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!