spring aerating

I HAVE NOTICED IN THE PAST SEVERAL days that alot of landscapers around have been aerating now and seeding. how can they be putting on a pre emergent (there not using tupersan..ithink that whats its called), that will not allow the seed to germinate. either thaey dont no thats the case or they dont care i guess. i do al my aerating and seeding in the fall. after i hot dry summer it is the best thing you can do for a lawn. the lawns fill in greaT and the new grass roots can strenthen and mature oveer the winter making it come up great in the spring and is more drounght tolerant. if you aerate and seed in the spring the hot dry summer wikk come and probly kill the new grass for good because the roots hadnt had that long to develope. why do people aerate in the spring instead of fall? i can understand if your not seeding but if your seeding its almost a waste of time.

 

What you are seeding and where you are in the country will determine the success of your spring seeding. It is preferable to seed cool season grasses in the fall, but I find greater success in shady areas by early spring seeding.<p>If someone wants a quality lawn, but it's bare in spring, in our area I would seed with rye in spring, having all finished grade and edges set. Then would Roundup whole lawn on Aug 1-5, aerate when browning, and slit seed premium blue blend on Aug 10-15. Reasons: rye is always going to establish quickest, so landscape is stabilized early, but rye is a crummy long term groundcover. By seeding blue in Aug, it is germinated and growing by mid-Sept, it's prime growing time, and it gets a full life cycle before having to survive summer heat. Why not a rye-blue blend? Never saw a blend less than 40% rye; if your blend is more than 15% rye, the rye germinates so early that the amount of blue surviving 8 mo later is negligible.<p>You can seed any time of year. In our area mid-Aug seeding is best (easiest to maintain thru establishment), but if the ground is bare and the client will pay attention to care, you can successfully seed anytime during growing season. That success will be qualified by the choice of seed. Concern about pre-ems and spring seeding is not so bad now that effective post-em crabgrass control is available.<p>----------<br>Jim<br>North central Indiana<br>

 

As for aerating, you can aerate anytime. The process just helps in relieving soil compaction, getting air down into the turf root system along with any fertilization. However, don't put down a pre-emergent and then aerate. If you do then you've just broken the barrier of your pre-emergent

 

CLM1, could you explain to me what you mean by &quot;break the barrier&quot;. I've heard that before and am just not sure what that means.<br>Thanks!

 

Several university studies 5-6 yrs ago showed that aeration has no negative effect on preemergent if done after pre-em application. The pre-em from the plugs is just dissolved back into soil surface. Have done it myself with no crabgrass breakthrough.<p>Once watered in, preemergents form a chemical barrier on and just below the soil surface. In most turf pre-ems, this barrier prevents root growth, so as soon as a weed seed germinates, it dies because it can't form roots. After pre-em is applied, if you disturb the soil surface dramatically, you can break this barrier, allowing weed seeds to survive. Aeration does not break the barrier.<p>----------<br>Jim<br>North central Indiana

 

Thanks Jim. Where did you read or hear about that study? That's interesting.

 

Sorry, CLM1, these studies were before web was in use, can't find any references real quick. Will call Purdue this week an get sources, and post in this thread. Were two or three studies with same results.<br><p>----------<br>Jim<br>North central Indiana

 

GroundsKprs is correct. It used to be the school of thought to not aerate after pre-emergent application in the spring.<p>More recent information is that the effect of your pre-emergent is not harmed by spring aeration.<p>'course I still tell my customers it MAY be more safe in the fall. ('cause we're so darn busy in the spring!)

 

Sorry CLM1, guys were not on campus this week. One answered my email from out of town, didn't have access to data, but he remembers: studies I mentioned were at IA and MI, southern studies done earlier. He did state that he would not suggest making it an annual practice to aerate after pre-em application, but on an occassional basis it won't hurt. <br>I can get the reports later when they return. Email me if you want them. Might be better for you to check with guys at NC State or NC A&T, whichever has the more extensive turf program, to get answers on southern turf.<p>----------<br>Jim<br>North central Indiana

 

does any one know a website where i can look at different aerators and prices-brands and which one do you like best,and what a good price is for one,and do you recomend one that you can walk behind or one that you can pull with a small tractor or ztr?thanks,Tim