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Aeration and Equipment
Aerating the lawn - am I wasting my time?
I’ve read your ideas on aerating and though they make good sense I'd like to say I’ve been spiking my lawn with a fork once a year and it looks great. You seem to be suggesting I’m wasting my time!
Neil Finnegan
PS I regularly fertilise, mow on medium and have a dark loam soil. Lawn is about 100 yards.
Neil - Thanks for the question and details
As I’ve mentioned in my aeration topic, aeration is a very important routine to achieve a healthy lawn. However, I’ve also stated that organic, loam or clay soils aren’t going to gain much benefit from an annual forking. In your case I would suggest your fertiliser and mowing regimes account for the greatest benefit.
By all means continue if you feel your lawn benefits; you’re certainly not doing it any harm if you do it in the growing season. However, I don’t think you lawn will get much benefit without a bit of hollow tining. Try using a hollow tine fork in the autumn and use the fork in spring for improved results. Twice as much work but your lawn isn’t too big.
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Can I aerate when I mow?
I'm thinking of purchasing a pair of the aeration shoes. Do you advocate wearing them when I mow the lawn and how often....is every cut too often???
Hi Gavin
I know some people do wear aerator sandals when mowing but it all comes down to safety. You have to take into account slopes, speed and any obstacles such as paths. I certainly would advise caution with a mower with driven wheels as it may start running away with you. Ultimately you have to be the judge in your own situation.
As to frequency..... with spikes it's as often as possible!
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Tines get blocked
I have a heavy clay lawn so maybe hollow tines are best - but I find at the first insertion the tines block up with clay which does not get pushed out by the second insertion. Getting the clay out manually is impossibly time consuming so I give up - an suggestions would be most welcome.
Angela
Though clay soils are best hollow tined rather than spiked sometimes they are either too soft or too sticky causing blockage. Stoney soils cause blocking also and are virtually impossible to hollow tine.
I have two suggestions that may help:
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Experiment with your timing so that the soil is on the dry side and has lost its 'stickiness'
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Regular use of the aerator polishes the surfaces making the cores pop out much easier
Hope that helps
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