New Garden equipment for your use

[Newbie]

: A small rake when I need to dethatch.

This is the part that has me confused. I thought a rake merely collects loose debris, whereas thatch needs to be cut? A rake wouldn't cut it?

[Brooklyn1]

You are correct, thatch can't be raked with an ordianry rake, in needs cutting with a thatching rake, which has blades, or picked/ripped out with flailing tines, like the mantis attachment. What Frank is doing is raking up mowed grass clippings left by his mulching blade... not smart... those should be left there to compost, he's defeating the entire purpose of a mulching blade.

[Newbie]

: Mantis has a aerating/dethatching attachment that I'd seriously : consider for a smallish lawn... every gardener needs a Mantis, best : gardening investment ever... it tills my 50' X 50' vegetable garden : more than 8" deep with as much effort as walking a small dog.

I am seriously considering Mantis. At $500 for the tiller, dethatching, and aerator package, it is cheaper than other powered options, and would be a lot more convenient than any manual options. (Our lawn is small, but bodies too are not what they used to be a few decades ago!)

However, my one doubt about aeration is that Mantis attachment appears to be "spike" variety, not "coring". IOW it just punches holes rather than remove cores. I keep reading that coring aeration is much better.

If you have used both kinds, I would appreciate a comparison, if one is really better. Or, we know Mantis would be convenient, but how effective it is as an aerator?

[Frank]

No, not raking up. Think of it as scratching, baring some ground for over seeding. I don't do the whole lawn or rake up clippings. I just could not find a use for the Garden Weasel and it was taking up garage space.

[Brooklyn1]

The garden weasel isn't for lawns, especially not if compacted soil, it works well in planting beds that have been recently tilled, it tills and pulls out weeds by the root... but still it's labor intensive, all hand tools are.

[Brooklyn1]

If all you have to garden is that small postage stamp sized lawn I still strongly recommend you contract a lawn service, you will never amortize the price of a Mantis, a lawn mower, an edger, a blower or any power lawn tools... won't even pay for you to fuel those... all you need is a leaf rake (if you have any trees nearby) and a garden hose (short). If you really want to do it yourself buy a bow rake and a reel type push mower. I'm serious... a 1,000 sq ft lawn is like a dozen passes with a manual push mower, less work than vacuuming your living room, 10 minutes tops... you can mow every day. Geeze, you're really milking this... fantacizing about your Ponderosa.

[Newbie]

: On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:17:57 -0500, Newbie wrote: : : >In article , Brooklyn1 : >wrote: : >

: >: Mantis has a aerating/dethatching attachment that I'd seriously : >: consider for a smallish lawn... every gardener needs a Mantis, best : >: gardening investment ever... it tills my 50' X 50' vegetable garden : >: more than 8" deep with as much effort as walking a small dog. : >

: >I am seriously considering Mantis. At $500 for the tiller, dethatching, : >and aerator package, it is cheaper than other powered options, and : >would be a lot more convenient than any manual options. (Our lawn is : >small, but bodies too are not what they used to be a few decades ago!) : >

: >However, my one doubt about aeration is that Mantis attachment appears : >to be "spike" variety, not "coring". IOW it just punches holes rather : >than remove cores. I keep reading that coring aeration is much better. : >

: >If you have used both kinds, I would appreciate a comparison, if one is : >really better. Or, we know Mantis would be convenient, but how : >effective it is as an aerator? : : If all you have to garden is that small postage stamp sized lawn I : still strongly recommend you contract a lawn service, you will never : amortize the price of a Mantis, a lawn mower, an edger, a blower or : any power lawn tools... won't even pay for you to fuel those... all : you need is a leaf rake (if you have any trees nearby) and a garden : hose (short). If you really want to do it yourself buy a bow rake and : a reel type push mower. I'm serious... a 1,000 sq ft lawn is like a : dozen passes with a manual push mower, less work than vacuuming your : living room, 10 minutes tops... you can mow every day. Geeze, you're : really milking this... fantacizing about your Ponderosa.

I have no idea why you insist on ignoring the questions asked and keep giving advice where none is sought. For example, watering or mowing is simply not an issue for us. Similarly, it should not be your concern whether or how I can afford power tools or the fuel.

For a variety of reasons related to age, arthritis, etc, I am ok with manual mowing, but less with tilling/cultivating/dethatching. IOW pushing above ground is ok, digging not. So I am considering power tools. That is a function of my health, my interest in gardening, and my budget. None of that should be your concern.

However, you have indicated that you own and use Mantis aerator. If in the interest of sharing the experiences we do possess, you (or anyone else) feels like answering the following questions, I'd appreciate that, otherwise please ignore me and move on:

1. If you have experience with both spike and core aerators, do you find one to be more effective than the other?

1. Setting aside above comparison, is Mantis spike aerator effective in itself?

2. As it does not remove cores, what aeration does it accomplish that would not be accomplished by the cultivator function of the tiller?

I have attempted to make these questions as direct and clear as English language allows. You'd notice that they do not mention mowing, watering, length of hose, trimming, flushing, raking, blowing, pruning, vacuuming, number of passes, etc., anywhere.

[Brooklyn1]

You were given excellent advice. Anyone querying about a 1,000 sq ft lawn acting like they know everything is unquestionably trolling and here for no other reason but to bust balls... bye.

[Newbie]

: On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 22:00:23 -0500, Newbie wrote: : : >In article , Brooklyn1 : >wrote: : >

: >: On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:17:57 -0500, Newbie wrote: : >: : >: >In article , Brooklyn1 : >: >wrote: : >: >

: >: >: Mantis has a aerating/dethatching attachment that I'd seriously : >: >: consider for a smallish lawn... every gardener needs a Mantis, best : >: >: gardening investment ever... it tills my 50' X 50' vegetable garden : >: >: more than 8" deep with as much effort as walking a small dog. : >: >

: >: >I am seriously considering Mantis. At $500 for the tiller, dethatching, : >: >and aerator package, it is cheaper than other powered options, and : >: >would be a lot more convenient than any manual options. (Our lawn is : >: >small, but bodies too are not what they used to be a few decades ago!) : >: >

: >: >However, my one doubt about aeration is that Mantis attachment appears : >: >to be "spike" variety, not "coring". IOW it just punches holes rather : >: >than remove cores. I keep reading that coring aeration is much better. : >: >

: >: >If you have used both kinds, I would appreciate a comparison, if one is : >: >really better. Or, we know Mantis would be convenient, but how : >: >effective it is as an aerator? : >: : >: If all you have to garden is that small postage stamp sized lawn I : >: still strongly recommend you contract a lawn service, you will never : >: amortize the price of a Mantis, a lawn mower, an edger, a blower or : >: any power lawn tools... won't even pay for you to fuel those... all : >: you need is a leaf rake (if you have any trees nearby) and a garden : >: hose (short). If you really want to do it yourself buy a bow rake and : >: a reel type push mower. I'm serious... a 1,000 sq ft lawn is like a : >: dozen passes with a manual push mower, less work than vacuuming your : >: living room, 10 minutes tops... you can mow every day. Geeze, you're : >: really milking this... fantacizing about your Ponderosa. : >

: >I have no idea why you insist on ignoring the questions asked and keep : >giving advice where none is sought. For example, watering or mowing is : >simply not an issue for us. Similarly, it should not be your concern : >whether or how I can afford power tools or the fuel. : >

: >For a variety of reasons related to age, arthritis, etc, I am ok with : >manual mowing, but less with tilling/cultivating/dethatching. IOW : >pushing above ground is ok, digging not. So I am considering power : >tools. That is a function of my health, my interest in gardening, and : >my budget. None of that should be your concern. : >

: >However, you have indicated that you own and use Mantis aerator. If in : >the interest of sharing the experiences we do possess, you (or anyone : >else) feels like answering the following questions, I'd appreciate : >that, otherwise please ignore me and move on: : >

: >1. If you have experience with both spike and core aerators, do you : >find one to be more effective than the other? : >

: >2. Setting aside above comparison, is Mantis spike aerator effective in : >itself? : >

: >3. As it does not remove cores, what aeration does it accomplish that : >would not be accomplished by the cultivator function of the tiller? : >

: >I have attempted to make these questions as direct and clear as English : >language allows. You'd notice that they do not mention mowing, : >watering, length of hose, trimming, flushing, raking, blowing, pruning, : >vacuuming, number of passes, etc., anywhere. : : You were given excellent advice. Anyone querying about a 1,000 sq ft : lawn acting like they know everything is unquestionably trolling and : here for no other reason but to bust balls... bye.

I have received as well as given a lot of excellent information over the 25+ years I have been active in Usenet. Of course, not every exchange has been or can be positive. So yes, good bye; please do avoid my threads. :)

To others in the forum: If anyone is in the position to comment on the issue, I'd greatly appreciate that.

[FarmI]

LOL. I'm beginning to enjoy the absurdity of this lawn obssession.

[FarmI]

:-)) You've just been Sheldoned (aka Brooklyn1). Welcome to the group. You ain't a regualr till Shelly has monstered you at least once.

[Newbie]

: LOL. I'm beginning to enjoy the absurdity of this lawn obssession.

Absurd discussions are as old as Usenet itself. However lawn questions are simple here. I'll reword my dilemma:

I understand that core aeration is considered better than spike.

Although my lawn is small, age/health/strength increasingly make up for that, so I'd prefer a power tool.

Power core aerators seem very expensive. I can afford a few hundred, but not a few thousand.

So I can either get a power spike aerator, or manual core aerator. (Would like opinion of all who are not salesmen for either product.)

Finally there are many inexpensive power cultivators, and I am just wondering if spike aerator does anything these don't.

That's it. Please opine away. (I don't even mind people like Brooklyn taking down to me as long as they are on topic.)

[despen]

A lawn doesn't _need_ aeration. Lots of nice lawns have never been aerated. If you really think your lawn would be improved by aeration, RENT an aerator.

Aeration is something every few years, if that often.

Cultivator on a lawn???

[Brooklyn1]

This is very true... my lawn looks as good as any golf course fairway and I never aerate, I use no chemferts, I never even water, all I do is mow... all my neighbors refer to it as "The Golf Course". And I can easily aerate the ten acres I mow by buying the implement for my tractor but it's really not necessary. And keep in mind, if ones soil is lousy; dry, stoney, clayey, heavily compacted to a depth of more than like 2-3 inches aerating will accomplish absolutely nothing... then it really should be deeply tilled, amended, and started from scratch. If I really wanted a picture perfect lawn and it's only

1,000 sq ft I'd have nothing to think about, I'd redo it in totallity from square one.

Just a small portion... picture was taken for the hummer, not the lawn:

little fertilizing: mowing my wildflower meadow two weeks ago, keeps it healthy... discovered by raising my finishing mower to a 5" height its mulching blades do a better job than my brushhog: If you really think your lawn would be improved

My neighbor two houses ago (30 years ago) had a small lawn, maybe

4,000 sq ft and every time he pushed his mower or did any kind of yard work he wore those old style golf shoes, those did a great job of aerating... any sports shoes with cleats is all the aerating one needs for a small area... wearing cleats also vastly improves traction making yard work less fatiguing.