Lawn patchiness; what to prioritize?
Hello lawn care people, I’ve got Bermuda tif419 in the San Antonio, TX area at a new construction home. The soil is very compacted, and has (what I assume) heavy clay presence, and very compacted soil. Home was bought 2 years ago.
I did my first core aeration a month ago without topdressing at all. Turns out, compost is very, very expensive for a whole lawn, even buying from local bulk providers. I recently got just a few bags of compost and put a very light layer on some of the most bare/patchy areas, just to see how much it might affect progress in closing some of the patchiness.
Just from aeration, I see some progress into some “perpetually gray” areas, but not very much. I’m wondering; should I continue to aerate twice per year, and put off topdressing with some compost, or should I hold off entirely until I can afford to topdress after aeration? Is there a benefit in renting an aerator for ~$100 twice a year, and not topdressing, or am I wasting effort and money, and I should wait?