I think more holes --and as you suspect--not so deep is the best bet.
I do not do aeration seeding.
Experienced guys--what is your experience?
What type of soil?
What species of seed?

 

I think more holes --and as you suspect--not so deep is the best bet.
I do not do aeration seeding.
Experienced guys--what is your experience?
What type of soil?
What species of seed?

I'm cold weather. NY. Usually sun shade mix. Bluegrass, Fescue, and some Rye. I've had tremendous results in the spring, aerating, seeding, and fertilizing all at the same time. So many people say not to, but you can't argue with the results. Hell, I've even limed as well on a lawn that was reading a 5, and it was sprouting like crazy within 5 days. I think if it's really compact, and has been neglected, then deeper plugs. If you really have to amend the soil with crazy amounts of fertilizer, then I'd probably wait a bit for that, or do it prior, especially if direct sun and water are issues. Otherwise two inches works for me,but I usually do about 3 inches with the Billy Goat. If it's bad bad, I just double pass it.

 

More holes, less deep. 1-2" is enough really, unless the soil is basically harder than rock. And in that latter case you'd better topdress with compost.

 

Agree op what's the aeration for hard soil?
Is it thin spots being over seeded?

I dunno. I always thought you throw down seed pull plugs and the soil you bring up gives the seed soil to germinate in. I wasn't thinking of putting a seed down into the plug hole.

I've read and seen it done either way

Usually goal was aeration and over seeding if thin spots may need additional passes or working the soil imo

 

I know a lot of companies do it, but aeration holes are not great for overseeding. They're too deep, wide, and sparse. It'll work to a degree. A slit/slice seeder, spiker spreader or tines are better.

But if you're going to do it, yes, more holes, less deep for the overseeding (but aeration wants deeper holes like 4"+, hence the conflict).

 

I dunno what your doing wrong if aerating and overseeding hasn’t produced good results for you. This is my standard result from an aerate and overseed.

 

I dunno. I always thought you throw down seed pull plugs and the soil you bring up gives the seed soil to germinate in. I wasn't thinking of putting a seed down into the plug hole.

 

You're not wrong, it's both. Nearby seed will wash into the hole. Neither is especially good though.

 

I took pictures today after mowing. Shady area, Blvd area, Removed pine tree area.

 

I think you will get the best results in the thin areas by using a little compost over the seed. You can core those areas too if they are compacted.

 

Absolutely agree. I'd love to see folks compost/topdress lawns but seems like no one ever does. I've done only 3 overseeding jobs: power rake/aerate/topdress/seed/backdrag and all came out excellent. Most work: the topdressing since I've had to wheel barrow and hand rake the topdressing. Looking to avoid that. Can't find anyone that rents a topdress machine near me.

I'll ask customer if he'd like to pay for topdressing...

 

Of course a slice seeder works nice!

 

I'm doing slice seeding on two properties that need much more renovation. Never done it before, hope like hell it works well. I'm thinking it will... 🤞

 

I was shocked to find our locally owned rental place carries an eco lawn top dresser. We also have a world class compost facility so that might have something to do with it. I own an earth & turf sp100. I just did a bunch of test plots in my pasture the other day with different compost rates with and without aeration and seed.

 

Yep, I've been looking to rent an Eco Lawn top dresser, but can't find one for rent anywhere near me. Emailed Eco Lawn, but never heard back.

 

I did one this spring that had large damaged spots. One spot was 10x30. We took hard tine rakes and got rid of most of the thatch in the bad areas double aerated on a shallow setting, seeded, and 1/4” composted. 2 months later it looked great.

 

Yes, there’s a brush that breaks up the compost on the earth & turf spreaders

 

I believe they have changed the ecolawn spreaders since DA originally posted. Not that I want to spread super wet compost, but bone dry compost is no joy either. Better have your dust mask.

 

3 photos of 1 of 2 lawns I'm slice seeding. I'm thinking this is absolute candidate for slice seeding rather than aerate/overseed. I'll put down Kentucky Blue Grass Blend at 7# per 1K square feet. I will hit all those tree suckers in front lawn with glyphosate 4 days before overseeding. Photo are far right is 'best shot' photo so looks decisively better than it really is.

Do others agree this should be slice seeded, not aerate/overseeded?

 

Depends on what equipment you already own. I've used a Mataway twice and the second time I remembered how much I hated it the first time. Some may cringe, but a decent commercial pull behind aerator run over those lawn areas a couple dozen times will do more for soil prep than a lot of straight lines. We had army worms BAD last year and entire lawns were lost. 6 weeks after seeding, there was no sign of damage. Theory behind the slice seeders is great, but the machines are so cumbersome to use. There has been literally ZERO improvement in ease of use in my 27 yrs in the business. Even new machines are very heavy. Watching YouTube vids and I don't see a machine I would want to wrestle through a lawn. And the cost is high and rental machines can be good or bad depending on who used it and how well it's maintained. Flat open ground without obstructions is the only place I would even use them, but I have my 48" aerator.

 

Many people would be surprised how well you can do by just scalping and overseeding along with some topdressing on bare spots. Of course, it always comes down to watering.

 

100%. Top dressing + proper water is very effective.

 

We have a stinger slit seeder. The problem here is most of the lawns need to be de-thatched before using it.

 

Same for me, aeration sort of kills two birds with one stone. Does some thatching and pulls the cores at the same time. A lot of it for us is that our customers just expect aeration because everyone does it

 

I’ve got a stinger aerator, if there’s a 10x10 area of thin trash grass I may go over 4-5 times in different directions pulling shallow plugs and seeding on the last pass. It works pretty darn good and I don’t break a sweat.

 

Same day OK for gly spray--so I have heard.
I would suggest a ryegrass--bluegrass mix. (Top quality, improved types.) Maybe fescue, if irrigation cannot keep up.
And do not start until irrigation is fixed.
Green grass under the trees indicates this lawn burned out in the hot sun. Eight weeks before frost is a good date.
Include starter fert, lime as necessary. Soil test is smart plan.
Double check for signs of insects or disease.

 

Same day OK for gly spray--so I have heard.
I would suggest a ryegrass--bluegrass mix. (Top quality, improved types.) Maybe fescue, if irrigation cannot keep up.
And do not start until irrigation is fixed.
Green grass under the trees indicates this lawn burned out in the hot sun. Eight weeks before frost is a good date.
Include starter fert, lime as necessary. Soil test is smart plan.
Double check for signs of insects or disease.

Glyphosate where needed will go down tomorrow or Sunday (weather permitting). I'm using Stinger Super Seeder on this one.

Seeding will be Thursday weater permitting.

Customer says fert/herbicide company burned lawn several years ago. Also last summer was super hot/draught here so he lost
more due to super sunny conditions, heat, & draught.

Right now leaning towards KBG blend (90% KBG, 10% Rye).
Will talk to seed guys about KBG blend VS 70%KBG, 30% Rye blend. Seed comes from company that blends for my area (Twin Cities, MN).

Customer has irrigation system, I just think he doesn't run it enough. Will encourage him to get rain gauges and measure how long it takes
his system to put down .5" water so he does that next summer.

 

I always thought you had to wait longer after spraying. I’m not sure why. What if you spray 2-4-d ? Is there a wait period? We do our early spring so usually spray after new seed has filled in.

 

Pretty sure it's because glyphosate is inactivate once it hits the soil. I don't think so with 2-4,D. Another thread on lawnsite pointed me here: http://www.sroseed.com/Files/Files/...stablishing_Kentucky_Bluegrass_into_Perennial_Ryegrass_or_Changing_Genetics.pdf

 

I think from everyone's input on lawnsite (this thread and one other), I got a good game plan for all 3 lawns I will tackle. Just up to customers to follow up with keeping seed moist until germination. All 3 have irrigation systems, so pretty sure they will.

 

Here's Purdue U take on seeding after glyphosate:

Renovating Turf: How long should I wait to seed after a glyphosate (Roundup) application?

I have received a number of email questioning the wait for seeding after glyphosate applications. Glyphosate has no soil activity and will therefore not affect seedlings when seeded even the same day of application. However, for maximum control of tough-to-control weeds with stolons or rhizomes, a 7

turf.purdue.edu

Purdue says OK to seed same day, recommends 7 day wait for maximum control.

 

In NC we seed in fall so we can put a crabgrass preventative down in spring. That may not be an issue you have to address in the North.

 

Same here. Aug 15 - Sept 15 is overseed season. Crabgrass preventer early May, so it has lost effectiveness by now.

 

Remember overseeding will not cure a shade problem--but a shade-adapted seed will help--of course. Fine fescue--or--turf-type tall fescue are the usual choices.
Neither will an overseed cure a poor irrigation problem.

I suspect that if aeration were suited for overseeding the manufacturers would advertise this idea, and show photographs with side-by-side comparisons with conventional seeding methods.

 

Remember overseeding will not cure a shade problem--but a shade-adapted seed will help--of course. Fine fescue--or--turf-type tall fescue are the usual choices.
Neither will an overseed cure a poor irrigation problem.

I suspect that if aeration were suited for overseeding the manufacturers would advertise this idea, and show photographs with side-by-side comparisons with conventional seeding methods.

Yep. I'm picking seed based on Sun/Shade/Salt:

• Full Sun - Heavy Kentucky Bluegrass mix (90% KBG)
• Heavy Shade - Heavy Fescue mix (70% Fescue)
• Sun & Shade - KBG/Rye/Fescue mix
• Boulevard with winter salt - Super Salt Tolerant mix

All seed is provided by supplier that blends seed for my area: MN & WI.

 

Seed box for the stinger is amazing

 

I bet it is. Seen one at the dealer yesterday, looked sexy. Makes me wish I had gotten the seed box - just for the look. As far as actually seeding goes, I do prefer a broadcast spreader over a drop spreader(main reason I didn’t get the seed box) most of the time.

 

Do they have a seed box for the walk behinds or just the stand ons?

 

I believe it’s just the stand ons but I coukd be wrong, haven’t really looked.

 

You said the soil is soft. so why aerate? aeration is for compacted soils, like on golf courses with tons of traffic, daily mowers, golf carts on fairways, etc. Home lawns shouldn't need aeration. aeration holes leave any germinated grass too deep. holes swell shut eventually and crown of plant is too deep. broadcasting on top of ground leaves it susceptible to drying out or traffic damage. best seeding method is to use a slit seeder to get the seed in the soil and to have some soil loosened by the verticutters for seed not right in the slot.