aeration question

[ronslawncare]

this is my first time aerating im useing a spiker aerator from a rental shop.the customer i will be doing this job for has irrigation .i know it has been said to put flags down by the sprinkler heads .but is it possiable to damage any sprinkler pipes or anything .

[EJK2352]

As long as all the sprinkler heads are marked you shouldn't have any problems. Most systems have pipes 4-6" below the ground.
If you do hit a head or pipe they are fairly easy to repair. :) ;) :) ED

[guntruck]

Yes its possible to damage sprinkler lines. We just did a high end res. job, it was a garden job but nonetheless the irrigation was buried 1-2" in spots in fact in some spots it was visible. I talked to the owner he said well that year we had a drought and they just couldnt dig any deeper. I think its a lame excuse for laziness on his emplyees' parts. But the answer is yes, most of them around here are just 1" pvc and very easy to fix and the garden heads are ran with what they call funny line and they are easier yet. I would , as others have recommended on this site have the customer sign something releasing you of any and all responsiblity if you damage anything that wasnt properly installed in the first place. good luck.

[Runner]

If you're using a spiker aerator, don't bother wasting your time or your customer's money. That could be money better spent on some other service you could do that would actually benefit you and his lawn. Find a core aerator.

[ronslawncare]

i know core aeration is better but thats all this rental shop has plus the customer wants aeration .so why is it a waste it still relieves the compaction of the soil which is what it is intented to do .but definately a core aerator would be better if i can find one .

[Randy Scott]

I would think the spike aerator adds compaction because it is making a hole with a spike and making the soil around it even more compact when it forces the spike into the ground. Sure there will be a hole there, but immediately around the hole it will be compacted. Just my guessing on this unit. I may be wrong.

[walker-talker]

By spiking the soil, actually compacts the soil even more.

[Freetime]

Anything= Valve boxes if placed in the lawn can/will be covered over time by grass/soil most of the time customers don't know about/think because "well they didn't pop up when I turned on the system" well they ain't goin to miss ter couse that ain't what they doos.

A release is a good idea to cover yourself however, some people (customers)get a little gun shy on this part. Do your own stepping and walking before knocking holes.

look around and try to find a core aerator if at all possible, deeper the plug, more air/ water to the roots.

Hope this helped a little.

[ronslawncare]

ok will a core do any damage to sprinklers i honestly dont know .and thanks now i understand why a core.

[1grnlwn]

Hey Ron. A good core aerator is quite heavy and may damage sprinkler heads and box covers. All you can do is mark the heads and boxes and core aerate the sh#@ out of that man's yard. Most plumbing is deep enough and if it isn't it's not your falt. Hang on to that baby and ride.

[ronslawncare]

lol ok sounds good

[awm]

i use a core and a tine. i twist the tines to 90 degrees
and they act like little sharpshooters.also sharpen the tines.
works for me

[awm]

follow up on previous . with a ztr pulling you can turn or twist constantly with the tine. it really helped do a good job
this is for the fellows who cant afford state of the art equip.

[Premo Services]

awm
I agre about the pull behind aerator, it does a good job of pulling the cores.
This season I rented the lesco dual drive aerator. was soo impressed with the ease of operating this bad boy that I will have to have this new toy in my stable next season. I will still use the pull behind for larger jobs though, because of productivity. Just have to figure what I want to pull it with, atv or ztr.

[KirbysLawn]

Ron, don't use the spiker, I think you have already go that message.;) The spike presses into the ground compressing the soil downward, due their shape it has no way of pulling up any dirt and therefore it compresses the soil. If they have nothing else avalable tell the customer you will get to it ASAP (when they get them).

Make sure the customer marks the heads and the re-cheks after all are marked to see if any were missed. Have them sign an agreement here's a section of mine:

"Please Read!!

Please have all sprinkler heads, shallow rocks, pipes, and any other items that could be damaged marked prior to our arrival. We work the soil up to 4.5” given the right conditions, we cannot be held responsible for unseen objects that are placed to shallow in the ground from 5” and up. Sprinkler systems and invisible dog fences are usually installed deeper than 6”, if any damage occurs as the result of improper installation we cannot be held responsible, if we damage anything deeper than 5” we will be happy to make the repairs to the damaged items.

We try to do the lawn when conditions are best for the success of the program. Unforeseen problems such wash-out from heavy rain do and can occur. We are not responsible for acts of God such as Hurricanes or heavy downpours. However, we will be happy to re-seed any washed out lawns at the cost of the seed only, no labor charges would be incurred. "