Why are there holes all over the lawn?

November 2, 2007 4:24 PM

What did the landscapers do to the lawn?

We rent a condo and the association hires landscapers. They were here yesterday, and today I noticed these little holes all over the lawn. The dirt from the holes was deposited on the lawn in neat little cylinders. They're about 1" in diameter and 4" long. At first glance I thought it was poop, given the appearance. At second glance I thought it was some burrowing animal. But there are way too many holes, and I don't see how an animal could consistently push up neat cylinders like that.

These are extremely meticulous landscapers, so I'm sure this has some purpose, but I'm intensely curious as to what it is. (They won't be back until Thursday.)

posted by desjardins to home & garden (11 comments total)

They aerated the lawn.
posted by Durin's Bane at 4:27 PM on November 2, 2007

Ostensibly to get nitrogen to the roots. But its main purpose is to get money out of your pocket. It also spreads mushroom spores and weed seeds.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 4:29 PM on November 2, 2007

Core aeration. More about air & water to the roots than nitrogen particularly. Most landscape companies are more willing to core aerate than they are to dethatch before they topseed, though I don't know why...steering an aerator drum is like wrestling a pig.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 4:38 PM on November 2, 2007

Most landscape companies are more willing to core aerate than they are to dethatch before they topseed, though I don't know why

Because dethatching involves a whole lotta cleanup and disposal of the dethatched material. Core aeration requires no cleanup at all.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 4:42 PM on November 2, 2007

Thatch is good for your lawn. It breaks down to fertilize the grass, and it keeps moisture from evaporating in hot weather. It doesn't stop the grass from growing. Similarly, mulching mowers are better for your lawn than mowers with catchers.
Think about the aeration points in Durin's Bane's link. Do you really think if you poured water on a lawn it would run off if it weren't for these holes?
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 4:54 PM on November 2, 2007

When I was in elementary school, we used to pick up the cores from lawns and throw them at houses to make little dirt marks.

That's about all I can add.
posted by chudmonkey at 4:58 PM on November 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

Think about the aeration points in Durin's Bane's link. Do you really think if you poured water on a lawn it would run off if it weren't for these holes?

Yes, it happens all the time here in the Bay Area, especially when people install lawns on clay soil and never rake, mulch and fertilize them. Mulching mowers are good, but you also run the risk of too much wet nitrogenous material sitting on your lawn unaerated, in which case the primary decomposers are anaerobes- which can cause your lawn to become too acidic, as well as releasing ammonia (all that lovely nitrogen) into the air, instead of making it available for plants.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:15 PM on November 2, 2007

Thanks, I can sleep tonight now that the Great Lawn Mystery is solved.
posted by desjardins at 5:24 PM on November 2, 2007

We called them "dirt clods" when we were young.
posted by rhizome at 5:34 PM on November 2, 2007

chudmonkey: Eponysterical! (I think)
posted by FuManchu at 5:41 PM on November 2, 2007

Posts marked best answer are correct.

I highly recommend doing this yourself once in your lifetime. The experience of destroying parts of your lawn knowing that it is in its best interest has a zen quality about it, at least it did when I was 10 years old. Also, your lawn is pooping!
posted by hooves at 7:37 PM on November 2, 2007 [1 favorite]