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Lawn Aeration

Elizabeth225Elizabeth225 Posts: 96
in Problem solving
Hi, could anyone give me some advice please.I had Green Thumb come to Scarify my lawn at the beginning of Feb this year,then they came to Aerate it just over a week ago & they left the plugs all over the lawn,saying that they would break down in a few days & act as a top dressing,which it hasn’t,I think that is because my soil is mostly Clay,which they knew about,& the plugs were still wet & sticky,so I decided to remove them myself,yesterday,as I didn’t want the holes to become compacted.I have read somewhere that it’s ok to sprinkle sharp sand into the holes instead.So I thought I would ask you knowledgeable  people if it would be ok to do this.Many thanks in advance.
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Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Yes, it's often recommended for keeping drainage holes open.

    Put it on in piles then use a stiff brush to sweep it over the lawn - on a dry day so it falls down the holes.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    Coarse grit is better than sand.
  • Elizabeth225Elizabeth225 Posts: 96
    Thank you very much Obelixx, I will certainly do that.
  • Elizabeth225Elizabeth225 Posts: 96
    Thank you Posy.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    @Posy - Coarse grit doesn't slip as easily into the holes made by a garden fork or an aerating machine.  Nor is it as easy for grass roots to cope with.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    And any bits of grit left on the surface could get hit by the mower blades and fly up into your face (possibly less likely with a rotary mower than a cylinder, but I wouldn't chance it).
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    It's ok if you brush it in well and better for the clay, I am told. Sand has such small particles it can make things worse. The grit shouldn't be large enough to catch in the mower blades 
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    @Posy , my soil is naturally sandy/gritty and anything bigger than about 1cm can and does fly up if it's on the surface. The sand should be a coarse sand not the fine stuff - B&Q used to sell it as "grit sand" (which I used to fetch for my Dad who has heavier soil) so maybe we are talking at cross-purposes and your "grit" is my "sand".
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    Didn't you contact Green Thumb and tell them there was no sign of the plugs breaking down?  They should be sorting any problems - you have paid them to do a job and do it properly.
    I'm surprised they said that the plugs would break down in a few days, even if it had been light soil.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Sharp sand is just that - sharp little particles that leave air gaps between them.  Builders' sand is round and wet and best used for mixing concrete ballast or some such as it doesn't pour into the holes.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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