Aerating info

[marc]

Considering offering aerating service this year. I know it is usually offered in the spring and fall but would like to know more specific months(ie May/ Oct etc). Also would like to know what others charge for aerating and what type/brand of aerator you use. Thanks!

[LoneStarLawn]

Probably would get more reponses on this subject in the Commercial Lawn Forum....

[Live2ride]

I would go by growing season. Here in western iowa would start as soon as ground allows it. Late March thru mid May.
Just make sure that pre-emergents haven't been applied yet as aerating after would break barrier.
Then in late summer(mid-August) so it can coincide with any seeding that needs to be done.Mid August thru....1st part of Nov. if ground not hard frozen by then.
COuld really do it any time in summer but seems to put some stress on lawn with heat and dry conditions.(also the crabgrass pre-emergents). Just my .02... not sure if amy of it is written in stone, just what i see here.

[rodfather]

Marc,

I have a Bluebird 26" walkbehind and a 36" Bluebird towable with my Toro Groundsmaster.

The key to core aerating is knowing when the soil is ready. If the soil conditions are too dry, you'll have a tough go of it getting the machine to puncture the ground. Too wet, it gets muddy and there's a real good chance of tearing up the lawn and making a mess.

We usually charge $5 - $7/1000 sq.ft. (sometimes more depending on the site. I like aerating here in the Northeast in May/June and September/October.

Hope that helps some.

[bayaa]

Here in california you can almost aerate year round but we charge a little more. For 1000 sq ft I usaully charge 35 and about 15 to ten for every 1000 after the first thousand. Also not to many lawns here are over three thousand sq ft.