Our 'lawn' needs serious attention. I scarified it last autumn, and,
just as previously about three years ago, the moss is significantly
worse this spring (and it's been a dry winter!). The large number of
mossy patches suggest aerating the soil for a start would do no harm.

I fancy getting one of those three-pronged spring-loaded corer things
that removes plugs of soil. I certainly don't fancy stamping all over
the lawn wearing crampons, and I doubt that those little spiky roller
jobs would penetrate tissue paper, let alone our lawn. In the past
I've used a fork, driving it in and wiggling it, but the argument
against that method is that it compacts the soil in the immediate
vicinity of the hole. No, I want one of those corer thingies!

But I have some questions. Are the springs on them really strong
enough to expel the plug of soil removed from the lawn (I assume
that's what they're supposed to do)? Has anyone got one that they're
happy with? If so, who made it and do they know an on-line source?

(If I took the rubber foot of the bottom of a pogo-stick, would it
work as an aerator? The mind boggles!)


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Chris Hogg wrote in
:
I fancy getting one of those three-pronged spring-loaded corer things
that removes plugs of soil. I certainly don't fancy stamping all over
the lawn wearing crampons,

Tried it, failed.

and I doubt that those little spiky roller
jobs would penetrate tissue paper, let alone our lawn.

That's my experience.

In the past
I've used a fork, driving it in and wiggling it, but the argument
against that method is that it compacts the soil in the immediate
vicinity of the hole. No, I want one of those corer thingies!

I'm using what is effectively a fork with five hollow times.
No springs, but the previous plug is (in theory) expelled
when it is next pushed into the soil. Currently it is extremely
easy to get it into the soil, but it is significantly more
difficult when the soil is hard and dry.

Once there's a hole, I'm filling it with horticultural sand
using a crude homemade funnel. Hopefully this will keep the
drainage channel open over time.

Will it work? I wish I knew. But I'm also spreading sand
and mosskiller. I'd appreciate other people's experience...

Chris Hogg wrote:
Our 'lawn' needs serious attention. I scarified it last autumn, and,
just as previously about three years ago, the moss is significantly
worse this spring (and it's been a dry winter!). The large number of
mossy patches suggest aerating the soil for a start would do no harm.

I fancy getting one of those three-pronged spring-loaded corer things
that removes plugs of soil. I certainly don't fancy stamping all over
the lawn wearing crampons, and I doubt that those little spiky roller
jobs would penetrate tissue paper, let alone our lawn. In the past
I've used a fork, driving it in and wiggling it, but the argument
against that method is that it compacts the soil in the immediate
vicinity of the hole. No, I want one of those corer thingies!

But I have some questions. Are the springs on them really strong
enough to expel the plug of soil removed from the lawn (I assume
that's what they're supposed to do)? Has anyone got one that they're
happy with? If so, who made it and do they know an on-line source?

(If I took the rubber foot of the bottom of a pogo-stick, would it
work as an aerator? The mind boggles!)

If you really want one of the corer thingies, nothing I could say would
stop you! But, in my opinion, only bits of lawn which have suffered
serious compaction need the aeration treatment, and it won't make the
slightest difference to the moss. Otherwise, grass roots and soil
organisms are better at it than any machine could ever be. I'd put the
money into special plants.

--
Mike.

Chris,
The hollow tine aerator works well. I guess this is the type of thing
you are on about http://www.mower-magic.co.uk/acatalog/hand_tools.html

The springs don't actually push the plug out, its the next impression
that does, they aid the movement of the trough, which rides up and
down. You can get some that areound the £20 mark, that dont have the
collector trough, that just act as borers, which work just as well.

After making your holes every 6ins you will be fed up! Then having
gone to the trouble of making holes you fill them in - you want to use
a sand mix to improve the drainage. You can mix your own - anywhere
from 60-80% sand. You can use loam / coir / peat or a combination
thereof for the remainder.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile...utumn_lawn.asp
Clifford
Bawtry, Doncaster, South Yorkshire

"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
3.37...
I'm using what is effectively a fork with five hollow times.
No springs, but the previous plug is (in theory) expelled
when it is next pushed into the soil. Currently it is extremely
easy to get it into the soil, but it is significantly more
difficult when the soil is hard and dry.

Once there's a hole, I'm filling it with horticultural sand
using a crude homemade funnel. Hopefully this will keep the
drainage channel open over time.

Will it work? I wish I knew. But I'm also spreading sand
and mosskiller. I'd appreciate other people's experience...

I scarified. I hired a machine that went over the lawn pushing its hollow
tines into the soil and dumping plugs of soil on the lawn. I topdressed. I
fed the grass. I used moss killer. I cursed. I prayed. Then I learnt to love
moss.
Ah well, sometimes nature wins the battle.

Lyndon

"Lyndon" wrote in
:


"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
3.37...
I'm using what is effectively a fork with five hollow times.
No springs, but the previous plug is (in theory) expelled
when it is next pushed into the soil. Currently it is extremely
easy to get it into the soil, but it is significantly more
difficult when the soil is hard and dry.

Once there's a hole, I'm filling it with horticultural sand
using a crude homemade funnel. Hopefully this will keep the
drainage channel open over time.

Will it work? I wish I knew. But I'm also spreading sand
and mosskiller. I'd appreciate other people's experience...

I scarified. I hired a machine that went over the lawn pushing its
hollow tines into the soil and dumping plugs of soil on the lawn. I
topdressed. I fed the grass. I used moss killer. I cursed. I prayed.
Then I learnt to love moss.
Ah well, sometimes nature wins the battle.

Whoops, I forgot that I have a cheap scarifying machine.

My hopes a
- it has only had too much moss in the last two years
- I'm on the side of a hill (but then I've seen full-blown
bogs on the sides of hill)
- I'm going to halve the size of the tree at
the bottom of the garden, so less shade

I live in hope.

Thanks for those very helpful replies. The mower-magic one is a bit
pricey IMO. I'll see what's available elsewhere.



--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Chris,

After going through the whole areator headache lat year in which i bought a push along spiker for 20 odd quid, then a hollow tine for about 20 odd quid. only to find the spiker is pretty crap and my soil that tough that the "foot powered" hollow tine needed some real tough action to get it in the ground, so much so i bought some rubber mallets and started hitting the thing into the ground. I went thru about 5 rubber mallets before the hollow tine device snapped on me. (and only halfway down my lawn)

So after nearly £50 and the time and heartache of trying to manually aerate my 5m x 15m lawn i would recommend going to your local HSS Hire shop and getting one of these things for the weekend.

http://www.hss.com/g/62326/Powered_L...r__Petrol.html

If it comes to having to do the same again this coming autumn, then thats what i'm gonna get. Maybe get it for the weekend and see if your mates need theres doing and get them to chip in?

On Sun, 2 Apr 2006 13:19:42 +0000, Zarch
wrote:


Chris,

After going through the whole areator headache lat year in which i
bought a push along spiker for 20 odd quid, then a hollow tine for
about 20 odd quid. only to find the spiker is pretty crap and my soil
that tough that the "foot powered" hollow tine needed some real tough
action to get it in the ground, so much so i bought some rubber mallets
and started hitting the thing into the ground. I went thru about 5
rubber mallets before the hollow tine device snapped on me. (and only
halfway down my lawn)

So after nearly £50 and the time and heartache of trying to manually
aerate my 5m x 15m lawn i would recommend going to your local HSS Hire
shop and getting one of these things for the weekend.

http://tinyurl.com/sx3ky

If it comes to having to do the same again this coming autumn, then
thats what i'm gonna get. Maybe get it for the weekend and see if your
mates need theres doing and get them to chip in?

Thanks Zarch, but too late! I've just got a Yeoman 5-tined aerator for
about GBP17. I'll see how I get on with it.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net