On Friday, June 27, 2014 1:23:55 PM UTC-4, David E. Ross wrote:




What about a power aerator or a slitter?



I've got one of these manual aerators, but can't use on the hard patches:

http://hgtv.sndimg.com/HGTV/2012/01/...er_s3x4_lg.jpg



Slitter:

http://hgtv.sndimg.com/HGTV/2012/01/...er_s4x3_lg.jpg





Again, IF YOUR SOIL IS MOSTLY CLAY, you should treat it with gypsum

before trying anything else to improve its tilth.



From your description, I don't think an aerator -- even a power aerator

-- will work on the hardest parts of your soil without prior treatment.

+1

I previously said that too. If it's as hard as he's describing, it will
just walk on top and not penetrate. It's essentially a weighted drum with
metal tubes on it. It relies on the weight to sink the tubes into the
soil, cutting out plugs of soil. If it's hard, those tubes won't penetrate.





After using gypsum, you will find that an aerator will work very well.

Just be sure you are using the kind that extracts plugs of soil (they

look like dog droppings) and not the kind that merely pokes holes. The

latter will cause more compaction and make things worse.


+1




However, for a first-time treatment, I would recommend rototilling

organic matter into the soil after the gypsum treatment. This will have

long-lasting benefits. While I suggested peat moss, you should also

consider other forms of organic matter such as manure or coarse compost.

+1



I would not add sawdust since it decomposes too quickly and absorbs too

much nitrogen in the process.



The slitter might actually make things worse by compacting the soil.



I don't think it would make it worse. It doesn't go deep, all it would
do is loosen the soil near the surface. But if the soil is anywhere near
as hard as it sounds, IDK why he'd even be considering that manual thing.
They have power versions, called an overseeder, or slit seeder, etc.
But I don't think it would do any good either. At most it would rough up
the top 1/2" or so, while he needs to deal with several inches deep.