When is the best time to Aerate, seed, and fertilize????

[DillonsLawnCare]

I've read that the best time to aerate, seed and fertilize is right before march 15.... around st. patrick's day. I live in middle tennessee.

I was just clarifying that piece of info with you seasoned professionals, because i don't know when to start aerating...etc... This will be my first year offering aeration and fertilization.

I've got a 36'' tow behind aerator, but it's got spikes. I'll probably plan on renting a walk-behind plugger aerator for $65.00 a day, if i get any jobs.

How do you charge for aeration? People on here talk about charging between $200- $800 for aeration, but those prices down here are EXTREMELY HIGH!!!

I quoted an aeration job last year, and i had rented a tow behind plugger aerator for $25 per day. I charged $225 for 1.5 acres. The guy said no. So it seems to me that either aeration isn't a necessity, or i charged too high or there's no money in it......idk..

Also, do you have to have a license in Tennessee for dropping fertilizer??

Thanks!:usflag:

[DillonsLawnCare]

Nobody?????!?!?!!!!!!??

[lawnpro724]

Early fall around Sept. is the best time to aerate and seed. Early spring is a good time also but make sure you aerate and seed early enough so the seed has time to germinate before you need to put down crabgrass pre emergent.

[DillonsLawnCare]

ok, so i should get started now?

[weasel]

Well you really should've done it last fall and the new growth would be appearing now. That is ideal time for Tn. However you do have another chance and it is NOW. If you are doing this for customers it makes it more risky to get good growth before the summer months also you can't apply any pre or post emergents to this newly seeded lawn for several weeks. The type of seed will help you get better results and plenty of water.

[RonB]

From what I read it would depend on the grass type mostly. I aerate and fert warm season grass late April, early May. The grass needs to be actively growing before aeration. I guess cool grasses would be done in the fall.

I don't seed.

[DillonsLawnCare]

Well, it's mainly fescue and bermuda.

[DillonsLawnCare]

Ok. So, i have done some research and figured out that the best and effective way to aerate, seed, fertilize is....

Aerate fescue in early spring. If the lawn is bare, overseed. Do not apply Pre-Emergent. If the lawn is mostly filled in, then apply Pre-Emergent. Do not follow with overseeding. Then overseed in the fall, along with aeration.

Aerate bermuda/ Zoysia in late spring/ summer.

Thanks for the replies!!!

If this sounds incorrect, someone please say so.

[Smallaxe]

Ok. So, i have done some research and figured out that the best and effective way to aerate, seed, fertilize is....

Aerate fescue in early spring. ...
If this sounds incorrect, someone please say so.

You are aerating for compaction purposes? Fescue does typically have thatch problems.

[DillonsLawnCare]

so i don't even need to aerate?

All i need to do is thatch?

[jnrogers]

I would aerate and fertilize in April. Be sure it is straight fertilizer no crabgrass preventer or ANY kind of herbicide or pesticide in it. It is against the law in TN to apply anything with any herb or pesticide in it. It is a minimum of 11 months in jail and thousands of dollars fines for it. And by the way people in our state are tight wads haha. I ran in to the same problem, people suggested charging $200 or so dollars and my customers laughed at me and said no thanks. By the way there is a fertilizer schedule on lesco.com just click on the pro tab and look on lawncare its in there somewhere. Good luck.

[jnrogers]

oops forgot to mention it is only illegal to put down herbs and pesticides if you are not licensed.

[Smallaxe]

Soil compaction and over a 1/2" of thatch are the only reasons ,that I know of, to aerate.
Well one could want to fill the holes with soil ammendment so that could be a 3rd reason. :)

[DillonsLawnCare]

ok, so do i need a license to put down pre-emergent/ fertilizer???

do i need to thatch and aerate, or one of the two?

this is confusing...

someone just tell me an answer straight up so this misery will stop..

[weasel]

ok, so do i need a license to put down pre-emergent/ fertilizer???

do i need to thatch and aerate, or one of the two?

this is confusing...

someone just tell me an answer straight up so this misery will stop..

Not to be rude, but you have been given good advice on the info you have supplied to us. We don't know 1) what the lawn is currently like. 2) is this your lawn or family lawn or are you a business and doing this for profit. 3) what type of seed you want to apply. 4) what are the results you desire.
If you are a lawn care biz I would recommend more educational literature, visit your local Ag Extension office, and visit your local nursery to check for seminars as well as Un of Tn. seminars.
Every lawn has to be assesed independently and treated accordingly as what works in one region won't work in another.

[Smallaxe]

... do i need to thatch and aerate, or one of the two?

...

You need to determine that with a physically present on-site inspection.

Where did you even get the idea of aeration?

[DillonsLawnCare]

Ok. I run a small business so i will be doing this for a profit. Where can I go to see if i have to obtain a license in order to put down seed, Weed-killer, Fertilizer, Pre-M..etc..?

I am new to this whole thing, so bare with me on my ignorance...Please.

A lawn that i am working on quoting now, is about 1/5 of an acre. It's mainly got fescue and some bermuda here and there. The front yard is patchy, with a good bit of bare spots, while the back yard is lush. Thatching wouldn't be totally necessary. Should i aerate this lawn? Or just over-seed the front, and fertilize the back?

I've grown up watching my grandfather aerate, then seed. It made me think that punching holes in the ground made it easier for the seed to get into the ground, which therefore it would germinate and sprout up!

[jnrogers]

Unless it is your own property you need a license to put down the pre emergent. However you can put down fertilizer. Honestly the best thing in our state that I have found is to aerate with a core aerator not a spike and then put down the fertilizer. Usually do that around April sometime. As far as finding out about the license check the tn.gov website and go to dept of agriculture. Honestly good luck making sense out of it. What I did is called the deptartment of agriculture and told them what I wanted to do and they let me talk to an inspector and this is what he told me. Hope this helps.

[DillonsLawnCare]

Unless it is your own property you need a license to put down the pre emergent. However you can put down fertilizer. Honestly the best thing in our state that I have found is to aerate with a core aerator not a spike and then put down the fertilizer. Usually do that around April sometime. As far as finding out about the license check the tn.gov website and go to dept of agriculture. Honestly good luck making sense out of it. What I did is called the deptartment of agriculture and told them what I wanted to do and they let me talk to an inspector and this is what he told me. Hope this helps.

Yeah, thanks! It's all starting to get a little clearer.

Is it possible for me to aerate and seed a lawn one weekend. Then come back and fertilize it the next? Cause i know that you are not supposed to seed, then put down Pre-Emergent, because the Pre-M will screw up the germination in the newly spread seed.

Will fertilizer mess up the germination process??

If not, then that would make it really easy.

Thanks!

[jnrogers]

I normally reseed in September but if you are going to reseed then you are correct, aerate and reseed then a couple of weeks later put down a starter fertlilizer.

[DillonsLawnCare]

I normally reseed in September but if you are going to reseed then you are correct, aerate and reseed then a couple of weeks later put down a starter fertlilizer.

Ok, will i need to continue the fertilizer, if the customer wants the yard looking good?

How would i do so, and how often should i put it down?


Also, another yard i'm working on is about an acre with fescue and some bermuda. I mow the lawn, and do all the landscaping for it. The owner wants to put down fertilizer, but he also want's to kill weeds in his yard.

How and what should i offer to do? I will probably tell him i am not licensed to put down weed-killer, even though last fall I sprayed his beds with weed-killer......

I dont feel like getting a license but i guess i have to now....

Thanks for the reply!!

[Smallaxe]

Fertilizing new seedlings in the spring can burn your lawn if you get suddenly hot and dry. If you do not know how much fert and how often it can be a risky scenario.

Overseeding in the spring requires patience and understanding. Many times LCOs will fail at this. For this reason they like to fert and pre-m only and save the seeding for fall.

Goodluck. but remember without adequate water high maintainance fert program causes grass to die off and thin.

[jnrogers]

Yeah you will have to keep fert on it. Use a broadcast spreader to apply. Be sure they water it in after application. How much to use is kind of tricky it is adjusted to the numbers on the fertilizer bag. If you go to lesco.com they have some real good info that could explain it better than I can. I use lesco fertilizer and the bag will tell you how much it covers on the label. Remember 1 acre is approx 44000 square feet so I usely measure the yard and figure it up that way. On your grass seed for overseeding you normally want around 6LBs per 1000 square feet. Check out lesco's website they have a ton of info on there about this stuff. Hope this helps ya out.

[jnrogers]

Listen to smallaxe on his last post, I forgot to mention it but if they are not going to water their yard regularly they are throwing there money away. It will burn it up. Especially with the TN heat in the summer and lack of rain in the summer.

[DillonsLawnCare]

Ok. Thanks for the info!

Say i aerated/ seeded a lawn next weekend. Then i would fertilize it come April 1st. Would one application of fertilizer be enough for a lawn to make the customer notice a difference?

[DillonsLawnCare]

Listen to smallaxe on his last post, I forgot to mention it but if they are not going to water their yard regularly they are throwing there money away. It will burn it up. Especially with the TN heat in the summer and lack of rain in the summer.

Ok. Thanks!

Then would ONLY aerating and seeding be an option for now?

[jnrogers]

No I would still apply fertilizer in a couple of weeks. It will help the turf grow stronger and resist disease and weeds more. They will be able to tell a difference especially after you fertilize. If they do not water accordingly though I would not fertilize again until late fall cause then it would burn it up. Be sure your customer knows that once you sew the seed that it is up to them for how it looks, they HAVE TO WATER or they are wasting there money and your time. If they do water then I would fert around 4 times a year if they will let you.

[DillonsLawnCare]

No I would still apply fertilizer in a couple of weeks. It will help the turf grow stronger and resist disease and weeds more. They will be able to tell a difference especially after you fertilize. If they do not water accordingly though I would not fertilize again until late fall cause then it would burn it up. Be sure your customer knows that once you sew the seed that it is up to them for how it looks, they HAVE TO WATER or they are wasting there money and your time. If they do water then I would fert around 4 times a year if they will let you.

Ok sounds good!!

I checked out the Lesco website, and it showed me when to apply what to a lawn and when. So, that resource will be very helpful on deciding when to apply the fertilizer throughout the year, if the homeowner agrees to water their lawn!!!

Thanks guys for all the help!!! I really appreciate it!
:usflag::usflag::weightlifter::cool2:

[weasel]

Your in Nashville right? Go visit John Deere Landscapes these guys are good and they are a Lesco dealer w/ a Lesco agent in the stores. They will help you better than us because they know your region, conditions, and forecast, better than most of us. They have a website w/ locations nearest you.They will also assist you with how to obtain your applicator license.

[DillonsLawnCare]

thanks! Ill go check them out!