You need to let them know where the sprinkler heads are. If the irrigation system was installed properly, the piping is deep enough that the aerators won't do any damage, but the heads come to the surface, so you need to mark them. the aerators should provide you with some flags to set out to identify sprinkler heads and anything else that should be avoided.

The heads aren't a worry...there's only one that's in the middle of the yard and I can mark that one. The drip system is a worry. When the irrigation people came out, they just laid the tubing of the drip system in the parkway on top of the (clay) soil...then the sod people just laid sod over the top of it.....I fear that my only alternative is the Turf Hound....2 holes at a time over the entire parkway.... :(

Sorry. I didn't notice that it was a drip system. I'd be wary of doing any aeration around that, even using the turf hound.

Any thoughts on my options? I've brought the grass back to color, but I had to hand water every 3 days to do that. Can I just start adding OM or is there some type of liquid organic stuff I can add? This is a huge problem area that I have no idea how to attack.....

On a strip with the drip system, I think I'd forego the aeration there and try something dchall recommends. The deep watering with a soaker hose.

Try that approach on your strip and I think soon you will have as much penetration of the root zone as with conventional areation and no threat of damage to the drip system.

The first key is slow. The second key is to make sure you apply water long enough to get it good and deep. Check how deep your water is getting with a spade or screw driver or moisture probe.

Repeat a few times and I think you'll see the improvement to soil hard pans you are looking for.

Thanks, rcnaylor......I'll go that route...sounds logical. Since the parkway is only a few feet across, do you suggest that I use the soaker hose right side up and turned down low or upside down? The type of soaker hose that I THINK you're talking about is flat, green/white and has holes only on one side. There's another type that's round and black with holes all over it. Could you please clarify which one you suggest? In my journey to going totally organic, can I then go ahead and start using SBM, CGM, etc on the parkway? Will they penetrate into the clay and actually be consumed?

I think it's the round ones that slowly seep water.

Actually, I would think you might be able to use your drip irrigation for this. Can you set it to a slow trickle and just let it run for a week?

Either will work, but, as BP suggests, the black round one is usually a little easier to do the job with on this kind of job. No wind/drift/adjustment/overspray.

And, yes, if you get the soil loosened up with that approach, the grain meals will do fine on fertilizing.

....unfortunately that area is tied to another area of the side yard sprinklers. I'd have to have them come out and put that drip area on a separate zone by itself. I think I may just go get a REALLY long drip hose for that area and hit it with grains in a few weeks if it appears that the soil is loosening up. Any thoughts on which grain to start with? I have a feed store close-by that carries most everything.....Maybe a liquid innoculant to start with?????

Where are you and what kind of grass?

We're in Crowley....bermuda....not sure if its hybrid or common.

I'd probably go with alfalfa meal. Then soybean meal in about a month.

From what I have read bermuda is a heavy feeder in the summer months. A poster named Texas-Weed is a bermuda sod grower in north central Texas and has excellent advice. How often to mow, mowing height, watering, fertilizing. You might want to do a search.

In my experience 90% of the battle for a nice yard is getting the right grass, knowing what it needs and following consistently the right approach on mowing, watering and fertilizing. Not too little, not too much, when it needs it.

ok....solid advise....thanks. I'm going to start mowing 2x a week....just trying to keep it green and as dense as possible..I keep it sort of tall..2 1/2 to 3in. probably...my wife and I both like it better than going the short route.....different strokes, I guess.

Alfalfa meal and soybean for dessert in August....got it. Russell Feed in Crowley carries them all.......thx

Well....at the advice of the Manager of the feed store (who's a huge advocate of organic lawn care ) I just put down 100 lbs of dried molassses and followed it up with a gallon of Nature's Guide liquid lawn fertilizer stuff I found at the feed store. I'll try the alfalfa and soybean in the next couple of months. Hope he didn't lead me astray.....