# Anyone aerate fields



## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

Anyone aerate their fields...

I have given it some thought here, thinking it would give somewhere for fertilizer & rain to get a little deeper in the ground..

Chris


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

I let the earthworms do my aerating in MY area.  On the serious side, never heard of it in MY area either.

Larry


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I do, can't tell if you if makes a difference but I blindly go thru the motions....hard to quantify


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## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

I built a Corsicana Pasture Renovator a few years back. I use it in the Spring after burning . Seems to help loosen the soil and allow the rain to soak in better.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

I figure it can't hurt anything, I don't have one yet tho... I like the idea of the plucker type...


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

broadriverhay said:


> I built a Corsicana Pasture Renovator a few years back. I use it in the Spring after burning . Seems to help loosen the soil and allow the rain to soak in better.


Had to look that one up, haven't seen that type before, that looks like it would be better than what I had in mind...

Chris


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## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

I built a 9 shank. It takes 10 HP per shank and I have a 70 HP Kubota. It will only pull 7 shanks good just let the 2 outside shanks flip up. I built 2 of them , one was for a friend that helped me a lot when I was getting started in hay business. Another friend had one he bought used for $1200 that I could duplicate. I bought the material that was new from a salvage yard and built the 2 for $600.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

I was just thinking I have a 9 shank spring chisel I might think about converting, might could fab up different shanks or something maybe so it wouldn't make such a wide rut....


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## TJH (Mar 23, 2014)

I've pulled a 12 Ft. Aerway for 4 years now. I can't tell that much benefit for the power that it requires. Here we have sticky gumbo soils and I got the same results by just applying litter to the control fields as pulling the Areway and then applying the litter. I believe that freeze- thaw cycles' do more good and they are free. I am not saying there are not places where mechanical aeration won't do good, just not here in my neck of the woods. That Aerway set at just 2.5 degrees pulled like pulling 5 16's, you knew it was back there.


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## Lewis Ranch (Jul 15, 2013)

The only benefit I see from pulling my aerator is it helps the spreading of Bermuda grass. Every place it cuts a root another runner forms, it has helped do wonders on fields I've leased that had thin stands.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

I do my hay and pasture land every year. Ideally aerate fertilize, than get an inch of rain to put the fertilizer into the ground. If I dont aerate or leave strips I can most times easily see the line. But I think the biggest effect it has here is to warm up that cold spring soil so things start to grow better.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

As for soil type here it's a clay, right now there are cracks everywhere wide enough to stick a pencil in, water will just run off if we were to ever get any that is.. me thinks it would open it up some without making much of a rut... won't have time to build anything right now but I'll put it on the to do list ...


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

SCtrailrider said:


> As for soil type here it's a clay, right now there are cracks everywhere wide enough to stick a pencil in, water will just run off if we were to ever get any that is.. me thinks it would open it up some without making much of a rut... won't have time to build anything right now but I'll put it on the to do list ...


Just speaking of my type, it's a HayKing, don't know how many shanks, about 13' wide. I like to wait for a rain or moist soil, it will not work good in dry conditions....the ground definately will green up where the kerfs are, could be from amendment penetration or just plain oxygen introduction, not sure. But it does cut the runners on tHe Bermuda and that's a good thing to help thicken up weak stands....along with copious amounts of lime, NPK and organic matter . Have had good success with a 10' harrow with the gangs set as straight as they would go, by doing so accomplished two things...1) somewhat leveled a really bumpy field (with the aid of a blade) 2) increased the amount of rooted sprigs by the cutting 
That, followed by a huge expenditure for the aforementioned components made a tough field bearable


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## TJH (Mar 23, 2014)

Yes, there is probably a difference between the hole punch type and the coulter chisel type.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

I have thought about something comparable to an aerway brand if I could pick up one cheap enough. My thoughts were during a really dry summer if you could time it before a rain go over the fields and loosen them a bit. My other thought was late fall to help move the moisture deeper and easier.


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