so I want to aerate my lawn now that the weather is getting warmer, however, i'm not sure how to proceed with it. i've ruled out renting a power aerator from Home Depot because 1) they're heavy and require 2 people to load into a truck and 2) I don't have a truck nor do I want to rent one. so, this leaves me with the manual aerator option. does anyone know where I can buy a manual core aerator? does Home Depot sell them or do I have to go to a garden store? I'm not sure what my options are for manual core aerators so if anyone has experience with them feel free to share your thoughts
lawn aeration
- Thread starter gaseousclay
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I know that Home Depot sells the kind that are unpowered and towed behind a riding mower.
Is that what you are talking about?
If you wind up going with the plugs, it makes it a great time to throw down any manure you may be thinking of using. Or if you need to add anything like sand to amend the soil, it's also a good time.
Is that what you are talking about?
If you wind up going with the plugs, it makes it a great time to throw down any manure you may be thinking of using. Or if you need to add anything like sand to amend the soil, it's also a good time.
I think that when it comes to this sort of thing it is best to find a few neighbors or friends in the area who wish to do the same thing. That way you share the cost and you have someone willing to help load and unload it. My parents and I share the costs in this and it works out well! Good luck.
- Thread starter
- #4
I don't have a riding mower - I use a crappy push reel mower
but, the type of aerator i'm talking about is a core aerator, not a spike aerator. it sounds like a core aerator does a better job at providing nutrients for your lawn
There are all sorts of lawn service companies that would do it for a nominal fee.
My dad made himself a pair of lawn aeration "sandals" that he would wear while doing yard work. Just two boards with some nails knocked through them and some straps. There were only a few spots that really needed it and they seemed to work pretty well.
There are also commercialy made versions too.
Cheapest I found.
There are also commercialy made versions too.
Cheapest I found.
It sounds to me like you need to hire someone to do it for you
Yea I looked in to doing it myself as well and this seems like something I need to hire someone for. I thought I read that early fall was the best time to be doing it too. I moved in to my house too late last fall to get it done, but I'm going to this year. Probably have someone aerate and dethatch it.
OldSaw
The wife's investment
Thanks for the link, OldSaw. I'll be able to use this to fix my yard.
My back yard is a disaster area now since the city brought a team of workers through to lay a new sewer line. Their idea of restoring my lawn to its former glory was to toss out enough dried-out centipede sod to cover it from one end to the other (they completely obliterated every blade of grass from one edge of the yard to the other, and a swath about 50 feet wide from the rear inward), but Centipede is not as hearty as the St. Augustine that used to be there.
If you have a relatively small area, there is a manual aeration tool that you should be able to buy from Home Depot (I bought mine there 3 yrs ago) that cuts 2 cores out of your lawn when you step on it. Those cores are then ejected when you take your next step and repeat the process 1 foot forward. It's slow and tedious and I wouldn't bother if you have a very large area, but for a small lawn it's a cheap and effective solution. They cost less than $20.
Haha, it's funny how easy that is to say. From reading through that page, I need a couple truckloads of soil and compost in my yard. But, I'm glad that I mowed my yard high yesterday. Not so glad that I overseeded a few weeks ago.
OldSaw
The wife's investment
When I lived in a house with a yard I started following these ideas and was making good progress. I built a nice compost bin and used it in holes that I made with a bulb auger in some trouble spots. Setting the cut on high was one of the best and easiest things I did.
This is definitely a commitment, but eventually your yard should be strong and healthy, requiring less input.
Thanks for the encouragement. Do you subscribe to using only organic fertilizers?
OldSaw
The wife's investment
I try to avoid fertilizer as much as possible. I used to buy mine from a fertilizer store that did soil testing and even calibrated my lawn spreader. However, they have gone out of business and I moved into an apartment.
Soil testing is another good idea. Especially if someone tries to convince you to use additives, like lime, to change the Ph. Once you go down this road it is very difficult to correct any mistakes. If you know what your soil composition is before you start, you can make better decisions on what to do next. There should be a university extension in your county that can help you or direct you in this.
For weed control I used a spray on solution that the fertilizer store recommended. It was pretty powerful, as you could see the dandelions start to wilt by the end of the first day of use.
My dad just rented an aerator today (he's got a minivan). He went the wise route and split the cost with a neighbor. At $65 for 3 hours, the rate seems a bit steep from Home Depot. It was a gas-powered unit, but it did both the front and back lawns of 2 yards in under an hour, so in the event other neighbors wanted to get in on the deal, it probably could have done 4 houses with enough time to return it. I would ask the neighbors about it. It cuts the cost down tremendously and gets it done much faster than any manual corer.
These things do the job, and all you've gotta do is walk around your yard.
I just ordered a pair of these. ^^
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