Horticulture Hotline 08/14/22
By Bill Lamson-Scribner
I was asked about aerating a yard this time of year the other day, and I replied go for it as long as your grass is actively growing and not under any stress. Aerating should be considered for the health of your whole landscape and it is not a spring only activity. While you have the holes open in your yard, there are many products that you can add to that root zone area that will benefit your turf, trees, and shrubs.
Aerating reduces compaction, reduces thatch, increases oxygen movement to the roots, brings beneficial microorganisms to the surface, cuts runners, and allows better penetration of water, fertilizers, or control products into the soil. As a bonus you may cut up an army worm!
If you aerate now, it will be the perfect time to apply your winter preemergent weed control. Even if you don’t aerate, now is the time to control those winter weeds with a preemergent control product.
If you were too busy in the spring or if your yard was just too dry, aerate now before the grass slows down too much. I imagine there are a lot of landscape professionals that have aerators sitting in their shop that would love to aerate your yard now or get a few neighbors and rent one.
Right after aerating, while the holes are open, is a good time to add SeaHume G, BGK 7500, 04-04-04 Bolster, Crab Shell, Turface and/or Cotton Burr Compost. Even if you are not aerating, these products are great to add to your lawn and beds.
· SeaHume G is a bio-stimulant humic acid product that will help your roots grow, soften up the soil, feed beneficial micro-organisms in the soil, make nutrients that are in the soil more available to the plants, and keep fertilizer from leaching.
· SeaHume G also contains 10% cold water seaweed. The seaweed also acts as a bio-stimulant and is a source of over 60 minor elements, amino acids, and natural chelating agents.
· BGK 7500 is a granular organic product that has thatch eating bacteria mix in with a 03-03-03 fertilizer. BGK 7500 is also fortified with 6% humic acid.
· 04-04-04 Bolster and other products that contain mycorrhiza. By applying these products while the roots are exposed, the mycorrhiza can attach to the roots quickly. These friendly fungi will help the plant absorb water and nutrients from the soil while competing with bad fungus in the soil.
· Crab Shell by Neptune’s Harvest will increase the chitin eating bacteria in the soil. These bacteria will help control nematodes and fungus. I would definitely use this product in areas that I have problems with large / brown patch.
· Turface can last about 20 years in the soil and help manage moisture. This is a clay product that has been super-heated until it pops! This makes this product sterile as well as turns it into a little capillary. This capillary holds water and then releases it as the plant needs it. This product is used on baseball infields to manage the moisture levels in clay; otherwise, the clay would be rock hard or moist and slimy. Turface will also keep fertilizer and water from leaching in sandy soils. Turface is great for wet or dry areas.
· Cotton Burr Compost will add water holding capabilities to the soil by adding organic matter to the soil. Cotton Burr Compost will soften up clay as well as giving sandy soil nutrient holding capacity. Cotton Burr Compost is very high in nutrition and will also help increase populations of beneficial organisms in the soil.
All the above products will help conserve moisture as well.
Those mean and nasty fall mosquitoes are out and watch out for aphids.
Always read, understand and follow product label. The product label is a Federal Law.
