Lawn De-Thatcher & Airation

[HorseFixer 2,012]

I was just reading Justins post on a de-thatcher and was looking at them at Menards, Lowes, Rural King and I would say the one from Lowe's looks to me like it is better made unit, but I didn't know what experience you guys may have had with useing them. What brand have you used, or in your opinion works well for the cost? Also I would suspect that you would use these in the spring after the yard has dried out because of the matted grass over the winter? Sorry for the NEWBIE like question, but Ive just never seen one used. So what are the tricks? Any adjustments that are made anything or tricks that could be added, Weight? Do you sweep/rake up the dead grass thats clumped up, or use a leaf blower like on leaves to pick the dead grass up? Again excuse me for these stupid questions but When ya live in the City ya dont get to see one used or get to use these Fancy Attatchments. Ive always did it by hand just in the spring. My front yard is 100' X 50 back yards about the same size. I also bag my grass when mowing.

Now on Airation ~ I kinda bucked up (Not My Fault) I just installed a sprinkler system and in a couple spots when installing I had to raise the Dingo because of Roots in the yard, and I had one hell of a time. A couple of the lines are about 3" below the surface because of these "Wicked Roots Of All Evil" <_< Now I'm affraid to use an Airator because of cutting or bucking up a line. I guess my question is, does a de-thatcher kinda loosen up the ground any at all? What is the minimum depth for airation? would an 1" to 1 1/2 help at all? Kiwi Mike said a stiff tine kinda tears at the grass a bit? I have been told before overseeding that airation is good because it loosens up the soil to accept the seeds I was just wondering if a good dethatching in Late Aug would help or kinda do the same thing?

Cheers ~Duke

:D

[sned 15]

De-thatchers are great I used to think they were a gimmick than I borrowed my neighbors. (lowes) I pulled up so much dead grass it was unbelievable. Did it in the spring and my yard has never been greener. Really no tricks to it. I just drove erratically to get it all up used leaf blower to put it in a pile. The deepest one of these will go is a half inch. I noticed where ever I had some moss and I drove it around the grass came up really nice. Biggest concern is quality. My neighbor leaves his in the weeds and some of the tines rusted and broke. I just welded them back on.

[CasualObserver 3,406]

Duke, I own and use a tow behind dethatcher and have both a spike aerator and a plug aerator. I usually only dethatch about once per year, early in the spring. It really helps freshen up the lawn quickly and gets rid of the snow mold and flat look from having snow sitting on it for 4-5 months. A dethatcher won't give you any sort of "aeration" effect, it merely drags the tines across the top of the ground. You can get some scratch lines anywhere from 1/4" to a full 1" depending on variables of weight and the hardness of the ground. I don't really recommend it on soft, wet ground though. What you're looking for when using that is for the tines to spring, bounce and skip along the surface, throwing all the thatch up on top of the grass for easy sweeping/raking and pickup. If you use it in soft ground where it's digging, you'll have to stop quite frequently to clean the trash off the tines.

As for aerators, they both serve their purposes. I generally only use the plug (or core) aerator in the early fall. This will typically penetrate a good 2-3" if you do it in the right conditions, so your sprinkler lines could be in danger if you've laid them shallow. This needs to be done after a good rain (at least an inch) so that the ground is nice and soft, and the spoons of the aerator can easily penetrate the ground and pull the plugs out. I usually overseed when I do it. I've seen talk in landscape forums about not overseeding the core aerations, but I've always had good results. The plug aerator is good for relieving compacted ground, as well as promoting good root health and growth in your lawn. It actually aerates the ground.

The only time I use the spike aerator is when I have a part of the lawn that looks a little weaker than the rest during the summer. I'll get it out, and run a few laps back and forth through the effected area, then overseed and fertilze to rejuvenate it. The spike aerator isn't really much of an aerator. It doesn't pull plugs and doesn't really relieve compactions, it just perforates the ground a little. It only penetrates about an half an inch to inch and a half at best, depending on the condition of your spikes. I think it works well for simple spot rejuvenation because the small perforations give the grass seed and fertilizer a place to lay and not be washed away.

I should add, that neither of these does a very good job if you have a thick thatch layer in your yard. The core aerator will pop holes in the thatch layer and pull out plugs as long as your spoons are sharp, but I think that thatch layer will relax and cover the holes, and you won't succeed in getting all the benefits and additional nutrients to the roots. At the same time, you do want/need some thatch in your lawn, to help hold the moisture and keep the ground a little cooler in the summer. It's sort of a balance, that's variable depending on your climate. You might check with your extension office, and see if they have any specific tips regarding your immediate area. You should also consider getting some soil samples tested before you just start throwing chemicals and fertilizer at your lawn too!

Hope that helps a little.

[HorseFixer 2,012]

I use the spike aerator is when I have a part of the lawn that looks a little weaker than the rest during the summer. I'll get it out, and run a few laps back and forth through the effected area, then overseed and fertilze to rejuvenate it.

It only penetrates about an half an inch to inch and a half at best, depending on the condition of your spikes.

Hope that helps a little.

Jason that helps a whole bunch! So I have a wheel horse maroon stripe Spike Areator (needs new wheels and whatever contraption it takes to mount them on)... (anyone have close ups of the wheels and hardware)? dont see a model # on it! Anyway you say they arent much good for the areation but I was going to use for overseeding in fall do you think it will be okay for my yard being you said it only penetrates the ground 1" Max? I was just thinking like you said it might help work the seeds down beneath the surface. BUT no matter what..... I dont want to buck up my sprinkler system.

One more question, Since I will be useing the 417A to drag this stuff around anyway to use the lift to pick it up so spikes dont roll accross concrete drive I dont want to aerate the drive! Someone should make a doo dad to lock the impliment for lifting for this purpose So's I dont have to get off the tractor and the Impliment dont come at the Duke SideWays. I know, I know, I'm a lazy bastard!

Cheers ~Duke

:P

[JUSS10 250]

glad to hear my post spawned these questions as well as bring up some valuable info on the subject. I would probably continue to search for a dethatcher but since im still in school and live at home, I'm only going to invest so much into my DADS lawn.... (though sometimes i feel like I'm the only one who cares to take care of it...)

I like your thought of implementing a lift into it all so as to not need to get off the tractor. I have this hitch in my head that i want to build for accessories like the ones talked about here. something that allows the implement to move freely behind the tractor but as the lift is raised, some how it connects to the wheels and drops the wheels to lift the implement. i guess it would require "standardizing" all the implements that would utilized this system but it would work great for harrow drags, lawn implements, and things of that sort....

Justin

[sorekiwi 761]

I can tell you that a plug aerater will go deep enough to find the dogs invisible fence wire under the ground - despite trying to stay away from where I thought it was!! :ROTF:

[Cody 269]

I have a complete front mount de-thatcher that mounts to the 3,4,and 500 series tractors, it is made by the Tine Rake Co. It mounts to the front of the tractor and raises up and down with the implement lift on the tractor. Looks like it would do a good job but i have never used it.

[Duff 206]

I have a complete front mount de-thatcher that mounts to the 3,4,and 500 series tractors, it is made by the Tine Rake Co. It mounts to the front of the tractor and raises up and down with the implement lift on the tractor. Looks like it would do a good job but i have never used it.

, please!!!!!

Duff :woohoo:

[Cody 269]

Ill try to get it mounted today or tomorrow and take pictures.

[Butch 194]

Aeration is always good. You want air, nutrients and water to get to the roots. Plug aerators are much better than the spikes. The plugs that are pulled break down and decompose in about 10 days or so. Great for reseeding.

The tine type dethathcer is no good at scraping the ground to make good soil/seed contact. If you want a dethatcher that will make good soil contact and take up your thatch then you want a verticle mower which is a gas powered dethatcher that uses blades and slices through the thatch and soil.

I have a nice yard and have never dethatched it. I guess it's because I bag my clippings. I have aerated with both the spike aearator and the plug pulling aerator. Plug pulling is the way to go. If you have low spots in your yard these plugs are excellent for leveling out your lawn.

If your goal is to make soil contact for seeding and not disturb your shallow installed irrigation lines then I myself would use the verticle mower and lower it to tear up some soil. It will get rid of your thatch and give you a good seed bed.

[stevasaurus 22,233]

Duke, i just bought one of the spike aerators from Lowes...had to put it together, and it is a nice unit. I agree that the plug set up is the best way to go, but this unit does a nice job for me. I pull it behind one of the horses, it has a lever that I can reach from the tractor seat that lifts the spikes out of the ground and onto its wheels. There is no adjustment for depth...looks like it goes down about 1 1/2", and there is a shelf that will hold 2 cement blocks (plenty of weight).

[Forest Road 594]

If you really want to do it right..... You need to find one of a JRCO dethatcher on fleabay or CL.

Here's one they made for the 460 tractors. I'm sure the DUKE could handle a little welding in order to make this work.

http://hypro-diaphragm-pumps.com/Riding-La..._source=froogle

[shorts 182]

:woohoo: marketed the ''EZ Rake'' front attachment powered off the PTO that was a 36'' wide flail mower type apparatus that used swinging blades to lift the thatch, thin the grass and prep for overseeding. Look @ bluebird powerake, they make the rental store version walk behind.

for a way to lift the whole rear attachment use a sleeve hitch and fab up a Brinley type swivel limiter to keep it away from the rear tires of the tractor.

[DOC in Kentucky 178]

Dukester, I use my tine dethatcher with a couple of cement blocks for weight on my lawn 3-4 times a year. Early and late spring, mid summer and fall. After I dethatch I then mow on a lower setting with a recycler deck to cut the thatch into finer pieces. Neighbors always ask me what I have done because my lawn is one of the best in my neighborhood. I am sure you will get alot of opinions but this is what works for me !!!

[mr.pipes 4]

After I dethatch I then mow on a lower setting with a recycler deck to cut the thatch into finer pieces.

So you just chop it up and let stay on the lawn? Interesting

I guess doing it so frequently helps break it down and it's probably easier than picking it up.

[wh79d160 52]

, I built this one a couple years ago. Works good for de-thatching & overseeding.