Aerating

[LHF2019]

No rentals in this area that I have come across. That would be a huge benefit.

 

[Hay Dude]

No rentals in this area that I have come across. That would be a huge benefit.

We have a couple different companies that rent spreaders & aerators.
Have you tried local dealers who sell them?

 

[Hay Dude]

On an old hayfield what do you notice different the next year? Better drainage, yield, or both assuming aerating is the only thing you did to the field

I would say the thing it does the most is cut root-bound clumps apart and allows clump grasses to spread. Also more water gets down to roots and improves drainage.

 

[Hay Dude]

I core aerate my 5 acres at least once, if not twice a year. Really helps with compaction, and getting nutrients down to the roots of the grass. Have a fair amount of clay, so compaction is a problem.

If I overseed with rye, then I have to mow it 2-3 times in winter. Not crazy about that, but to each his own.

Duffer, check your PM’s
I sent you a message

 

[Have tractor did travel]

Others, who graze their cows on my fields, have noticed no change from core aeration. My understanding - core everything once every 5 years, in the spring. Annually, core compacted areas - again, in the spring. But perception is the tie that binds. If no improvement can be seen, hard to justify the fuel and LABOR costs.

 

[big bubba]

please check me on this, but applying agri lime will improve the tithe of the top soil in a field as well as mechanical means to improve root aeration

 

[LHF2019]

We have a couple different companies that rent spreaders & aerators.
Have you tried local dealers who sell them?

I would be going out beyond 100 miles. Local dealer a no go.

 

[gsganzer]

I aerate my little 6 acre place. If I get it timed right in the spring with my granular fertilizer application, I get a good bang for the buck. The problem with a core aerator on my black clay soil is timing it when the soil moisture is just right. But the aerating does increase surface area and water penetration, so I get better utilization of the fertilizer.

 

[Hay Dude]

What works real nice on clay is
Plug aerate as deep as you can.
Dump a load of rich topsoil or mushroom soil in the field.

push the soil along the ground with a bucket or a chain drag into the holes.

 

[Kiwibru]

Research trials locally with our Cooperative Extension agent found that aerating did nothing. Our glacially impacted soils have glacial marine deposits the restrict root growth but they are generally a lot lower than any aerating can reach. Those who no-tilled deep tap root forages had better luck and the cost was easier to justify than the aeration. Like the idea of helping push the fertilizer down though.