# Thoughts on Aeration?



## hmcohay (Jul 27, 2010)

I'm looking for opinions on whether aeration pays. As I travel the countryside I notice people here in Central Texas are beginning to pull aerators or Haykings through their Coastal fields.

First question: If one chooses to aerate what is the optimal time. Seems to early now. I have trouble disturbing the ground when the nights are dropping down in the 20s with some regularity.

2. Which machine works the best. Aeroway has a great marketing sceme. Used one once years ago but couldn't tell much difference. In all fairness we didn't get much rain that year and that is the only test I have to base my opinion off of.

3. Everything I read from university studies don't bode favarably for aeration. They seem to have rendered the process useless. I would like to know what people in the "real world" have found.

Thanks in advance!


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## homesteader (Jan 22, 2011)

I worked on a ranch in Colo. for a couple of years that had several large grass pastures wher cattle were fed in the winter and we tried to get some hay off of in the summer. Was all irrigated and fertilized and grass would get about a foot tall and start heading out. 
There was a pretty handy welder there and he made a aerator, looked like a mini ripper. Would only go in the ground about 4 to six inches.
Tried to go the opposite way that the water went and we grew the best crop of hay I ever seen. Before we did it, the water would just run across it in no time, after aerating, it took forever. Run a aeroway once, wasn't impressed at all by it.


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## hmcohay (Jul 27, 2010)

I am considering putting the points on my chisel and scratching down 6-7 inches and then lightly tandem the clods out. Grandfather said he has done that in the past and it worked well. Just hard to start getting that rough with my Coastal Bermuda.

Does anyone know when a good time might be to do this?


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I have a Hay King 6 shank pasture renovator that I use on pastures and older hay fields. the Hay King only rips about 6-8 inches compared to the 7 shank I use when replanting. I run it across the contour of field so that rain soaks in rather than running downhill. The ground has to be fairly soft when I rip it or I will end up with the field being pretty rough.

Ripping across the contour takes quite a bit longer but really seems to help control erosion.

Ralph


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## hmcohay (Jul 27, 2010)

What time of year do you run your renovator. I am really concerned about it being to cold and killing out some of the grass. Am I worring about nothing?


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

*Everything I read from university studies don't bode favarably for aeration. They seem to have rendered the process useless. I would like to know what people in the "real world" have found.*

In the high shrink swell TX Blacklands we have natural aeration.

I fertilize bermudagrass with anhydrous and 11-37-0 which is no different than a Hay King. With the summer drought the ground cracks where the chisels ran.

Idaho Extension says it works with hay growers who irrigate heavely. THERE

One alfalfa grower I know uses an aerway after every cutting. This fellow has more land tied up in pivot tracks than I farm!


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## pceeman (Jan 24, 2011)

I ran a Brown aerator with adjustable tines and if it anything it helped the amout and length of water standing on the soil 
I could mow hay the same day after a morning down pour 
in mississippi its a big advantage since the weather in early summer seems to stack rainy days so close 
i know a day sometimes is the difference of a tedder and wasted diesel or round bales in the shed


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

hmcohay said:


> What time of year do you run your renovator. I am really concerned about it being to cold and killing out some of the grass. Am I worring about nothing?


I try to do it in mid-September, shortly after the fall cutting, so that the field has time to recover before the first freeze. That also allows it to smooth out more with the winter freeze/thaw cycle and be ready for any heavy spring rains.

Ralph


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

Aeration or any other soil disturbance brings weed seeds up for germinations.

It can be a mixxed blessing.


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