# Core aeration - plugs/tine or spikes/slits & dethatching



## whataboutj (Nov 16, 2009)

I believe my yard is in need of core aeration. We have lived here for almost a year and haven't done it. The previous owners do not seem like the type of people who would pay to have it done if the rest of the upkeep they did around the house is any indication of what they paid their landscaper to do. We have spots in our lawn that do not grow as well as the rest. I have read about plugs Vs spikes or slits to aerate. It seems that plug aeration is the better type to do. I am new to this so if anyone with expereience would chime in I would greatly appreciate it.

I checked at HD and I can rent a core aerator machine for $56 for 4 hours. 4 hours should be enough time given I live 5 minutes from the store and my yard is not insanely big but big enough that I think renting the machine would make sense (about 15k sq ft of yard). 

I know I can get gas spike/slit units for a couple hundred but I am not sure if the spike/slit aerating is a good option compared to the plug type.

I also read about dethatching which I may also need to do. HD rents the power rakes for $40 for 4 hours -- is this a good option?

Thanks in advance for the info
J


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

The only aeration I do is with a core plugger- other than a commercial aeravator, but that's out of place here. The purpose of aerating is to loosen the soil so that water can penetrate and to open it up for oxygen to get in. Renting the one you mentioned would be a good idea for you. When you use it, go across back and forth on one plane, then do the same again at right angles. Then do it again if you have time or are not tired. You almost cannot physically do it too much. You will give out first. It is also best to do this a day or two after a good rain. You need the soil to be moist enough to be soft for the tines to get good penetration but not so wet as to be muddy.

Dethatching is a completely different process. Many people do it when they don't need to and a lot of folks don't know what it really it. It is not the same as aerating.

Somewhat the same is using a verticutter, or slitter. That process is not generally done by the average DIY homeowner.


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

whataboutj said:


> I believe my yard is in need of core aeration. We have lived here for almost a year and haven't done it. The previous owners do not seem like the type of people who would pay to have it done if the rest of the upkeep they did around the house is any indication of what they paid their landscaper to do. We have spots in our lawn that do not grow as well as the rest. I have read about plugs Vs spikes or slits to aerate. It seems that plug aeration is the better type to do. I am new to this so if anyone with expereience would chime in I would greatly appreciate it.
> 
> I checked at HD and I can rent a core aerator machine for $56 for 4 hours. 4 hours should be enough time given I live 5 minutes from the store and my yard is not insanely big but big enough that I think renting the machine would make sense (about 15k sq ft of yard).
> 
> ...


I would dethatch before core aerating.

After core aerating, consider putting down some lime.


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## whataboutj (Nov 16, 2009)

handy man88 said:


> I would dethatch before core aerating.
> 
> After core aerating, consider putting down some lime.


Detatching first makes sense. What does the lime do? I will look that up. I think remember them putting down lime after core aerating on one of the shows on DIY network but can't remember what they said the purpose was.

I mowed the lawn for the first time this season (new mower too - Honda HRX). It took twice as long as I thought it would due to how tall the grass was


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

whataboutj said:


> Detatching first makes sense. What does the lime do? I will look that up. I think remember them putting down lime after core aerating on one of the shows on DIY network but can't remember what they said the purpose was.
> 
> I mowed the lawn for the first time this season (new mower too - Honda HRX). It took twice as long as I thought it would due to how tall the grass was


Lime lowers the acidity in the soil which promotes a healthier lawn.

Mowing on tall grass may not be so good because it can scalp the grass. Start with a high setting and then lower the height on the mower.


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## whataboutj (Nov 16, 2009)

downunder said:


> The only aeration I do is with a core plugger- other than a commercial aeravator, but that's out of place here. The purpose of aerating is to loosen the soil so that water can penetrate and to open it up for oxygen to get in. Renting the one you mentioned would be a good idea for you. When you use it, go across back and forth on one plane, then do the same again at right angles. Then do it again if you have time or are not tired. You almost cannot physically do it too much. You will give out first. It is also best to do this a day or two after a good rain. You need the soil to be moist enough to be soft for the tines to get good penetration but not so wet as to be muddy.
> 
> Dethatching is a completely different process. Many people do it when they don't need to and a lot of folks don't know what it really it. It is not the same as aerating.
> 
> Somewhat the same is using a verticutter, or slitter. That process is not generally done by the average DIY homeowner.


Thanks for the details on how to aerate. I will definitely do that. My yard is not soo big that it will be overwhelming (I think). As for the wet soil - the house has an in ground sprinkler system so I can get the soil wet whenever I need too 



handy man88 said:


> Lime lowers the acidity in the soil which promotes a healthier lawn.
> 
> Mowing on tall grass may not be so good because it can scalp the grass. Start with a high setting and then lower the height on the mower.


I did raise the height of the mower for the first cut last night. It was set at 2.5" - I first raised it to 3.5" but that wasn't doing much so I lowered it to 3" which worked. I will bring it down to 2.5" for the next one. Does anyone go down to 2"? That seems like it may be too short


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

whataboutj said:


> I did raise the height of the mower for the first cut last night. It was set at 2.5" - I first raised it to 3.5" but that wasn't doing much so I lowered it to 3" which worked. I will bring it down to 2.5" for the next one. Does anyone go down to 2"? That seems like it may be too short


Cutting too short exposes the roots to sun and burning.


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

> the house has an in ground sprinkler system so I can get the soil wet whenever I need too


Be SURE to mark those heads before you start!



> I would dethatch before core aerating.


Why?



> Lime lowers the acidity in the soil which promotes a healthier lawn.


What should the pH be for this lawn?


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

downunder said:


> What should the pH be for this lawn?


The less acidic, the better


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

whataboutj
I may have missed this earlier, but what lawn do you have?
Also, always post your location on gardening questions please.


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## whataboutj (Nov 16, 2009)

downunder said:


> whataboutj
> I may have missed this earlier, but what lawn do you have?
> Also, always post your location on gardening questions please.


I am located in IL about 30 minutes north of Chicago and 15 minutes west of the lake. As for the type of lawn that is a good question. I think it is a blue grass/rye/fescue mix or something like that. I tried to figure it out using the Scotts turf builder web site - the pics for the 3 grass mix, tall fescue, and bent grass all looked like they could be my type of lawn. According to the site the 3 type mix is most common. I can post some pics of my lawn in a little bit.
Thanks


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

whataboutj,

Going back to the original post- Why do you think you need to do this? All rhetoric aside, whether you actually need to do this or not is a question you need to answer. Most authoritative sources would suggest that less than 1/2 inch of thatch is no problem and not all lawns actually have a thatch problem. This is not a universal necessity. Part of my work involves bermuda sports fields. We never dethatch but we aerate at least once a year primarily because of the compaction issue.

Thatch is an accumulation of dead grass clipping and to some degree, roots. One of the main concerns is that the lawn roots will grow in the thatch instead of into the soil.

To check if you have a thatch problem, cut a plug out a couple of inches (2-4) deep. Or, what I do is take a sharp shovel, cut a three sided square, and lift it up. You can see a good cross section of thatch as well as check for bugs. Simply raise it up by the hinge of the fourth side, then replace and keep watered for a couple of days.

Your pH should be around 6.5, give or take.


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

downunder said:


> whataboutj,
> 
> Going back to the original post- Why do you think you need to do this? All rhetoric aside, whether you actually need to do this or not is a question you need to answer. Most authoritative sources would suggest that less than 1/2 inch of thatch is no problem and not all lawns actually have a thatch problem. This is not a universal necessity. Part of my work involves bermuda sports fields. We never dethatch but we aerate at least once a year primarily because of the compaction issue.
> 
> ...


An excess buildup of thatch also prevents a lot of water from getting to the roots, especially if there's a pitch in the grade.


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## High Gear (Nov 30, 2009)

I'm probably about due west another 50 miles from you (whataboutj) and lots 

of clay soils around here.

I've been aerating twice a year.


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

"especially if there's a pitch in the grade. "

And I thought it was because of gravity.:whistling2:


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

downunder said:


> "especially if there's a pitch in the grade. "
> 
> And I thought it was because of gravity.:whistling2:


If it was just about gravity, then the water would go straight down regardless.

With thatch on a sloped lawn, that water will run off before it even touches the soil.


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## Bushman (Mar 28, 2010)

remember that a little thatch is good. It holds the moisture in and shades the soil a bit. If you have clay soil then you have even more reason to aerate. Given that you have an irrigation system tells me that the lawn never dries up and you cut it regular. Big question is do you bag the lawn? If you do then don''t thatch. Thatch will tend to build up a lot more on a irrigated lawn because of the frequent mowing. I say this with generalization because most homeowners don't know how to operate their sprinkler system correctly and over water. This leads to excessive growth. Also the constant water drains the soil of nutrients faster.
When I used to cut grass professionaly my most dreaded sight was a chemlawn truck and the sprinklers running everday.
Core aeration is the way to go. It is unsightly as it looks like a giant flock of geese have been parading around on your lawn. Fertilize afterwards and then water. The thing about core aeration is it automatically removes any thatch within that core. There are plugs every couple inches so it really improves "breathability" and water/nutrient transfer.
Although I would hesitate to do it more than once. Every plug you pull means a spot in the lawn that the grass is being killed. If you do it too much you will remove all the turf. It's common sense. I don't usually argue with people on here but that one is crazy. You and I are really close so our lawns should be similiar. Do it once. I'm sure you don't have sports teams trampling your lawn everyday.


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

I'd pick thick grass to protect the roots vice thatch.

Core aeration and overseeding really go hand in hand....after dethatching, that is.


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

Bushman,

My suggestion was based, for one thing, on my presumption, and it's entirely possible that I am mistaken, that any inexperienced operator of an aerator will be able to exactly match the previous pass and there will inevitably be places that are missed, i.e. corners, etc and there will likely be places that are overlapped even going over the area "once." Most people simply cannot operate this equipment in perfectly straight, adjacent lines with no skipped areas and no overlapped areas.

That said, for a second point, the suggestion was based on how I go over my yard, not how I aerate sports fields. I have lots of trees, shrubs, and flower beds and I know I miss a lot of areas. There are not many areas that are perfectly straight from one end of the yard to the other. So when I go up into a curve, between trees, etc I DON'T turn it off, roll back to a straight line, then start over. I crank it up and don't stop until I have covered it all or gotten tired, whichever comes first. If I go over it twice from different directions some places get a little extra and I ensure that I cover almost everything, at least to a practical point. I have never dug up "all of the turf" and the lawn has never turned brown or shown any adverse effect at all. This is how I do it in Georgia clay with a fescue lawn. It works for my yard, plain and simple. You are correct- it is "common sense." And, again a presumption on my part, I presume that the OP has enough to stop before he got to the point of your concern.

I don't do that at work on sports fields. I simply was relaying the practice of aerating twice and that we do not dethatch. It is what it is. Actually, it would be much easier on a tractor on a ball field to go in a straight line from one end to the other in contrast to aerating a residential lawn. Frankly, as I mentioned about the fatigue factor, bouncing around over eight to fifteen acres, per complex, at 1/2 mph several hours at a time is not nearly as much fun as pulling weeds and dragging water hoses. And I have absolutely no plans to turn around and do it a second time. I have many deficiets, but being a masochist is not one of them.

whataboutj,
good luck on your project.


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## Bushman (Mar 28, 2010)

Down Under,
Thanks for clarifying. Had I not known any better and I read your post I would have aerated the %$#& out of my yard. My thinking would have been to get my money out of the rental. As well as the more plugs the better. I apologize for my wording I did not mean to imply. You are right though that machine will kick your butt. Plus it has such small coverage as far as width. I noticed on our machine that it left stripes similiar to when cutting the lawn so you just followed them. It does make sense in my mind to aerate a sports field more though given the amount of foot traffic, mowing and rolling.
Thanks again for the input and good luck on the aeration!!


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## concretemasonry (Oct 10, 2006)

On some golf courses with heavy soil they top dress with sand immediately after aerating to fill the cores with a stable material that will allow more moisture to be absorbed deeper before the heavy soild can break down and rofill the cores. - This is an extra option depending on the conditions.

Dick


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

It seems to me that verbosity, piety, and a deficit in comprehension have invaded this thread- IMO. As a result, the OP's request for help, which is the purpose for all of this, has been ignored.

Whataboutj,
I would sugggest that you take all the information given here to a credible source such as your local county extension agent, which is a division of your state university, and find out what is accurate and what is not. I have no problem at all with any such source screening my information.

I realize that this is a public forum and as such the information posted is somewhat like what one would get at a barber shop, or a bar for that matter. Please have the decency to offer CONSTRUCTIVE advice or note that your comments are opinions if that's what they are. Personally, I don't have time to run everone else's business or try to convince the world how smart I am but I do try to make time to help those who I can and who ask for help. Like I said, I have no problem with any credible source looking at my comments.



> Always use proper saftey precausions and reference reliable outside sources before attempting any DIY project!


Admin, I trust you don't mind the quote. 


Ga Master Gardener
Ga Certified Landscape Professional
Commercial Pesticide Applicator
Certified Erosion and Sediment Control


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## Bushman (Mar 28, 2010)

I don't believe he has been ignored. There is a lot of good info from all of us. You just took offense to someone questioning your post is all.
Get used to it. It's how the world works. No one is perfect.


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

Everyone has a different point of view & experience
That's pretty normal

I've been in this house going on 7 years & have never dethatched or aerated my lawn
I do not fertilize using the 4 season/4 fertilizer method
But I do use Scotts...halts (1st) & Spring (2nd) fertilizer
I have the Winterguard (late fall) but have yet to use it
I may have used the Summer stuff once
And I do not fertilize every year
I've limed the yard once, never had the pH tested or anything else

My front yard & one side are nice & green (most attention), few weeds
My backyard has been punished by construction, digging up tree roots, moving dirt from side yard out back (backhoe) & leveling an area
It's recovering...but needs work
The other side yard needs to be regraded, until my addition is done & new driveway is in that is not happening

I very rarely water my lawn...usually only when reseeding an area
But I'm in the North & it doesn't get that hot
Lucky if we need AC 14 days a year for 4-6 hours


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## whataboutj (Nov 16, 2009)

Thanks everyone. There is a lot of good information in this thread. Hopefully the thread can help others that don't have a lot of knowledge about aerating and de-thatching similar to me right now. I do understand that every situation is different and there is no 100% right or wrong answer. Seeing the varioud responses and ways people treat their lawn is very helpful.

I did understand what was being said about aerating one direction and then doing a cross section. There is two sections of my lawn that I am most concerned about one of them is in the front yard which I want to take care of right away.

The other nice bonus is that my father in law is the ex president of a local country club and is good friends with the grounds superintendent. I will talk with him to see what his take on what to do is since he is local and obviously very in tune with how to take care of landscaping locally.

I really appreciate everyone's input - I took some pics of my lawn and will post them just for the heck of it once I have a chance to upload them and get them onto photobucket
J


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

I took a rake to my yard a few months ago and pulled up a lot of dead grass. Right afterwards, the grass seemed less matted down and the grass seemed to have livened up. 

I actually have a push dethatcher and use it once in awhile since I have a small yard.

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/dethatcher.html

I also core aerate with this.

http://www.hound-dog.com/turf_hound.htm

I limed my yard about 2 weeks ago and it's amazing how the grass suddenly got thick and lush.

I think those who mulch their grass vice bagging should put down lime to lower the pH. Plus, lime is so cheap.


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

FWIW-

pH is measured on a scale from 0-14, with 7 being neutral, neither acid nor alkaline. Below 7 is acid, above 7 is alkaline. That's not my opinion, perception, point of view, or whatever. That is basic 5th grade chemistry. 

Lawns do best with a pH of between 6 and 7, according to the university experts. If your soil has a pH of 5.5, adding the proper amount of lime can change the pH to 6-6.5. If your soil has a pH of 7.5 and you add lime, the pH goes farther away from the 6-7 (toward 8). Don't know if that is what y'all call raising or lowering.


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