Leveling My Lawn Before Renovation and Seeding / Soil vs Sand??
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- Опубликовано: 17 авг 2019
- Having a lawn that is flat and level makes mowing a much more enjoyable experience. Should we use soil or sand and what about when we are renovating a lawn and just about to seed it?? Today I talk about how I am leveling my lawn as part of my lawn renovation process and how I get it flat and ready for grass seed.
Tool I use for lawn leveling - ryanknorrlawncare.com/product...
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MSU Article - www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/236/...
More Sand Capping Info - sturf.lib.msu.edu/article/2012...
The Lawn Forum Talk on Sand Capping From Pros in the Industry - thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.ph...
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Lawn leveling tool I use - ryanknorrlawncare.com/product/lawn-level/
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Ryan Knorr Lawn Care
You can use a small angle grinder to smooth out the welds on your roller.
The lines made by the roller, may by for Measuring and Marking straight lines for placing rolls of grass.
Nice job, Ryan! I love it when I find a cold beer in the wheel barrel! And just throw that carpet in the neighbors yard... they'll never notice it lol
Love these videos. Giving me the knowledge and confidence to try this in my yard on a 1K section this year. If all goes well I'll expand. Thanks
im learning a good lesson from Ryan , he is really on the Level , keep up the green work !
This is the last year I mulch or move topsoil myself...I said that 10 years ago but continue to do it myself. The feeling when you are all done is what keeps me going.
I say that every year, and every year I get quotes to pay someone to blow bark or the like costing over double what it costs to have them dump it on my driveway and have myself do it.
Just stumbled upon your videos today and ive must have watched 10 of them so far. Learned alot off of you especially with tenacity! Your informative and clearly know what your doing. Your video editing is pretty superb too good from a guy in missouri with a horrible yard that needs your love 😉
Thank you for the clear and concise breakdown of the pros and cons of sand vs soil. I've been watching multiple videos on the topic and getting a bit confused, but this cleared everything up!
Glad to help!
Thanks for making this video! I’ve seen a lot of people use sand instead of soil and was wondering if I could use soil. My yard is really sandy soil, so I didn’t want to put down more sand. I have black dirt I’ll be using after I aerate, hoping to give my yard more nutrients to grow better grass.
great work and perfect timing, i'm following your process step by step!
Tip for the future: lay tarp in driveway for dirt/mulch/material to sit on. Easier clean up and you’ll get more of your dirt.
Make it flat...
It's already flat...
Make it more flat...
Also, shouldn't the truck drop some soil where it is needed, could drop in 3 or 4 places to save work?
@@davidprimeau3368 Ideally yes but I think the weight of the truck and dirt would leave some pretty large indents in the lawn if it drove off the concrete.
@@karljohnson3892
Thank you for the intelligent response, I didn't think of that.
You definitely know what you want and what you're doing. The return on investment and time and effort will pay back dividends in the end. Great video you Rock 😃🖖💯
I wish that I had known about that leveling tool 12 years ago when I put in my lawn. I used a 30” landscape rake, and even though I had a roller, I didn’t think to use it. I think I will build a 4’ leveler. I do have a tip for anyone planting bluegrass. Plant annual ryegrass at the same time. Plant in the fall, it will root quickly to hold the slow germinating bluegrass in place and it will die off in the spring leaving just bluegrass.
Love your show, I have learned a lot about lawn care !
Keep up the good work !
Exactly what I gotta do next spring. Thank you.
When I bought my house it came with a 12” concrete roller. Super cool tool and I use it quite a bit
That leveling process can be both utterly satisfying AND discouraging when you have the desire to create a perfect lawn. In the end...the satisfaction will take over as you know you've done your best.
I agree
Hi Ryan, awesome work bro...I think the higher edge on the roller helps you know exactly where you rolled last..not sure that's why...just a thought
Great work Ryan. Amateur tip for loading a wheelbarrow: Lean the wheelbarrow sideways against your pile, standing behind the wheelbarrow, "pull" the dirt with your shovel into the wheelbarrow. This method allows you to fill about half of the barrow in a matter of seconds. Lift the barrow upright and continue shoveling material to desired capacity.
Also, a round nose Shovel would take less effort. But I'm sure you know that and have a reason for what you do.
Finally getting ready to do mine in another week! I ordered the leveler several months ago and look at it leaning up against the wall in the garage everyday, mocking me. I'm doing approximately 8000 sq. ft. though and fortunately I have a compact tractor to do the heavy work!
You will need it for that kind of work!
this is such an awesome video and I learned a lot. thank you for posting
That's going to be a nice patch to mow when you get it done - nice and flat!
The Lawn Care Nut that’s not what he said
Throw er down!
Been out working on my lawn today too lost 80 percent of my yard to trash trucks after hurricane Harvey. I was wishing I had one of those leveling tools today.
Food for thought -- try placing a large tarp on your driveway to have the topsoil dumped on next time. You'll still have to wheelbarrow transfer some of it, but once you're left with a manageable amount of topsoil, you can drag the tarp over to your work area and dump it. It'll save you a few trips, you'll have minimal wasted soil, and you'll be left with a pristine drive way with nothing to clean/wash away after expending all that energy!
Anyway, keep up the great work! Excited to see how the different varieties of KBG look in your little test area!
@@beerbeforebreakfast I've personally used the tarp method without issue; first when putting gravel along a narrow fence line on the side of my house and another time with soil when renovating my front lawn. If you have a big enough tarp, you can grab all four corners and essentially make a bag/sack. This gives you enough leverage to drag a decent amount of material. I also drag it on grass/dirt, not the concrete. That said, tarps are cheap, so I wouldn't have cared if it ripped or got roughed up on concrete. To each their own, but the tarp method works for me and saves me time and energy.
I'm planning on my back yard taking a few years by topdepressing. Considering starting from scratch. The only downside is my pups won't be too happy. Side note, those 2 wheeled wheel barrels take 90% of the weight off, making it soooooo much easier.
just bought one of those rakes, can’t wait to try it out
Jesus this rake was a blessing... i can’t beleive how well it worked.
Working hard all day. You deserve that beer!💪🏻👍🏼
The lip on the roller is to make guidelines for the area u just packed down when ur rerolling something that may be tricky to tell where you just rolled
I core aerate and topdress my bentgrass putting green with sand twice a year. I also lightly topdress, 90-100lbs per 1000 sq ft, every two or three weeks. Just have to keep it up!
Always load your wheelbarrow facing the direction that you are about to go whenever possible. Small thing, but makes a huge difference at the end of the day. Less twisting.
I've been using the Sun Joe scarifier to grind off the tops of the bumps in my yard, then chopping out any tree roots I hit ... next I'm working up a mix of compost, soil, and bio char that I'll screen and spread; but I'm going to have to get one of those leveling rake tool things, likely should rent a plug aerator too - but I'm getting worried I'll run out of time to get the seed down if I take on too much
awesome ryan...this was helpful
Ryan , YOU are the machine for moving the topsoil . Killer job on the leveling (as usual). Good luck and Good weather for the rest of the job.
Ryan, been watching you this season, learned alot. I know you now have inground sprinklers. You should consider the Rachio smart control module. I just installed mine this year, its awesome....
You being a perfectionist ..you're neighbor's mess next door must drive u nuts....nice work!!!
The house we bought last fall has about 30,000 sq ft of lawn which is pretty uneven. This is shattering my dreams of leveling it out myself.
If you have a lawn tractor there's some attachments you could get that would help with the work like blades and rollers
I feel ya on the perfectionism. I'm learning to just let things go. I guess 2 kiddos helps with that.
I cant believe im just now seeing this one. I thought i watched every video youve made... I guess i missed one 🌱👍🥇
I am glad you didn't get the machine to help move the soil. That is how most of us are going to do this project. I love your content. I try to do what you show but with Bermuda.
Great video! One part of my lawn is a mess lot of large holes, bumps and moss, should I just remove that part of the lawn or try to lewel with soil?
Started this process last week. Cut it short, dethatched and adding soil/sand mix to begin the leveling process. We are about 1/2 complete with the process. Long process for sure, hoping that it will look great next spring. The fun part so far is the mud on the dog's paws coming back in the house.
Lookin’ good man!
Blue moon, good stuff and great video brother.
i know this is an old video but a quick tip for you - place your wheelbarrow in the direction you wish to go once its full, this will stop you having to twist and turn with a heavy load. top video btw
My neighbors had a landscaper completely replant and level their lawn and I witnessed the workers placing the wheel barrow next to the dirt pile then tipping it over so the side is touching the dirt then just push the dirt inside. I tried it with river rock and it saved my back.
I have found that a wide tool is preferred for other things as well.
Ryan, great video. Very helpful. I've been planning to do this exact thing. My question is this. I have Bluegrass and in some areas it's looking pretty good and in some areas not so much. Should I kill the grass in the areas that need leveling or just dump the top soil right over the grass? Thanks again. I've learned a lot from your videos.
If my lawn was as level as is yours is before you did this, I would not be watching this video.
Lol mine feels like bombed battlefield.
@@chasingthefish9042 haha
@@chasingthefish9042
😄
Lol I'd settle for his before
Where do you buy your leveling tool, please? When do you seed the grass, or does it just start the older grass?
Did you intentionally kill the grass in that area before leveling?
This is what I need to do to my back yard, it is about 5k sq/ft and while cutting the lawn it feels like I am rock crawling the lawn mower over the yard.
Great video! Hard work will pay off!
Thanks!
Use an eight foot 2 x 4 x 8 ft lay it on edge to see where the low areas are with light coming under neath the board. Good video enjoyed the detail. Wm
I've used our 95 gallon recycling bin to move mulch from my driveway to the yard. less trips than a wheel barrel and saved me a bunch of time. Love your videos! Keep them coming. I bought a the soil probe you have on your site. My next thing i need to start doing is testing it. Do you have any videos on how to test your soil?
Yep check out one from this past spring
Ryan, I live in west des moines. What company did you purchase your topsoil from? I am going to reseed this fall need recommendation please.
I actually don’t have a leveler what I do for bare spots is soil plus hard rake and I actually started going over those spots over a few times with a manual air raider before spreading seed
I planted my rye grass lawn back in May. It looks really nice, but it needs some leveling. Is it okay to aerate it and level it with sand only after 4 months of seeding it?
Would a compost spreader work for getting the soil spread out enough to use the leveling tool? I'm planning on leveling a portion of my lawn but I don't want to thin out the existing grass too much with a rake
Love your videos Ryan, clear speaking common sense tactics and educated actions. Now I just need to convince you to move south and get a Bermuda lawn so I can copy you 😆
You never know what will happen but I am a cold weather guy!
That offer for the Packers hat still stands... Would be good to have before the season kicks off :)
BEAR DOWN🐻⬇️
Could you do a complete overview of your irrigation system, including the main control box and just all the little details about it.
My irrigation video I posted a month or so ago explains most of it if you want to check that out
So I just killed of my lawn and cut the old dead sod out and I’m getting ready to start leveling the soil, should I aerate the soil or rototill the soil first or just throw the topsoil on the low spots and smooth it out? Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Aeration after removing the sod is not necessary. Depending on the condition of your existing soil, you could consider tilling the soil which should help with root growth. This process helps if you have hard compacted soil or if you want to ammend your soil with other matter like sand or compost. If you're going to till, I recommend mixing your existing soil with some quality grade compost and tilling the soil and compost together. Make sure you also smooth out the tilled soil with a roller or something that does a similar job so you don't end up with an uneven looking lawn.
That line gives you a reference point for the next lane you're gonna roll maybe.
Yup...then just take a soft broom to knock it away with light strokes
Ryan, I'm trying to find the video where you made the sifter for the soil - That was a good idea, I'm going to make once. Just trying to figure out what mesh to get.
What did you do on the existing sprinkler system before leveling up your yard?
What are your thoughts on engineered topsoil? My backyard is mostly red clay (North Carolina). I was going to get a truck load of topsoil. However, I saw that they also offered engineered toposil. Should I go all engineered topsoil? Thanks
I had some low spots in my lawn that I fixed this weekend, I did a mix of sand and soil, about 70% soil and 30% sand. Just helped give it better structure I think than just straight up soil. You must hate yourself with all that shoveling lol I just spent 12 hours on renovation this weekend and leveling was definitely not in the cards lol. I would have had to triple that time estimate.
It is a major time drain
U could also use snow blower to load up ur wheel Barrow.i did the same after my back started killing me
Noticed you're taking different paths with the wheel barrow over the front yard. I'd do the same thing to minimize the damage on the turf.
Glad to see you are taking on more projects!! Carpet removal??
Do we need to put grass seed with top soil when leveling existing lawn ? Or just level with top soil on top of old sod?
When you are reseeding, is it completely necessary to put down down soil? I have a centipede lawn right now and I would like to kill it off and seed Bermuda. If I kill it off and Dethatch it until I can see the soil, will that suffice? Or is topsoil on top of it needed? I would also core aerate it as well before seeding
You do a great job on your videos Ryan... if I'm out your way, I will get you some more beers for all your great efforts and clarity..... and thank you so so much for not playing jungle jams or techno trash or rap crap music in the background. SUBSCRIBED !!!
Hey Ryan..I need some help..i live on a corner property and it's a bit hilly..so the lawn is very high in some places and very low in others. So to level it..do I level to the highest point or do I try to break down the highest part and level it with other parts..and how do I go about it..I hope you understand what I'm trying to say
That song you use at 4:20 reminds me of the water level on Super Mario 64 🤣It's the old A9 that gives it that sound 😉
Now that you say that 😂
@@ryanknorrlawncare I was hoping you knew what I was talking about 🤣
Good afternoon Mr Tips😁
trevor muggeridge good arvo sir
It’s going to look prime!
Ryan, have you experimented with using crushed walnut shells as a leveling-only media? Easy to get, easy to transport, easy to spread I have a small area to level in my back yard and wonder if I should try the walnut media....what say you?
Hi Ryan, would you level your lawn with spring pruning wood ashes and then covering with a very thin layer of soil? do you think it would work?
Personally I stick to sandy soil or sand
Great video as always!! Ok so I am from India and here I have two options for levelling, 1. Sand, 2. Coco peat! And my soil type is red clay! So what would you suggest I do?
What are your thoughts on a 70/30 mix. Sand 70/Soil 30. It’s a golf course rebuilding blend.
Thumbs up for the perfectionism lol
Hi Ryan- does this apply to sandy soil that’s on a grade? ( est. 15% grade)
So with a yard like that, do you have to thatch and aerate before top dressing ?
Hey Ryan, I’m from Iowa too, wheres a good place to get top soil for leveling? I’ve read a lot about the bagged topsoil products and they have a lot of rocks and sticks...
Can you use a Top Soil/Sand mixture? For leveling and seeding at the same time?
Your thoughts on leveling my lawn in the spring? KGB in Indianapolis area
Thanks man!
Ryan, I’m kind of a beginner with lawn care. I recently dethatched my lawn, put down a little bit of screened loam in the many bare spots I had and over seeded with tall fescue. After a small rainstorm a good amount of my seed had washed out. I was thinking of throwing a little bit of top dressing over the new seeds, mostly to protect the seeds from further washout but also level my lawn in the process. Is this a good idea ? If so what type of soil would you recommend( this is in Massachusetts) if not, can you tell me another way to make sure my seeds stay put until they germinate ? Thanks
How'd it turn out mate?
What did you do to prep the old grass that is dead before you put the soil down??
There is a 48 inch wide leveking rake on the market. Do you think that would be better or too unwieldy?
I have a few wheelbarrows. I think my next one will be an extra capacity with two wheels on the front.
I recently moved to New house, when it rains or when I water the soil becomes white. Do you have any advice why this happens? I believe it is clay, it is too compressed and water unable to go down the soil. Will it be better to remove few inches of the backyard and place Compost?
Ryan, I’m planting a new lawn next week. Currently have 100lbs of SS1000 TTTF from Seed Superstore in my basement, but I’m thinking of exchanging it for KBG. Thoughts????
For Leveling/Reseeding, do you recommend Garden Soil, Generic Soil, or a Fish Compost to reestablish Nutrients in the lawn? (All Materials come from a Garden Supply "Quarry")
Much "THANKS" for your (OCD) Lawn Renovation Videos!😎 As I am "peculiar" as well
Take care,
🤓 -Thomas
Western Washington State
Hopefully you didn’t get too much washout from the storms last night.
It always amazes me how much work it is to move dirt.
I have a secret weapon involved this time
Can I recommend scooping from the edge of the pile using that flat shovel.
If digging into the pile, better to use a round point. The force and resistance of using the flat shovel to jam into the pile will cause long term adverse effects on your wrist and shoulders
Great video Ryan! I’ve actually been debating wether to use sand or soil as well. I do want to ask you what product did you spray to kill the existing grass?
Glyphosate
Do you know if there’s any issue with having the truck of topsoil dumped directly on my lawn and spread from there? I have to add topsoil due to pockets of erosion and tree roots showing. I think we’ve removed roots in the past years and left those areas empty causing divots all over. Also, the quality of grass/weeds are pretty bad. We didn’t add weed control for the past couple years due to cost. The quality of grass was never great but areas are full of all weeds littke real grass. Should I remove the weed infested lawn before I over-seed this fall or or can I rely on adding the weed control early spring to do the job?
I’m wanting to aerate, regrade/build up the lawn by adding topsoil, and over-seed plus do the fall fertilization. The steps in which to do all of this is not clear to me. It’s hard to find info or a video for all that needs to be done for my specific lawn step by step. Do you offer consulting services?
Like the editing , timing of music , fading etc
I have a lawn but my ground is not level - can just put soil and level it or do i have to do any other things before leveling it
Hi Ryan, how much did you pay for that truck of soil, I'm planning to labeling my yard as well, good job by the way👍👍👍
maybe the raised lip edge is for water run off channeling so rain does erode your flattening work?