Aerating lawn core plug or subsoiler?

[kthompson]

To begin with: working with four different lawns here. Age of lawns range from 50 plus to brand new. The soil runs from sandy loam to medium sand and to heavy dirt that will hold water staying wet with frequent rains. My wife's home place is the most varied, one side lawn has major slope to be part of with water seeping out of it with heavy rains and the front yard much sandier and needing water much of the summer. Centipede will not cover the full front year in some areas due to higher sand content (I think) while the back yard and sloped side yard are the thickest centipede I have ever seen.

I have never seen a core plug aerator other than say in big box store. Light weight not impressed. At least for our heavier soils. Have found some that are made for tractor and prices are rather strong for something will use on few acres (possible 10) per year. If not going to me at least 2 but better 3 or 4 inches think wasting my time and maybe adding more to compaction doing so than helping.

The price of decent looking tractor core plug aerator is rather high to me for the amount of use I have but not aware of being able to rent one in my area. Three-point implements are seldom rentable at least here. So my question is if a core plug aerator does a great job with plugs say 3 to 4 inches deep, then why would not a subsoiler running say 6 or 8 inches deep work? In my small farming operation I used subsoiler at about 18 inches to crack the subsoil and it really made a different in wet years and no doubt in dry years also but really noticed it with ground that did have ponding issues.

I was thinking about subsoiler with coulter cutting the grass and not ripping it May need a wheel to press the dirt back into place on the subsoiler. Two concerns of that are buried water and drain lines and tree roots.

Let me extend my wondering here: if a core plug aerator is as good as many on youtube say, any idea how they would work in a grass hay field? I know our few acres of farmland and all is in Bermuda for hay now. I know most of the land will form a hardpan with row crops, subsoiling it about every two years showed benefits. I think there is as much weight running over it as hay field as it ever did with corn or beans. Tractor, pickups and loaded trailers many times in that field. Only saved the weight of loaded combine.

I do find it interesting how fam land and lawns are treated so different to eliminate hard levels of dirt.

 

[jeff9366]

Most turf grasses have roots which penetrate on 2" to 3".

Bahia pasture grass in Florida penetrates 4" to 9".

Hence a core aerator will punch through or nearly through most turf grass but not Bahia pasture grass.

The most successful residential lawns in my north Florida community with sandy soil and pH of 7 to 8 (high pH) are Centipede.

Argentine Bahia is lower maintenance but very, very slow to germinate from seed.

 

[oldnslo]

Interesting idea on the subsoiler and I believe yes on needing a coulter to slice the sod? How wide are the subsoiler shanks? I think mine is one inch and I have run it through the lawn a few times burying conduit and wires. I did not have a coulter so it does rip the sod. I walked along and pushed the sod back then drove down the ripper path which would totally defeat purpose of subsoiler but you also had to look close to see where I went.

I was also going a minimum of 14 inches deep and had a 2 inch wide point on the subsoiler so potentially moving more dirt than a thin shank would.

If you have the equipment possibly just test the theory and see what happens.

 

[kthompson]

jeff366, Centipede has been the main lawn grass here for near forty years or more. I am seeing Zoysia growing in popularity, me being one of those doing so. Can not say ever seen Bahia as a lawn grass here. Seems Centipede, Bermuda and again Zoysia is growing in popularity here.

Realize different variety but some do use Bhaia for hay fields and used very widely for roads shoulders.

oldnsio, I have also used subsoiler to bury water lines and wires. For farmers it is or was, rather common here. In subsoiling for crops I was running about 16 to 18 with about two inch wide point and think 3/4 inch shank. Our purpose was to crack hardpan to allow water movement both up and down and roots to reach subsoil for moisture and nutrients. As to driving over the subsoiler just ripped trench "totally defeat the purpose of subsoiling" I doubt that. The weight of the tractor is spread over the tire's full width and at least here we are after normally 10 inches at least hardpan, believe at that depth much of the weight is spread out. A subsoiler does not remove dirt but rather splits it. No doubt running down it will affect it some, but not totally erase the affect.

I have thought on this more since posting and watch a few youtubes on core plug aerators since then. I know in my area we have some land that really develops a major hardpan, normally can tell by the standing water. We have a few acres of rather sandy land have never found any hardpan in it. But our other land has areas that really are subject to hardpan. Think the best proof of it was in our lawn. Most of the front was woods and the back part crop land. The grass and trees planted in the old woods area grew much faster than the one on the crop land. After watching it for a while realize, hardpan!

Came across Dirt Dog brand of aerator for small tractors watch Good Tractor Works on youtube. No idea the price but believe will be less than the others I have priced. Everything Attachment as a good looking one, afraid to look that price. Like the way weight is built into the tines holders.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[oldnslo]

I guess the big unknown is how deep do you have to aerate to see some effects.

I rented a core plugger once and was surprised on the amount of weight required to make it penetrate to full depth when soil was damp. I used my old 112 JD on a 4 ft unit so didn’t pull real hard. Part of area was horse pasture before I bought this place and penetrated about same as lawn.
I believe independent roller for the spoons is required if you plan on doing any turning with aerator in the ground.

Good luck on your decision.