Not a yard guy by any means, need to know should I rent an aerator or a de-thatcher this fall to help my lawn out? Planning on waiting until the rains come and soften up the ground, right now it's drought conditions and I have dead brown grass with bare spots
2005 Nitro NX 882
2002 Mercury 175 EFI
I’d say aerate before thatch. Could also seed which I just priced and is expensive, $400 for half an acre.
2017 Phoenix 819
2016 200ProXS, s/n 2B359849, Mod 1200P73BD
Just to be sure, you're talking about a fescue lawn, right? (You are in KY after all!)
I would also say aerate and overseed. Then apply lime and a balanced fertilizer. Drought conditions are rough. You're gonna want to be irrigating, hopefully with the help of mother nature.
Last edited by djb750; 09-20-2024 at 08:13 AM.
Bullet 21XRS
Mercury Pro XS 250
We had our yard aerated and seeded with turf fescue last year at this time. It looked fantastic until the past month with little rain and lots of days in the 90's.
Aerate then top dress with sand
2011 Ranger z521/2023 250ProXS
I've never aerated nor de-thatched my 32 year old lawn.
I have brown spots, too. I cut the grass short, then reseeded, and have been watering 4 times a day. I have confidence the lawn will look fine. Grass roots, all roots, grow through hard clay soils just fine. The thatch will keep the soil and seeds moist longer than de-thatched, I'm sure.
Cutting high is more betterer. Lawn Doc tells me keep it on the highest setting, 3in.Originally Posted by skid00skid00
2017 Phoenix 819
2016 200ProXS, s/n 2B359849, Mod 1200P73BD
Thatch in spring...........amazing all the 'stuff' which comes out of the lawn then overseed.
All of the above. Dethatching pulled up an amazing amount of debris including acorns and hickory nut shells that grass won't grow on. Aerate is probably an every-other year thing for us as it's tough lugging that damn thing around. Overseed yearly. Grub X once every 3-4 years.
Some of you folks invest a whole lot more in your lawns than I do. If the dirt is mostly covered, I'm happy. And grubs? Skunks and crows gotta eat too.
Some people are so judgemental. You can tell just by looking at 'em.--Some random meme
If you’ve never dethatched you won’t believe what will come up. It lets your lawn breath. Then plug it and re-seed.
Most all grass around here is dead due to drought.
What type of grass? Bermuda or?
Chris Beverly
2005 Champion 206 Mercury Verado 275!!!
I cut it short only for the reseed. Had it at 4" for a couple weeks, but kept falling over on itself! Now I'm at 3.5".
Why?
If professionals who's careers depend on catching fish use FFS then that's what I'm using. Might be too simple of a philosophy but makes sense to me.
Like woman’s personal hygiene products commercials nowadays …dethatch then aerate!
2023 BassCat Sabre FTD
2023 175 Pro XS
We are a little south of you in S. E. TN. I have been in the business for 34 years.
In the fall ( now). Aerate and Overseed now. Water before and after if it super dry.
If you have moss this indicates an acidic soil you can add lime fall and Spring repeatedly to try to balance it.
If you check with a local garden center they can recommend a seed blend best for your area.
You can lead a horticulture,
but you can't make her think.
I used to aerate the lawn in fall and scalp in early spring. Lawn service treatment, too. Looked consistently great. Glad I don’t have to mess with that anymore.
Dallas Cowboys…..Eventual Super Bowl Champions
Ain't living in the sticks great?
2023 Xpress H18 with 115 SHO that's optioned to fit my wants and pulled by a little Ram.
Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. Just smile and walk away.
Amen to that, brutha!
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