March 30, 2010

Stomping The Yard

A few weeks ago I decided that as summer 2010 could potentially be my last one here, I needed to close out the back yard with some serious man-love.

P1020021 The lawn was looking more than a little ill

As the years have passed I've tried to be show affection with a little fertilization and planting of new seed, but the mud has continued to spread while the dirt's continued to get harder and tighter. Did some research and found there was only one good solution: aeration.

Saturday afternoon headed over to Home Depot and rented out your standard plastic-barrel lawn roller, just fill it up with water and the thing would flatten anything. But the real equipment was the 350-pound Classen CA-18 gas-operated "compact" aerator, which was much like your standard rototiller, except instead of just turning over topsoil, it deploys a small tactical nuke on your back yard.

  • P1020022
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P1020023
Checking out Typepad's pleasant new "Thumbnail Gallery" feature

After spending half an hour struggling with Wes to get it up to the yard and almost giving up, I finally get it on the lawn but then can't manage to start the thing until I finally realize it has an actual key to turn.

I get it going and it just sits there chugging like a friendly steamshovel until I gently begin to depress the hand control. At which point the aerator takes off, dragging me across the yard at an easy 6.5mph while devouring and spraying out undigested yard. It was not unlike trying to stop a moving orca using only a lasso.

P1020035 This guy was fascinated by the destruction

I manage to rip a 180-degree turn just before it chews up the patio, then get dragged in the other direction before finally managing to get it vaguely under control. I barely get it a few times across the healthy section of the lawn before taking it into the mud area, where it promptly chews up and spits out... pretty much everything.

P1020026It's like I just told Madore there was a ham sandwich buried back there

I spend ten minutes doing a few more laps, another hour washing the machine down, Wes helps me manhandle it back into the car, and that's it. I now have a nice, soft, aerated, completely annihilated back yard just in time for summer grilling. Can't wait.

P1010963And... Hudson Kebobs Round #1 2010 turn out decent


Posted at 06:01 AM in Landscaping, Weather | | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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