Question about preparing a Lawn??

[Cutting 4eva 21]

I got a customer of mine who i recently cut down some trees for him in the front yard. I had the stump grinder guy come in and grind them down now there is chippings everywhere. My question is he wants the yard aerated and fertilized and then im gona seed it this fall. Its mostly TF w/ Bermuda mixed in. Should i get all the chippings out of the yard then aerate?? Or just leave the chippings and aerate, fert and seed in the fall?? Will the chippings be bad for the seed when the time comes to seed?

[DiyDave]

You will be better off, in the long run to get rid of as much of the grindings as you can, because pockets of this stuff can heat up, and kill seed, also, they act as a nitrogen sink, microbes steal your N, use it to digest the wood fiber, then release it years later. Result: Splotchy, ugly lawn for years down the road. Get rid of it now, add topsoil to holes, and you will be better off.:waving:

[Cutting 4eva 21]

Is there any way other than digging up the yard to get rid of the grindings? and after i do come in with top soil and spread where the holes were? then i can aerate and fert correct??

[Smallaxe]

You should only have to rake the clippings, not dig, but you will be removing some soil along with it. So fill in - level off - and seed the stump areas now. Freshly laid soil doesn't need aeration of course and if it is good top soil doesn't need fert. for a while either.

[Cutting 4eva 21]

But since im not laying top soil on the entire ground just where the stumps were is there a need to aerate and fert?? Or just wait?

[QLC- Rick]

How bout this...

Clean up your wood chips
Aerate the lawn
fill your low spots with soil
Seed the new soil
Fert.

You should just be able to rake up the majority of wood chips, and shovel out the piles. A few here and there shouldn't hurt you....until they shoot out of the mower anyway.

[DiyDave]

What he said!:waving:

[Cutting 4eva 21]

Gotcha thanks again guys...