DIYbanter - View Single Post - Lawn Aeration vs letting the squirrels and birds do it

Jungle Jim

wrote in
ups.com:

The local squirrels are busy searching for the last of their acorn
stash and the Robins have returned to torment the worms. I'm
thinking this is enough action to keep the lawn aerated.

Ted Kaz

Aeration it is not. I aaerate my lawn - at first I had a lawn
service do it, but now a group of neighbors get together every other
fall and go rent one of these monster machines, help each other and
it only costs us about $25 to do the job. We have done it both in
the Fall and in the spring, and of the two, fall seems to give the
best results. Thius is when the services do it. Maximumeffect
comes when you feed with a slow release root stimulating fertilizer
AFTER the aeration. Here in southwest Ohio, we usually try to get
the job done by mid October. This will give the fall rains a chance
to get down into the aeration holes and get the fertilizer into
solution.

Incidentally, this machine is hard to handle no matter how big you
are. It has two 75 poumf weights that come off for transport, but
the bugger has a mind of its own when you pull that drive lever -
described by my friend as dancing with a big woman - just try to
hang on - don't think about leading.