Q: Instead of hiring an aeration service for my fescue lawn this fall, what do you think of "aeration shoes" sold in catalogs? Are they a substitute for core aeration?
The shoes are intriguing but ineffective. Their spikes don't penetrate deeply enough, and the holes are too narrow to allow oxygen into the soil. Don't waste your money. Spike aerators pulled behind a lawn tractor are only marginally better.
The best tool is a motorized hollow-tine (core) aerator, which removes soil plugs. A properly aerated lawn should have at least ten half-inch-diameter holes per square foot.
Even so, UGA turf specialist Clint Waltz notes aeration's effects last only a few weeks—it doesn't permanently improve soil. However, it creates an excellent seedbed for fall-planted fescue. If your soil is hard clay, the only lasting fix is digging it up and incorporating organic matter before planting.
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