Aerating lawn
 

Is there a person that does this as a one time or annual service or do you have to sign with companies like Massey to take other services?

I would verify the need for aeration due to the texture of the ground here and type of grass.

KB lawn service will do as one time.

Be sure to flag all sprinkler heads, if they don't do that before hand themselves.

Thank you so much. I shall call KB. There are donuts around the sprinkler heads. I should think that would be enough of a hint :)

Golfingnut: I was under the impression that with the sandy soil here and the zoysia you aerate once a year. Have I been given a line of whooey?

I am certainly not an expert, but my understanding is you do it to loosen the soil. Ours never seems packed. It is also done to improve drainage. This sandy soil does not need that.

Ooooooh. Thank you for the clarification. Yes...sandy soil doesn't really hold water.

We have Massey, so I do not have a name for you. I am sure there are folks that do it as a one off in the spring. I remember one year a "solicitor" was going around the hood charging $40-50/lawn. He did several neighbors.

If you get it done here is why and things you may wish to know.

Lawn Aeration | The Zoysia Farm Nurseries Blog

Massey aerates once a year and in my view its worth it since cut grass is left to accumulate

I think aeration is the best thing we can do in your yard. Aeration helps compaction and helps stimulate root growth. I feritilize right after I airify. Water it in and watch it grow. Even with sandy soil it will help. I would airify once a year.

MY opinion.

The soil you have in your yard may not be what others have in their yard. For example, the soil south of 466A in my area of Pinellas has a sandy clay subsoil that drains very slowly. Aeration can greatly improve the passage of fertilizer and water to the grass roots. The fact that sandy clay soil can get compacted overtime means that aeration also helps loosen the top few inches of the soil which can help the grass grow better.

Great. I am south of 466A but in Fernandina...I wonder if it is sand or clay. How do you find out?

If your soil is just sandy, when you dig down and turn over a shovel depth of soil you will see that the soil falls apart as there is nothing to hold the soil together. It will more than likely be damp but not wet. (considering we just had heavy rainfall) The soil will also be quite gritty when you rub some between your fingers. If you have clay sand soil the shoveling will take more effort to sink down into the soil and it may have a gray/ whitish appearance. It may be quite wet and will feel smooth and "clayey" when you rub some between your fingers. It will be a heavy shovelful unlike sand that will lighter. Sand will dry out fast and you will have to irrigate often in the summer. If you have sandy clay you will save a lot on irrigation, but you will have to be careful you don't overwater. Digging down in a garden bed or in a inconspicuous piece of lawn and checking moisture levels will help you gauge water needs. My clay sand takes forever to drain and I have to watch how much water I put down when irrigating. If you have sand the water just drains away and then the soil rapidly dries out. As a gardener I prefer sandy clay. I hope that helps!

Yes, but the question is what percentage is sand and how much is clay. This can vary a great deal. As a lifelong gardener I can tell you that nothing is as simple as people think.

Great debate. Who knew. One thing I have to agree with is, when it comes to gardening, nothing is as simple as we think.

Seems to be going beyond debate.............................

Well, I am learning a lot I didn't know. And I thank all for taking the time to discuss this.

Adam Neusbaum does aeration. Plug aeration that is. Has his own business and does a fantastic job. Charges $69.00. His number is 1-855-WE-AERATE (1-855-932-3728) We had him do ours last year, as we do our own landscaping and needed someone to do this service, and we couldn't believe how many plugs were pulled out of our lawn. Down side of it was, we have dogs and couldn't figure our where we needed to pick up after them for about a week. hahaha

What is a plug?

Two main aerating tools exist — a spike aerator and a plug aerator. With a spike aerator, you simply use the tool to poke holes into the ground with a solid tine, or fork. Plug aerators remove a core or plug of grass and soil from the lawn. For the best results, use an aerating tool or machine that actually removes plugs of soil. Poking holes is less effective and can actually cause additional compaction in the areas around the holes.

Look for an aerating tool or machine that removes soil plugs approximately 2 — 3 inches deep and 0.5 — 0.75 inches in diameter, and about 2 — 3 inches apart. These machines can be rented from lawn and garden stores or home improvement centers. Always follow the directions provided by the store. You may want to consider sharing the rental cost with a neighbor who is interested in aerating the lawn.

Thanks for the full explanation.

Aerating is not the same as detaching which removes dead grass. Not sure you need to do either in Florida unless you are having fungus problems.

That's correct Bogie!! (as usual) LOL

We aerate
 

If you wish to aerate, we used Adam Neusbaum at 1-855 932-3728. GREAT job and very reasonable in cost - $69.00. Arrived on time and is very professional. :thumbup:

http://fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/materials/FY...ok_vSept09.pdf
Vast differences in soil composition exist in TV.
Look it up at the above site or search ifas. If you can't find the answer, contact your county extension agent who works for ifas.
I am in Gilchrist where the fill dirt is clay. some home sites were compacted additionally by construction vehicle traffic. These lawns sorely need aeration and addition of organic material. Scatter topsoil, black kow, and so on, and aerate. Just wearing cleats and clomping through the yard is helpful.