Is aerating worth it if my lawn has minimal top soil to begin with?
I’m in southern Ontario and plan to aerate, top dress and overseed this fall. Should I skip aeration and just focus on levelling with top soil instead?
I’d aerate and top dress with good topsoil. The soil will get down in the holes and begin to change the composition of your soil.
Academic_Value_3503
If it looks and feels compacted in wouldn’t hurt. Maybe you can try just going over it with a garden weasel or something, instead of renting a machine this go around.
East_Atmosphere4766
You should aerify at least once a year. If your soil is compacted the roots can’t get water or nutrients.
Comprehensive_Baby53
I don’t do aeration because I have sand for soil. I have to bring in wood chips & top soil to fill in bare spots all the time because our soil is so poor…but it has good drainage…I don’t see any point in earation unless you have issues with compacted soil…maybe someone in the comments can explain.
creepiersky
Aeration will allow for the seeds to get deeper and stay wet.. also will help with root development. Don’t skip it
Special_Present69
If you aerate top dress it with sand. Just a thin layer
This will go into the holes and will allow your root system to become stronger
This will provide nutrients if add URE will provide nutrition to the soil
Lunar_BriseSoleil
Aerate and topdress well rotted (black) compost. The compost will provide organic material that improves the underlying soil over time. Just a few years of top dressing with organics can make a massive difference.
ccb0rg
Aerating is about de compaction over anything so yes
Ricka77_New
Pick 5-7 spots….try to push a screwdriver 4″ deep. If you can do that without a lot of force, you do not aeration.
Aeration isn’t requirement….and seeds that land 2-3″ deep in a hole? Those won’t grow well. If you did core plug removal, them compost brushed in would be very good.
You can get humic acid on Amazon in CA….If you made a liquid application every week for a month, then once a month thereafter, you’ll see that soil become much happier..
Marley3102
If you believe your compacted, then aerate, if not dont waste your money. A grass seed in a 4 inch hole covered with 4 inches of dirt isnt gonna germinate anyway. Utter nonsense. Aerating is for compaction, which is extremely rare. Golf courses due it because they have thousands of people walking on it a day.
AdFar7580
Phosphorus and potassium 2 of the three numbers on the fertilizer bag do not move through the soil like nitrogen does. Aeration is the only time to get them down to the roots
Iamyodaddy
If you are going to skip anything I’d skip top dressing and aerate and seed only.
Major_Turnover5987
My initial reaction was you cut too low and not enough water. Have a soil test done. Then apply the needed (lime etc). I suspect something is off. This will prevent you wasting money on an overseed routine & aerate, which might not be needed. It was a harsh summer here in New England, suspect near you as well. Unrelenting sun & moisture.
Similar-Lie-5439
If you aerate and top dress you probably never have to dethatch so I’ll take aeration
Lawn_Jerk
Aerate and topdress with compost. It’s better for your existing soil
Weekly_Mycologist523
You shouldn’t aerate until your lawn comes out of dormancy. Then yes, it’s always worth it if you want to do it.
bigboi03916
Aerating is always (almost) a good answer, adding a bit of too soil..soil and seed, just asking for good things
Brilliant-While-761
Top dress with 1/4-1/2” of compost. No need to add sand or topsoil. You have aggregate you need organics
Rmattgraham
I love a good diagonal mowing pattern. I alternate each week for a subtle diamond effect.
Aerating can help if it’s been a while or the soil is packed down. I’ve done it once about 4 years after the house was built. Typical suburb clearcut and minimal topsoil.
22 Comments
You haven’t given any reason to skip aerating.
You can do both
I’d aerate and top dress with good topsoil. The soil will get down in the holes and begin to change the composition of your soil.
If it looks and feels compacted in wouldn’t hurt. Maybe you can try just going over it with a garden weasel or something, instead of renting a machine this go around.
You should aerify at least once a year. If your soil is compacted the roots can’t get water or nutrients.
I don’t do aeration because I have sand for soil. I have to bring in wood chips & top soil to fill in bare spots all the time because our soil is so poor…but it has good drainage…I don’t see any point in earation unless you have issues with compacted soil…maybe someone in the comments can explain.
Aeration will allow for the seeds to get deeper and stay wet.. also will help with root development. Don’t skip it
If you aerate top dress it with sand. Just a thin layer
This will go into the holes and will allow your root system to become stronger
This will provide nutrients if add URE will provide nutrition to the soil
Aerate and topdress well rotted (black) compost. The compost will provide organic material that improves the underlying soil over time. Just a few years of top dressing with organics can make a massive difference.
Aerating is about de compaction over anything so yes
Pick 5-7 spots….try to push a screwdriver 4″ deep. If you can do that without a lot of force, you do not aeration.
Aeration isn’t requirement….and seeds that land 2-3″ deep in a hole? Those won’t grow well. If you did core plug removal, them compost brushed in would be very good.
You can get humic acid on Amazon in CA….If you made a liquid application every week for a month, then once a month thereafter, you’ll see that soil become much happier..
If you believe your compacted, then aerate, if not dont waste your money. A grass seed in a 4 inch hole covered with 4 inches of dirt isnt gonna germinate anyway. Utter nonsense. Aerating is for compaction, which is extremely rare. Golf courses due it because they have thousands of people walking on it a day.
Phosphorus and potassium 2 of the three numbers on the fertilizer bag do not move through the soil like nitrogen does. Aeration is the only time to get them down to the roots
If you are going to skip anything I’d skip top dressing and aerate and seed only.
My initial reaction was you cut too low and not enough water. Have a soil test done. Then apply the needed (lime etc). I suspect something is off. This will prevent you wasting money on an overseed routine & aerate, which might not be needed. It was a harsh summer here in New England, suspect near you as well. Unrelenting sun & moisture.
If you aerate and top dress you probably never have to dethatch so I’ll take aeration
Aerate and topdress with compost. It’s better for your existing soil
You shouldn’t aerate until your lawn comes out of dormancy. Then yes, it’s always worth it if you want to do it.
Aerating is always (almost) a good answer, adding a bit of too soil..soil and seed, just asking for good things
Top dress with 1/4-1/2” of compost. No need to add sand or topsoil. You have aggregate you need organics
I love a good diagonal mowing pattern. I alternate each week for a subtle diamond effect.
https://preview.redd.it/rwxm9rtg93jf1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0cf86e87ff636f81807e79a089e0865c435724c7
Aerating can help if it’s been a while or the soil is packed down. I’ve done it once about 4 years after the house was built. Typical suburb clearcut and minimal topsoil.
Replace that tiny Dumb lawn with landscaping.