do it all at one time.... and it's not like you need to do
this all that often, perhaps once every 2-3 years.

In article , AKT
wrote:

Thanks for all the replies. Our lawn is not decimated or anything, just
some areas are better than others and I read one should aerate lawns.
Our situation doesn't allow us to forbid kids and people from the lawn.

At Home Depot I saw a gadget that had 2 hollow spikes, presumably to
remove some dirt each time? Another had 4 solid spikes, so it will just
make holes, which I suppose aerates enough.

But my reaction was, how inefficient? Shouldn't there be a tool which
has a square with 16 spikes instead of a line with 4?

That's what I meant, something that would make efficient use of time
and labor.

Thanks for your thoughts.

AKT wrote:
: What's the best way to aerate a small 30'x40' lawn without damaging
: grass?

Why not try to contact the grounds keeper for one of your local sports
fields (football or soccer) and ask their advice. Could probably be done
by phone.

You may want to start by looking at the following sites as well.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/LH065
http://ohioline.osu.edu/srt-fact/0002.html

As these sites use chemical fertilizers, which kill the ecology of the
soil, and make you dependent on buying more chemferts, I suggest you
look at
http://www.plantea.com/manuer.htm
and
http://www.extremelygreen.com/fertilizerguide.cfm
--

- Billy
"For the first time in the history of the world, every human being
is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the
moment of conception until death." - Rachel Carson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1Zunx_goz4


http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/2...ra_hass_on_the

"Billy" wrote in message
...
In article , AKT
wrote:

Thanks for all the replies. Our lawn is not decimated or anything, just
some areas are better than others and I read one should aerate lawns.
Our situation doesn't allow us to forbid kids and people from the lawn.

At Home Depot I saw a gadget that had 2 hollow spikes, presumably to
remove some dirt each time? Another had 4 solid spikes, so it will just
make holes, which I suppose aerates enough.

But my reaction was, how inefficient? Shouldn't there be a tool which
has a square with 16 spikes instead of a line with 4?

That's what I meant, something that would make efficient use of time
and labor.

Thanks for your thoughts.

AKT wrote:
: What's the best way to aerate a small 30'x40' lawn without damaging
: grass?

Why not try to contact the grounds keeper for one of your local sports
fields (football or soccer) and ask their advice.

Why, the OP hasn't a lawn big enough to play marbles.

Could probably be done by phone.



I seriously doubt one could aerate a lawn by phone, not even with a land
line.

Shows how much attention I pay to golf, doesn't it? I remember seeing
these as a kid - they belonged to a friends dad, and obviously made an
impression

On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:54:10 GMT, "brooklyn1"
wrote:


"Fran" wrote in message
.. .

On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:13:18 -0500, AKT wrote:

What's the best way to aerate a small 30'x40' lawn without damaging
grass?

Seriously - if you have a friend who has golfing shoes, have that
firend walk around on the grass when the soil is softened by a steady
rain.

You're showing your age... it's been nearly 30 years since golf shoes had
spikes... today golf shoes use screw-in plastic cleats that are designed
specifically not to penetrate sod. Today golf courses will not permit
anyone on the course with the old fashioned spikes. The correct method for
aerating a lawn is with a plugging tool.

On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:13:18 -0500, AKT
wrote:
What's the best way to aerate a small 30'x40' lawn without damaging
grass?

How much money do you have to spare?

Easiest way, and cheapest, use a garden fork to make holes. I would
suggest a day or so after it rains as the ground will be softer.

Best way, with a slitting aerator like this
http://www.groundsmanindustries.com/...45HD_345MD.htm

But it won't be cheap.

Steven
--
Everything that you can see in the world around you, presents itself
to your eyes only as an arrangement of patches of different colours
variously shaded.
-- John Ruskin - The Elements Of Drawing

I have a beautiful lawn, never inflated. These worms kept well aerated. Your lawn is compacted? If so, remove the cause. Heavy machinery and the kids can quickly compress the lawn, so keep them off, Especially in the wet grass.

A good way to do this would be to use something like a pair of lawn aeration shoes. For $15 or so you can pick them up and just wear them whilst mowing once a month.It breaks up any compacted soil quite well over time and because the spikes are a lot longer than golf shoes to poke holes in the lawn