Should I scalp my lawn, is a question we get asked a lot. My answer is, if you want to. Starting with the down side, scalping has mess disaster factor of 9.5! You set the mower to the lowest setting and bag all the clipping. A good respirator or dust mask is a sound investment. On the positive side it removes a lot of last year’s dead grass and also a lot of the weeds. It allows the soil to warm up fast which will make the lawn green up sooner which in turn allows you to start mowing sooner.
Aerating the lawn is another subject that gets brought up often. Aerating is the physical process of making small holes in the soil and grass. You should know that it is better to remove a plug of soil than to just poke a hole in it. These holes allow a more efficient use of water and fertilizer by allowing them to get through layers of compacted soil and thatch. Aerating should be done during the early part of the growing season. This task should be done about every five years or so. If you think you may want to aerate your lawn, contact our friends at Taylor Rental and they can set you up with core aerator.