Lawn Aerator

When I was testing the soil, grass roots in the good areas went down at least 4 inches. I'm inland in So Calif and we got less than 4 inches of rain last year. Where the grass is established, I seldom have to water more than once every 7-10 days. Over the years, I have watched to see which grass dies and which will go without water, and tried to expand the more drought tolerant. Seat of the pants method, but it works for me.

Reply to
Guv Bob
Loading thread data ...

guaranteed.

Good to know, David. Grapes sounds like a great idea. Any particular varieties to get or stay away from? Or other types of plants on a slope?

Reply to
Guv Bob

Almost any variety of grape is okay. Choose something you will use. Just be sure you have sturdy supports since grape vines -- even without fruit -- can be quite heavy. See my for how I support my grape vines. Also, ground cover is still necessary to prevent surface erosion.

Also, do not overplant. Last year, I filled a very large pail in one picking from only one vine.

The first time my hill failed, I had a single grape vine in the middle. While the hill slid on both sides, the vine and the part of the hill below it did not move. Unfortunately, the vine had to be removed to repair the hill. I then planted two grape vines. The hill failed again

13 years later, between the vines. Now I have three grape vines. If the hill ever fails again, my house goes up for sale "as is".
Reply to
David E. Ross

You, Higgs Boson, and I are all in southern California. Higgs is coastal (near Santa Monica Bay), and I am in what the National Weather Service calls a coastal valley (near Thousand Oaks and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area). Where are you?

Reply to
David E. Ross

I've already told you where he lives.

Long Beach.

Reply to
HomeGuy

N. San Diego County, about 15 miles inland.

Reply to
Guv Bob

Why did you guess Long Beach?

Reply to
Guv Bob

Long Beach CA is not northern Canada by a long shot.

?-)

Reply to
josephkk

Anybody know where to get an aerator that's basically a 20-gallon barrel filled with water with a row of aerator tubes fastened around each head pulled by hand? Less than 1000 sq ft and too hard for foot-stomper aerator.

----------

how about a Tommy Gun?

Reply to
Pico Rico

Now that we have all the comments and theories about aeration......

Anybody know where to get an aerator that's basically a 20-gallon barrel filled with water with a row of aerator tubes fastened around each head pulled by hand? Less than 1000 sq ft and too hard for foot-stomper aerator.

Reply to
Guv Bob

Reply to
Brooklyn1

That tiny area, what a wuss. I have a Mantis tiller, greatest gardening tool out there... get the aerating attachment.

formatting link
I use mine to till my 50' X 50' vegetable garden, in fact I used it yesterday to aerate around my vegetable plants... don't let its size fool you. it's got plenty of power yet any 80 pound wuss can handle it. The Mantis won't till never tilled land, too many roots n' rocks, but once it's tilled the Mantis can handle all your gardening chores. I had a 7 HP monster tiller but once I got the Mantis I never used it so I sold that behemouth... I love that Mantis because my wife can use it for her flower beds and I don't need to deal with them. Anyone needs to till raw land rent a monster tiller, then buy a Mantis. I even had a giant tiller I could attach to my tractor's 3 point hitch and would till a 5' swarth, sold that to the same guy who bought my 7 HP Simplicity tiller... he had dreams of growing several acres of pumpkins. For aerating under 1000 sq ft and I was a cheap bastard like you I'd poke holes with this, wouldn't take me more than 2 hours:
formatting link

Reply to
Brooklyn1

barrel filled with water with a row of aerator tubes fastened around each head pulled by hand? Less than 1000 sq ft and too hard for foot-stomper aerator.

formatting link
=1-7

Don't need a tiller or a pitchfork. LOL! It would be a waste for me to buy a Mantis just to aerate a lawn every year or so. Are you sure that video shows an aerator attachment? Good try but stupid idea.

Reply to
Guv Bob

Slitting is not good for this situation. It would do does a lot more damage to the roots and generally makes a muddy mess. Slits close up quickly. Holes from plugs give water somewhere to drain and filter. Same for fertilizer & grass seed. Slitting is always a stupid idea.

Reply to
Guv Bob

It works well for "renovating" a lawn - slit seeding if done properly DOES work - it is like using a seed drill

Reply to
clare

Tool and equipment rental shops sometimes have them. Most people don't want to buy something so big and so rarely used.

Reply to
Not

snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

age to the roots and generally makes a muddy mess. Slits close up quickly . Holes from plugs give water somewhere to drain and filter. Same for fert ilizer & grass seed. Slitting is always a stupid idea.

I agree. Slit seeding type device is useless for aeration, but it is very effective for seeding.

Reply to
trader_4

The Mantis aerating tines do a great job of thatching, for weeding simply reverse the tilling tines, works well. And depends what you mean by a "large" lot... the Mantis can handle any size lot one would normally push mow... I'd say it could handle a 1/4 acre, for anything much more than a 1/4 acre I'd prefer a riding mower.

Reply to
Brooklyn1

Very true, and you certainly wouldn't use it to aerate only 1,000 sq ft.

Reply to
Brooklyn1

If you know so much WTF are you asking for advice?!?!? Duh

Reply to
Brooklyn1

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.