AERATE ?

[Mowman]

Living in NW Ohio I'm wondering when to offer services for lawn aeration? I've heard this helps promote root growth for a thicker lawn. Is this true? Is it hard to run an aerator? Thanks for your advice.
Mowman

[bob]

here's a search on aeration, http://www.lawnsite.com/search.php?query=aeration&forumchoice=-1&booleanand=yes&searchin=subject&searchdate=-1&searchuser=&searchdateline=&exactname=yes&action=dosearch&getdaily=&pagenum=

[Skookum]

I think it is a proven fact that it will help make a lawn better. But, the bad thing is it is not an imeadiate noticable change to your customer like a few weeks after a good fert app.

It was a easy sell for awhile around here at two times a year. Now it seems to be alittle harder to get one. I figure one in the fall on all my commercial full service bids unless they are looking too close at final numbers then it is one of the first things I cut out.

Most I have been taught at seminars etc, is if only doing one time then Fall is the best time just like Fall fert since they both are the best time for root growth which is what makes a good lawn better.

[kutnkru]

We offer SPRING aeration services from April 15th thru May 31st. Then we offer this service again in the FALL from September 15th thru October 15th.

Here is the Aeration Section of our proposal:

Core aeration is the mechanical removal of a small core of soil and thatch.

The benefits to your lawn are the following:
>>breaks through dense thatch and opens up the soil to permit free movement of water, fertilizer and air
>>by extracting the cores from every square foot of your lawn, core aeration relieves soil compaction and gives grass roots room to grow
>>the soil cores breakdown and integrate into the thatch to speed up its decomposition. Roots will dig deeper into the soil and spread farther.

This will help your lawn survive stressful times of drought, high temperature and normal foot traffic. But of course the most important results of core aeration is a healthier, more beautiful, more lasting lawn.

Bringing up cores is one of the most important forms of preventive maintenance you can give your lawn, and should be done once a year. Once core aerated, your lawn will be dotted with the little plugs we've pulled from the soil. These plugs will break apart and disappear into the lawn within a week or two.


Aerators are not difficult to run. Just make sure that your guys operate them in a manner so that the machine is turned around on the turf areas only. Then do the perimeter last to avoid the plugs getting onto pedestrian and vehicular pavements.

Hope this helps.
Kris

[Eric ELM]

One more thing that I add to this when telling a customer about aeration is that you will have less water run off of rain or their sprinkler system, especially on hills, unless the ground is already saturated. Also it thickens the lawns a lot.

[kutnkru]

I believe they say that it lessens water run off by at least twenty five percent?? This is what I've heard.

As for thickening the lawns this is absolutely true because the cores give the grass roots room to grow and expand, hence the THICKENING of the lawn.

Kris

[jay]

Aeration
Soil compaction, caused by traffic
such as walking and mowing, is
one of the greatest causes of turf
deterioration. When soil is
compacted dirt particles are forced
together, reducing the area where
roots can grow. Aeration, the
process of mechanically removing
cores of turf to improve the flow
of air, water and nutrients in
dense, compacted soil, relieves
soil compaction by improving the
exchange of water and critical
nutrients between the atmosphere
and grass roots. Aeration increases
drought resistance, enhances water
and fertilizer uptake, and reduces
puddling and water run-off. Chuck
Daum, Residential Equipment
Coordinator, The Davey Tree
Expert Company, Kent, Ohio
believes "Aeration is the single
most important add-on service that
a lawn client should consider.
Producing a healthier, more
vigorous lawn with fewer weeds
makes it a high value, low cost
service that benefits the
homeowner."
For optimal effectiveness aeration
should be performed at least once
annually. Spring (between March
and May) and fall (between
August and November) are the
ideal times to aerate cool-season
grasses, such as perennial ryegrass
and Fescue. Warm-season grasses,
such as zoysiagrass and
bermudagrass benefit the most

[Scape Sculptor]

Spring and Fall, Do a search on the net for the Universities like Penn State or Ohio State, any of the big ag colleges will have detail info on it.