# Core Aeration, not much grass



## joetab24 (Apr 10, 2009)

*Manual Core Aerator*

As I've previously mentioned. I am trying to improve my lawn.


So yesterday I purchased a manual core aerator. After inserting it into the soil, I am noticing that when I pull the aerator out the ground large sections of soil are coming up in addition to the plugs that are supposed to come out. Is this ok? What does this mean?

Thanks!


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## skipjack (Aug 15, 2008)

Are you saying chunks of soil are sticking to the outside of the aerator tubes? 

Perhaps the soil is too damp? Try giving it a little wiggle before you pull it out. Not too much as the idea of core aeration is to aerate without compacting the soil.

I've used the same aerator on my parent's lawn... it was a good sized yard so it was a _lot_ of work (pun intended)... took me a few days to do the whole thing. My biggest problem was that the tubes kept clogging. But, I towards the end I had it down pretty well and could move quickly with sort of a hop-stomp motion. 

Good luck.


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## drtbk4ever (Dec 29, 2008)

Sorry, I don't have any ideas for you, but....

For $50 I rented a power core machine for half a day from HD. It took me longer to clean the machine than it did for me to do the coring.


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

joetab24 said:


> As I've previously mentioned. I am trying to improve my lawn.
> 
> 
> So yesterday I purchased a manual core aerator. After inserting it into the soil, I am noticing that when I pull the aerator out the ground large sections of soil are coming up in addition to the plugs that are supposed to come out. Is this ok? What does this mean?
> ...


I have the same tool.

Large sections are not supposed to come out.

Only tube shaped dirt plugs are supposed to come out.

Wait until the ground is dryer, but not bone dry.

Are you aerating over sod or just dirt?


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## joetab24 (Apr 10, 2009)

handy man88 said:


> I have the same tool.
> 
> Large sections are not supposed to come out.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply, 
I used the tool in my backyard, where there is considerable grass,and it woked fine. In my front, the problem area, there is very little grass and a lot of dirt is hard and compacted.


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

joetab24 said:


> Thanks for the reply,
> I used the tool in my backyard, where there is considerable grass,and it woked fine. In my front, the problem area, there is very little grass and a lot of dirt is hard and compacted.


For that dirt area, I would just take an a mattock or use a good rake or garden fork or spade shovel to break up the soil. On bare dirt, there's nothing to hold the surrounding dirt in place if you're core aerating.


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## joetab24 (Apr 10, 2009)

handy man88 said:


> For that dirt area, I would just take an a mattock or use a good rake or garden fork or spade shovel to break up the soil. On bare dirt, there's nothing to hold the surrounding dirt in place if you're core aerating.


 
So don't aerate with this tool in the front, which is mostly bare?


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

joetab24 said:


> So don't aerate with this tool in the front, which is mostly bare?


The purpose of aerating is to get water and oxygen and fertilizer to the grass roots and to reduce compaction. In bare dirt, there is no grass obviously, so no reason to aerate.


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## joetab24 (Apr 10, 2009)

I figured I'd start a new post, although this topic came up in my previous post.

I am planning on seeding my lawn soon. I have very little grass. Will core aerating help, or is it a waste of time if there is very little grass at this time? 

The soil is fairly compacted.


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## drtbk4ever (Dec 29, 2008)

If there isn't much grass left, I would skip the core aeration and till. Get some good soil in there.


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