Would love some info here too, following.

 

Do not water the same day you plan to aerate. I'd say you would be good to go with the amount of rain you received earlier in the week.

For others that haven't received any rain prior to aeration. You'll want to water a normal cycle at least a day prior.

 

In regards to picking up the cores, if your intent is to add sand to level, definitely pick up the cores. Think of the cores as compost. It will break down and return nutrients your soil, but it'll still leave it lumpy. I raked the cores up and threw them in my compost pile.

 

My understanding is coring can also be over done. I was told the spike roller systems work well once you have used a corer?

For us it was about getting a better draining material in the cores, ie sand, so water could get to the clay table (reactive clay in our situation) to avoid water sitting at the top soil layer.

Is that the general idea ?

 

My understanding is coring can also be over done. I was told the spike roller systems work well once you have used a corer?

For us it was about getting a better draining material in the cores, ie sand, so water could get to the clay table (reactive clay in our situation) to avoid water sitting at the top soil layer.

Is that the general idea ?

I've never heard of core aerating being over done. I would think switching to a spike roller would be undoing what you accomplished with the core aeration. It's common knowledge that the spike aerators cause compaction by displacement instead of the core aeration releiving compaction do to material removal.

 

I've sanded and leveled my yard three times in the last 9 months. I've also aerated my lawn four times. I've always picked up my cores even through its a pain in the butt. But I feel there is no reason to put clay on top of good soil and leveled sand yard.

I live in Texas and the soil is mostly clay.

 

I've sanded and leveled my yard three times in the last 9 months. I've also aerated my lawn four times. I've always picked up my cores even through its a pain in the butt. But I feel there is no reason to put clay on top of good soil and leveled sand yard.

I live in Texas and the soil is mostly clay.

How long would you estimate it takes you to pickup the cores?

 

A weighted spiked roller is more effective than core aeration in relieving compaction of the soil.

Plus you don't have to decide on what you have to do with the cores that are laying on top of the lawn

 

A weighted spiked roller is more effective than core aeration in relieving compaction of the soil.

Plus you don't have to decide on what you have to do with the cores that are laying on top of the lawn

Do you have a source for this? I've always read the opposite. Unless you're speaking of deep solid tines, I've read that can be a short term solution to percolation but can also create compaction if you aren't careful in your use.

 

A weighted spiked roller is more effective than core aeration in relieving compaction of the soil.

Plus you don't have to decide on what you have to do with the cores that are laying on top of the lawn

This was my point. Ive also seen a lot of lawn specialist guys with big youtube followings pretty much flat out saying coring is pointless in a lot of situations. Now Im not saying I agree with that and I know we have some professionals on here who will have their own opinions, so respect.

BT how big is the lawn you plan on coring? Is the main goal to break up clay and plug with sand?

As per this guy, if you can put your 3 inch knife into the turf via just your thumb your SOIL. unlikely need aerating.

On a small lawn like mine, a soil re-conditioner is amazing at clay busting (some work way better than others from what ive seen)

This was the advice I got. Simply recondition and in heat of summer apply d-thatch spray. But your yard could be 4 hectares for all I know

 

I've sanded and leveled my yard three times in the last 9 months. I've also aerated my lawn four times. I've always picked up my cores even through its a pain in the butt. But I feel there is no reason to put clay on top of good soil and leveled sand yard.

I live in Texas and the soil is mostly clay.

How long would you estimate it takes you to pickup the cores?

It will take me about 2-3 hours if I can get my wife to help me. You have a pretty big yard, so I would suggest you get one of those brooms you can tow around your. I'm considering getting one that I can push. But maybe my back pack blower can help, being it blows at 250 mph...lol

Also, I have been spreading a ton of Humic DG, not Doc's humichar, that's just too pricey for me to be spreading that every month. I have some pretty bad compaction issues, so I've been really focusing on soil conditioning.

 

Coring is more needed when there is a thatch layer to remove. And you want to add organic matter to correct what ever the lawn is deficient in. Unless you want to add a few layers above where you are now to your lawn to raise the height of the soil.

Spiking is quicker easier, gets the same air, water into the soil. With the help of liquid fertilisers, humates, seaweed and soil wetting attracting agents to get deeper into the soil so it can work from the bottom up so to speak.

Home lawns are mostly never near the stress of a 3 to 5mm cut. High density laterally grown grass. Mostly core aerated because of the high packed grass that doesnt allow for the daily mowing fine cuttings to be turned into organic matter. That adds to a thatch layer created on top of a sandy base which is still well draining.

https://archive.lib.msu.edu/tic/tgtre/article/2000dec14.pdf