If you liked this video please SUBSCRIBE + THUMBS UP I have dozens of videos to help you save time, money and learn how to do more yourself! - Thank you for watching - To get a special price on this great tool check it out here amzn.to/2SeFSe2
Silver Cymbal thanks . I liked and subscribed. I swear- every other person has a different POV. I did a video on topdressing too- with a twist. If you get a chance, check it out. I’m new in this world. Even Matt Martin and Connor Ward day sand only.
Sand and clay are a great combination contrary to popular myth. The sand loosens the clay (it does NOT create “concrete”) and since clay holds such a great amount of nutrients already the result is a beautiful and nutrient rich soil that grass will thrive in. People need to actually try some of this stuff instead of believing everything they read online.
Sand doesn't compress like soil/compost does so it helps level the lawn much better. Sand does have no nutrients so if you have large divots that you are trying to level you should be filling with compost/soil first followed by sand. I use a 80/20 soil/sand for first stab at leveling then uses sand for final leveling but make sure to use the level tool he shows then a push broom to get down at soil level but I always compost top dress for adding nutrients. If you use just soil or compost top dressing you will still have an uneven lawn as they are more prone to movement during the different seasons in areas like New England.
You CAN use fine sand to level only if it’s 1/2 inch or less. Anything greater than 1/2 inch, you use 50/50 blend of Top soil and fine sand to level. Just make sure it is screened and the material is dry.
Thank you for this video. After watching so many that did sand, I did sand (with a soil mix) on my front lawn. However, a contractor I hired put only dirt on my side lawn (would have taken too much dirt to fill that in on my own and I don't have a truck). Grass grew easily on the side lawn. Barely growing, if at all on front lawn spots. Also, it is now squishy on my front lawn, but sturdy on my side lawn. I realized all the sand videos I watched steered me in the wrong direction. I'm now watching this after the damage was already done, though I'm glad you're warning others on this one, and I now have even more confidence and argument to do just dirt (the sand videos are still out there and RUclips's algorithim still throws them at me).
I understand that sand will give you a more level, reel quality lawn. My two cents is that if you have problems currently with your soil then fix that problem first before top dressing with sand. I started with terrible clay soil, including rocks and debris that were left by the developers ... the house was about a year old when I bought it so I didn't have any say in that. Shallow roots, rock hard cracked dirt in the summer, a soil test that defied belief. After a lot of effort, most of the soil has been remediated and the lawn is beautiful. Cannot imagine having done that with a layer of sand on top.
You’re issue is what I’m going through. I bought the house brand new. I get a light green during the spring/summer months. Fall and winter is a lot of dead grass. What did your effort consist of?
Same here. I have had my yard sprayed and fertilized for 3 yrs now and even though it it looks ok, I have a horrible fungus in my front yard. About to get a soil test done and do it all on my own from now on. After I correct the fungus, going to level it and then start fertilization and weed control on my own. It's alot to learn and figure out, but at this point, my yard looks just as crappy as the day we moved in years ago so what do I have to lose?!?
John I have the same issues on a 2005-era builder home in GA we just moved into. What did your remediation consist of? I also have terrible erosion/ruts on the one side of my house on a slope leading to the backyard… basically bare ground with pebbles and weeds.
@@progression_decibel - Ok, I am originally from NC in the piedmont so I am quite familiar with what I assume is red clay soil on your property. Maybe not, depending where in GA you are. I think in any case, honestly for you, having just moved in I would probably look at both aerating and leveling with fresh top soil with organic matter, maybe mix compost with top soil ... for the level areas. Overseed. You might have to resort to bringing in turf for the sloped area, depending on the degree of the slope, otherwise you could do the same. How much you want to bet that property was never aerated, my guess is the soil is fairly compacted. I currently live in a cool grass area so fall is my best time but I think for GA it is probably right now if you use grass seed. You'd have to jump on it quick. Even better would be to repeat next spring, maybe starting a little earlier. Just my two cents for a reasonably quick resolution. Top soil and compost in my area isn't all that expensive so shouldn't set you back too much. New turf is expensive.
I'd say top dressing and leveling are 2 different things. Top dressing IMO is just adding nutrients and product to your soil. Like fertilizer but adding more material in the form of more top soil or compost with the intention to maintain or alter your soil's chemical composition and/or pH level. As mentioned, you do this with top soil or compost. The horribly referred to "leveling" of a lawn - is flattening... or smoothing of a lawn.... people don't know what "level" means nowadays - can be done with soil, compost, or sand. You'll need more of it though and I can't imagine those spreaders being very good at it unless you're flattening an already pretty friggin flat turf. Most lawns are going to be crazy bumpy and likely filled with ruts. You're going to need more than a sprinkling of material to smooth those bumps out.... certainly not an even layer across the lawn because then you're just raising the bumps and ruts essentially. You'll see youtubers throwing down sand to "level" their lawns every year. Imo while the lawn might look great now - if they keep doing that for... forever.... it'll start killing their lawn. While I love Connor ward's content that dude puts down so much sand in his lawn year after year I can only imagine what it's doing to his soil.... or what it will do in 10-20 years time. And he already has a baby's ass smooth lawn yet he spreads sand over the entirety of it every year. I'd say if your going to finally commit and make the decision to become obsessed with your lawn and will finally flatten it - do it right the first time. Go full bore and do a complete renovation to your lawn. If it's like the grand canyon and loaded with ruts and bumps..... till that bitch and rake it out smooth and then lightly compact it with a roller, let it settle for a couple weeks, then recheck smoothness. I'd then take a power rake and run it over the lawn to loosen up the top layer a bit. Seed. Then water, water, water. Do this toward the end of summer/ very early fall and you should have a lush lawn before the first snowfall. Then come spring tackle weeds with prescribed treatments, insects as well if that's an issue, then come next fall assess if you need to "level" (FLATTEN) some more in some spots or not. Hit those spots, if any, with sand. Then over the entire lawn sprinkle some compost or quality soil over everything. After that.... I'd say "leveling" a lawn every 2-3 years, maybe even longer, is all you need to do.... every other time you do it add compost into the mix.... literally. Do like a 50-50 to 70-30 compost to sand mixture. In reality.... you shouldn't have to "level" every year... hell.... every 5 years even. If you have to do it more often you likely have a drainage problem. Correct that first.
using the eco spreader u still have to go back and use the leveling rake. even tho it’s spreading out evenly you still want to fill the low spots and take out the high spots.
I made a mix, 70% top-dress (compost/soil), 20% Peat Moss, and 10% Play Sand. I made a lawn leveler which screens out the stones and twigs and the result has been a really nice cushion lawn. We had hard-packed soil with a ton of clay on a hill that did not absorb water well, no matter how many times I aerated. This method, while laborious because I had to spread out at least 2-3 inches of it, is proving to work well for the grass seed germination. Long-term results are TBD. btw, your lawn advice has been really helpful, especially because we also live in MA, so thank you.
I use a top soil sand mix here in Ohio for bald spots in the yard an fill in hole works Great use sand also to break-up the hard clay soil with top soils never a problem beds are get better every year just play sand u buy at the big box stores
Grading a lawn is very expensive process (if done by professional). My landscapers is asking for 4-5 grands and i am not sure even after spending that much money he will do the job as per my satisfaction.
When I lived in Houston Texas, a friend top dressed his lawn with sand. I thought that he was out of his mind but learned better. It wasn't long before night crawlers start coming up through the sand and leaving casings that mixed with the sand. His lawn did real well.
Yes don't listen to grifters who go by internet hearsay. Sand is a natural component of 'soil.' Soil is also in process as you just described. If you dump several inches of sand in a rut it will not remain there permanently as a homogenous layer and prohibit grass growth. This video is moronic.
Silver Cymbal - You are, by far, the best lawn care expert on RUclips that I have found in terms of your videos...good explanation, succint in your communications, you don't play annoying music as so many seem to do, etc...I have only recently discovered your channel...I really like it! Question...top dressing large areas....the hand held rake style leveler is good for small areas. What do you recommend for large areas that can be pulled behind a riding mower/lawn tractor? I just recently purchased a Cub Cadet XT2 LX46 lawn tractor, which has alerted me to the need to level my lawn, such a bumpy ride! I have a homemade 'chain length fence section' that I could pull behind my lawn tractor, but thinking it may be too rough on my fescue lawn?
I’ve been using a 64 qt bag of potting mix, a bag of premium sand and 1/2 a bag of Black Kow mixed in my wheelbarrow. Couldn’t afford the recommended tool, so I’ve been using an old push broom. Little extra work, but the Zoysia has really started spreading
Thx for that informative video. I’ve followed the debate about sand top dressing for years. Finally this makes sense that it depends on the soil that’s already there and if it’s compatible. Great tip.
I appreciate it, you won't ever go wrong using exactly what your lawn wants. I tell people visit a beach, you won't see find sand or weeds anywhere except around the borders that touch....soil.
Thanks Here in Florida I live next to a golf course so My backyard is in direct competition with the pros. An d I can’t always do what they do but I can always use tips and tricks to help my lawn look it best.
After years of using a traditional 70% sand top dressing on our bowling green, we've now got a very bad Localised Dry Patch (LDP) problem which we've been told has been caused by too much sand in the top dressing. We've now reverted to hardly using any top dressing at all and just deal with any smaller areas of unevenness using a finely sieved topsoil. It's going to still take a few years for us to solve the LDP problem though.
I use a 60/40 sand potting soil mixed in my cement mixer. Dumbed in my wheelbarrow Spread/ leveled with a rake. Before I spread it I fertilize my yard with milorganite days before. Best Bermuda yard in the neighborhood!! I dont have clay soil but If i did i think that I'll use a 70/30 sand soil mix then top it with a liquid aerator once or twice a month.
Thank you, your video was helpful. My lawn's on a predominantly clay soil and I was thinking of using sand to topdress but now I know that'd be a mistake. So, thanks again!
how about using 50/50 or a 60/40 riversand and compost mix. I was told that since compost will decompose, it will not level the lawn as well as adding sand/compost mixture. Would love to get thoughts on that since I am about to get the leveling mix from Soil3 which is a 70/30 sand/compost mixture. I felt it and it is very soft and fine textured.
@Moon Pie I did end up using the Soil3 level mix of 70% sand and 30% compost. It worked great. I had to go in and do some additional work after but that was more to ensure that it is working. e.g. I used a manual aerator to see if the soil had softened. We have clay so putting sand on clay can harden the soil. Also I dusted a bit more organic compost on the sand just to make sure it looks good. As far as the leveling is concerned I have resigned to the reality that it is a 2-3 year process and I just have to be patient. Rushing it is not going to help and I am focusing on growing grass in the spots where it is not level. Once I have a healthy lawn, I can work on more leveling. Hope that helps. Also, since Soil3 can be expensive, I have used Black Kow compost plus play sand to do some more work. That worked out to be a lot cheaper than Sol3. However, if I have to do a larger project, I would definitely go back to Soil3 from Super Sod.
Organic matter breaks down, so the leveling won't last. It's best to have a mixture of sand as well as some organic matter to help promote growth after leveling.
Well I'm glad you talked me out of spreading top dressing by myself, as you said it's just too much work to go over an entire lawn even with that lawn leveler tool. I have 12,000 sq ft of grass, small compared to your yard but I know I'll be out there for days if I tried this lol. Might have to rent a skid steer or something. My lawn is incredibly bumpy, to the point I feel like I might roll an ankle of I'm not careful. I'm really hoping just a couple of years of regular aeration might ay least help a little bit. But eventually I'll have to do this I think.
There’s another vid on here where a guy made a drag behind tool for his ATV which worked with sand. But topsoil tends to be more difficult to spread. I like the suggestion to roll it after the rain. Try doing a smaller area 20x20 and gauge time, effort and results.
@@gordbaker896 - I don't have time to manually work over a 12k ft^2 yard every time it rains, nor do I think my lawn guy can rush on over for on-demand visits when it rains. :-b Also, many people like me who live along among the piedmont deposits of the Appalachians (north central NJ, in my case) want to top dress their lawn due to problems with "clay" soil (silty loam in NJ, according to a local soil professor). Rolling after it is wet would COMPACT the loam, no? The "clay" loam already lacks pore space. So, rolling would seem to be a BAD idea for many people addressing this problem. (The soil professor specifically said don't even walk on such when it is wet since it packs the soil further.) What then?
I hear you. It’s very tough to find this amazing tool. I have had mine for 2 years and love it. I think it’s a great long term purchase for yard work. You can see how I just used it in my new flower bed video. Very helpful. 🌸
I have always used good quality Top Soil whenever I’ve top dressed our lawn. I’ve been concerned about any potential salt content in sand and have avoided using it on the grass. When necessary, I will repeat the top dressing multiple times during the growing season in order to slowly fill in swales or deep recesses only after giving the grasses a chance to recover and grow. This process has always worked well.
I subscribed......hey how good is sandy loan/cedarmulch mixture together? its costs 30$ a yard..........love to see you make compost video for lawn guys, i hear bananasa and egg shells and clippings willdo the trick
Trey Terronez no way in the world I would water grass that much... and sometimes there’s water usage restrictions during some droughts.. naturally grown grass will grow without all the water and chemicals
Trey Terronez my lawns look great... if you don’t like aeration... don’t do it!! I love it and 120 of my customers love it as well and when I start aeration on most of the of the “grass won’t grow” lawns ... the grass started growing... 30 years of Lawn experience and I’m one of the BEST!!!
one small trick to help with clay soil and sand is to add compost or topsoil in addition to the sand. I remembered reading that just make sure they're mixed well enough and the compost is fine enough for the lawn. great tips by the way thanks :-)
Compost is decaying material. You can't build earth with that. Why is everyone so ignorant about the most basic stuff? Soil literally is silt + sand + clay in some ratio or another. "Putting sand into earth makes concrete"... holy mother of God people are useless
Using the topsoil will help solve this issue. Do it a little at a time and by the end of the season you will have a flat and level lawn and yard. Watch for some nw videos coming soon too.
I’m among many who have used sand over clay with Bermuda and haven’t made concrete yet. You need cement and aggregate for that. I use a golf course aerator and backfill with sand just like on a golf course. There are lots of opinions and some of them are correct.
A while back I got curious about this debate on whether we are making concrete by applying sand. I did some quick research on Portland cement and it’s quite interesting the process for making it and what goes into it. It would be a strange and unusual set of circumstances if we were to do that in the lawn by accident. So if we apply sand to clay we are making sandy clay soil and it will take decades to mix well. Some people call what we do “sand capping” because the sand mostly just sits on top of the clay or loam.
Great video! My yard is very high in clay content. It's very lumpy when I walk on it. Could a Scott's broadcast spreader be used for putting on top coating? Would you recommend compost?
Sadly no manual spreader has enough capacity and would constantly clog. I would recommend just ding a small area by hand each year and over time you will help improve it.
Great video. I see a bunch of people these days using sand but I’ve been hesitant to use sand. After watching your video, I think I’ll stick with fine top soil. Thanks for the info 👍
Even though I have 5000 sq ft to do, I plan on using the lawn leveler and compost this fall... hopefully if time allows. May have to hold off til spring.
I used the lawn leveler on my 5k and its a weekend project but not that hard to do. The biggest part of the project was dumping wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow throughout the yard.. Good luck!
A golf green like the one seen in this video, requires 9 inches of sand only and top dressing is only sand as well. This is because on a green there's no room in between the plants for compost or other debris. Water is retained in soil from capillary action between all the small bits of debris similar to a paper towel's many fibers close together. On a green, capillary action is achieved by the individual plant roots proximity to each other. There are thousands of individual grass plants in a square inch of golf green. A yard has typically 10 to 30 individual plants per square inch. It's not possible to have a high plant count without cutting low because sunlight cannot reach all the plants if there's a canopy of tall grass shading them. People believe growing vegetables and turf requires soil and there's no way to get this fallacy out of their heads. An inquiring person learning they must only use sand will immediately claim, " well it still needs some soil". Cutting short makes logical sense for most people but soil has a self defense mechanism that people just can't shake. This is why everyone fails to grow dense turf every time. Turf requires little nutrients, it is not snap peas or eggplant or tomatoes. Turf is not harvested like vegetables. Also the sand used is man-made. It is sharp if you pinch it between your fingers and can be purchased easily as concrete sand or construction sand. It sometimes includes pea gravel which is tolerable if you're not cutting less than 1/2 in. When ordering sand get lots, 4 yd minimum for top dressing. It's easy to work with sand. Load your wheelbarrow properly and it becomes virtually weightless. Another mistake 100% of people make is using incorrect fertilizer when seeding. All fertilizer has three sets of numbers, Starter fertilizer has zero for its first set of numbers. If you're fixing to grow a beautiful golf or bowling green in your yard, don't do it. Even if you can resist the urge to use soil and plan to use sand someone will talk you out of it and you'll make a terminal mistake and all the elbow grease and green thumbs in the world won't help you either. If you're crazy enough to try, respect the process like the 3,000-year-old science that agriculture is.
We have clay base backyard. And some of spot has water standing. I’m thinking put the soil on the top such as top soil or compost. Which one will be good in my situation??
Some thoughts: - Golf courses are not using special grass types that are tolerant to sand. In cool season areas they use bentgrass, ryegrass, and kentucky bluegrass, the same stuff you can get from a premium seed supplier. Sure you don't want to have an entirely sand soil layer, but we're talking occasional top dressing here. - Sand+soil does not make concrete-like material. I know this is a common myth on the internet, but the reality is that all of us have sand in our soil and any soil blend you get will have sand in it. - Compost or any organic material is not a good choice for leveling because it decomposes which will cause it to "shrink" and could ruin your nice leveling. It's a good choice for nutrients but not for leveling. - Plenty of people use sand for leveling and it works fine. Look at The Lawn Forum and check out the warm season lawn section. Check out Connor Ward's yt channel for a cool season example. A happy medium is finding a "lawn mix" of sorts from a bulk place that delivers soil/mulch/etc to your house in a dump truck. One by me sells that mix and it's mostly dirt and sand with a bit of compost. Sand is ideal for fine tuning because it is finer.
I agree completely sand is a great leveling product for under patios and foundations. But just because it's a fast track to leveling construction jobs doesn't make it right for cool season lawns and no science or literature supports this use. Look very close at many of the folks that use it online they have odd "hot spots" that never seem to grow and it's no surprise since these layers are not what a residential lawn wants. Some sand mixed in soil is just fine, layering sand is not and ultimately it will degrade your lawn. It's not my opinion it's what all the research shows. I would never use sand to level any cool season lawn. Using soil to level works very well and since it is what your lawn is built from you can be sure of no issues.
Unless you persuade earthworms to grow it for you, worm casings are expensive. That said, I suspect worm casings would provide the ultimate topping mix. They are fine-grained and rich in nutrients.
I have a question, I purchased a new home and the builder Ashton Woods fail to put compost down before lying the Bermund Tif Tuf grass. I am still trying to get them to pay for the compost. My question is what month should I spread the compost? Should I get a soil test first? What other suggestions do you have for my sitution.
I aerated then put 2 cubic yards of compost on my lawn last year and overseeded in the fall. The result is unbelievable. The grass is incredibly thick and the soil below is beautiful. I'd recommend that to anyone.
@@johnblackburn2237 it wasn't too expensive, something like $50 per cubic yard but the delivery was $50 from a garden center. It would take many, many bags to get that much. Two was quite a lot and it took me several days to spread it. It was enough for my front and back yard (average North American lot). I've never had such a thick dense lawn as this spring.
Ahhh, well yeah I ALWAYS take your word for it, and I am ALWAYS dam glad that I did :). I'm not exactly a newbie, but I'm also far from knowing it all (or even knowing much about lawns for that matter). I moved into (back to) a 1 acre lot and it is atrocious - uneven, weeds, thin/little grass, 1/4 of it too wet, and zero landscaping/edging/or anything to make maintenance easier. So yeah, I'll be trolling through all of your past videos on my journey to a new lawn. Ps. I just bought your recommend corded electric Thatcher (Greenworks) and plan to use it this weekend. Then I'll need to seriously consider following this video as my lawn is sooooo uneven.
I am about to redo someone’s lawn and there we are taking out there existing soil. But I was wondering if I can use screened loam and compost. Would that work we are laying sod down for there new lawn.
I need a golf course turf tech on payroll. I will say thet ive found sharp sand mixed into a clay soil makes it far more nutrient permeable. My lawn has suck for ten years because i stopped using chems on it.
But if you just spread out a top dressing evenly across the entire lawn wont it just keep the bumps but just make everything higher?? Figured unless you apply the fill in the spots you wanted leveled thsn your not helping the situation...
@@stephensumpter7514 what I read was if you get up to like 50/50 you end up with a composition like bricks. Adding 50% sand to clay is a sort of ridiculous concept
2:30 where did you buy this tool? I was trying to explain to the salesman in my local garden store if they have this kind of soil spreader and the guy started looking at me like I was out of this planet 🤣🤣
I have ruined my lawn with fill dirt, and now I'm paying for it. No help from landscaping companies, so I give up. Sounds like compost gives the best nutrients?
I got some fill dirt from a local farmer and I was less than happy with it. It had large stones in it and welding rods. It also started growing wild garlic and onions. I had all kinds of weeds like ragweed pop up. He said the dirt was from his field although I now doubt that very much. After about 10 years it seems to be doing a little better. Lucky it was only around 350 square feet of my yard. He charged about the same price as a landscaping company for the dirt.
Been putting sand on my lawn for decades and it never turned to concrete. And I live in Texas with clay. Sand + Clay does NOT = Concrete. Pure internet bull.
They were talking figuratively about being concrete, and sand will compact/harden with clay. To soften clay you can use sawdust which will hold the moisture to keep plyable.
In my opinion sand is better than soil. Bcoz sand has no weeds seend in it and soft for grass to grow fast. Soil is hard and it has bunch of seeds of weeds.
Thanks for the video. So is this something I should do before I aerate and seed my crappy lawn or after ive seeded and the lawn is established? Im obviously a beginner and this is my first lawn
I want the golf grass that you mention at the 1:38 mark. How do I get some of this golf grass seeds? I just want a modified grass seed that can stay green and use less water. Somebody has to have some gene splicing capability.
I live in Arizona. We have a dirt and pea gravel back yard. I just wanted to know how to level out the uneven terrain so we could set up a dance floor for my wedding reception. Lol.
Can anyone recommend whether or not one of those caged,rolling compost spreaders would be a good tool to spread soil for top dressing? I'm thinking it would be great to get an even layer of soil without too much rake and shovel labor
It is the ONLY way to spread your top-dressing mix of choice if don't have a 19 year old back anymore (like me). A fair quality one is about 200 bucks, a mid level is about 350 bucks, don't get a pro level (49 inch wide) as they are 600 bucks. The common fail mode on the cheaper models are the door latches as they are often not very robust and.....cheaper. I would fill my cheap-o up to the max and twist wire the door shut. A bit of extra time to reload but hey, beats shoveling and pushing that dang big old lawn rake for 3 hours. By far the easiest way to sift and spread without spending HEAPS on lawn tractors and pull behind attachments. Not the best tool to use with sand (obviously) but we have high clay content soil here so I only use peat moss and never use sand here so, it works out. One year I got lazy and just mixed the peat moss and seed and a splash of fertilizer in one go. Hope this helps. Cheers mate.
You would think a contractor would know this BUT they just laid sod down on existing dirt. My yard holds water. They put a drain in the middle of my backyard BUT it still hold water.
@@SilverCymbal I was told to wait til the spring. Said it will hold water because it hasn't rooted yet. If water still stands in the spring they will fix it
Yes, cheaper not better or easier Give one of these a try you will be surprised by the speed and the lawn level ability it has or quality of the result.
@@_P0tat07_ Yeah that's disturbing to think. Like I said, I've watched a few videos that have discussed various top dressing techniques and more than a few than said "use sand!" And none of them gave that warning. So many people throughout the US have clay soil so I would argue that's kind of a big deal! Glad I know that now.
That machine is pointless if you are trying to level. You only talk about using top dressing for levelling, but then recommend a machine that doesn't do any levelling.
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If you liked this video please SUBSCRIBE + THUMBS UP I have dozens of videos to help you save time, money and learn how to do more yourself! - Thank you for watching - To get a special price on this great tool check it out here amzn.to/2SeFSe2
Silver Cymbal thanks . I liked and subscribed. I swear- every other person has a different POV. I did a video on topdressing too- with a twist. If you get a chance, check it out. I’m new in this world. Even Matt Martin and Connor Ward day sand only.
What time of year is best for leveling?
$170?? I think I'm good with a good ole shovel and rake
Silver Cymbal so if I have sink hole in my yard but I already throwed a lot of old tires in there should I put topsoil over it or sand.
Hi .Big fan of you chanel .I live in canada what do you think of level the lawn in the summertime?
the only video under 5 minutes on this topic. thumbs up. Concise.
When is the best time to do this? I live in Utah with cold winters.
Avoid your super hot months, for us its late July & August. But other than that anytime the grass is growing is ok.
In Florida sand and soil are the same thing :P
Ahhhh the memories.....ewww I don’t miss the scorpions, fire ants, gators, etc.....
...and sinkholes
Think I better start with a grader 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I would go broke trying to level my 5 acres.
And will also break you back in the process.
Sand and clay are a great combination contrary to popular myth. The sand loosens the clay (it does NOT create “concrete”) and since clay holds such a great amount of nutrients already the result is a beautiful and nutrient rich soil that grass will thrive in. People need to actually try some of this stuff instead of believing everything they read online.
Sand doesn't compress like soil/compost does so it helps level the lawn much better. Sand does have no nutrients so if you have large divots that you are trying to level you should be filling with compost/soil first followed by sand. I use a 80/20 soil/sand for first stab at leveling then uses sand for final leveling but make sure to use the level tool he shows then a push broom to get down at soil level but I always compost top dress for adding nutrients. If you use just soil or compost top dressing you will still have an uneven lawn as they are more prone to movement during the different seasons in areas like New England.
Sand tends to break clay up some also.
You CAN use fine sand to level only if it’s 1/2 inch or less. Anything greater than 1/2 inch, you use 50/50 blend of Top soil and fine sand to level. Just make sure it is screened and the material is dry.
Thks will do 80/20
Thank you for this video. After watching so many that did sand, I did sand (with a soil mix) on my front lawn. However, a contractor I hired put only dirt on my side lawn (would have taken too much dirt to fill that in on my own and I don't have a truck). Grass grew easily on the side lawn. Barely growing, if at all on front lawn spots. Also, it is now squishy on my front lawn, but sturdy on my side lawn. I realized all the sand videos I watched steered me in the wrong direction. I'm now watching this after the damage was already done, though I'm glad you're warning others on this one, and I now have even more confidence and argument to do just dirt (the sand videos are still out there and RUclips's algorithim still throws them at me).
I understand that sand will give you a more level, reel quality lawn. My two cents is that if you have problems currently with your soil then fix that problem first before top dressing with sand. I started with terrible clay soil, including rocks and debris that were left by the developers ... the house was about a year old when I bought it so I didn't have any say in that. Shallow roots, rock hard cracked dirt in the summer, a soil test that defied belief. After a lot of effort, most of the soil has been remediated and the lawn is beautiful. Cannot imagine having done that with a layer of sand on top.
You’re issue is what I’m going through. I bought the house brand new. I get a light green during the spring/summer months. Fall and winter is a lot of dead grass. What did your effort consist of?
Yep I'm going through that now, and there's no way I'm pouring 3 tons of sand on pour soil, it makes no sense.
Same here. I have had my yard sprayed and fertilized for 3 yrs now and even though it it looks ok, I have a horrible fungus in my front yard. About to get a soil test done and do it all on my own from now on. After I correct the fungus, going to level it and then start fertilization and weed control on my own. It's alot to learn and figure out, but at this point, my yard looks just as crappy as the day we moved in years ago so what do I have to lose?!?
John I have the same issues on a 2005-era builder home in GA we just moved into. What did your remediation consist of? I also have terrible erosion/ruts on the one side of my house on a slope leading to the backyard… basically bare ground with pebbles and weeds.
@@progression_decibel - Ok, I am originally from NC in the piedmont so I am quite familiar with what I assume is red clay soil on your property. Maybe not, depending where in GA you are. I think in any case, honestly for you, having just moved in I would probably look at both aerating and leveling with fresh top soil with organic matter, maybe mix compost with top soil ... for the level areas. Overseed. You might have to resort to bringing in turf for the sloped area, depending on the degree of the slope, otherwise you could do the same. How much you want to bet that property was never aerated, my guess is the soil is fairly compacted. I currently live in a cool grass area so fall is my best time but I think for GA it is probably right now if you use grass seed. You'd have to jump on it quick. Even better would be to repeat next spring, maybe starting a little earlier. Just my two cents for a reasonably quick resolution. Top soil and compost in my area isn't all that expensive so shouldn't set you back too much. New turf is expensive.
DON’T USE SAND if you have any clay in your soil. Will turn to cement like hardness.
I'd say top dressing and leveling are 2 different things. Top dressing IMO is just adding nutrients and product to your soil. Like fertilizer but adding more material in the form of more top soil or compost with the intention to maintain or alter your soil's chemical composition and/or pH level. As mentioned, you do this with top soil or compost. The horribly referred to "leveling" of a lawn - is flattening... or smoothing of a lawn.... people don't know what "level" means nowadays - can be done with soil, compost, or sand. You'll need more of it though and I can't imagine those spreaders being very good at it unless you're flattening an already pretty friggin flat turf. Most lawns are going to be crazy bumpy and likely filled with ruts. You're going to need more than a sprinkling of material to smooth those bumps out.... certainly not an even layer across the lawn because then you're just raising the bumps and ruts essentially. You'll see youtubers throwing down sand to "level" their lawns every year. Imo while the lawn might look great now - if they keep doing that for... forever.... it'll start killing their lawn. While I love Connor ward's content that dude puts down so much sand in his lawn year after year I can only imagine what it's doing to his soil.... or what it will do in 10-20 years time. And he already has a baby's ass smooth lawn yet he spreads sand over the entirety of it every year.
I'd say if your going to finally commit and make the decision to become obsessed with your lawn and will finally flatten it - do it right the first time. Go full bore and do a complete renovation to your lawn. If it's like the grand canyon and loaded with ruts and bumps..... till that bitch and rake it out smooth and then lightly compact it with a roller, let it settle for a couple weeks, then recheck smoothness. I'd then take a power rake and run it over the lawn to loosen up the top layer a bit. Seed. Then water, water, water. Do this toward the end of summer/ very early fall and you should have a lush lawn before the first snowfall. Then come spring tackle weeds with prescribed treatments, insects as well if that's an issue, then come next fall assess if you need to "level" (FLATTEN) some more in some spots or not. Hit those spots, if any, with sand. Then over the entire lawn sprinkle some compost or quality soil over everything. After that.... I'd say "leveling" a lawn every 2-3 years, maybe even longer, is all you need to do.... every other time you do it add compost into the mix.... literally. Do like a 50-50 to 70-30 compost to sand mixture. In reality.... you shouldn't have to "level" every year... hell.... every 5 years even. If you have to do it more often you likely have a drainage problem. Correct that first.
I believe pooh bear is the best top dresser with donald duck comming in a close 2nd
using the eco spreader u still have to go back and use the leveling rake. even tho it’s spreading out evenly you still want to fill the low spots and take out the high spots.
Thank you for making it easy to understand. I"m glad I found your channel.
Thank you very much, I appreciate the nice comment
In New Zealand we call crop dusters top dressers. So top dressing your lawn sounds super exciting!
Dropping below the tree line and climbing back up within 50 feet is super-challenging but fun!
You call a lot of things by funny names like fush n chups etc lol
Yeah bro I was thinking the exact same thing
Crop dusting in my area is when you fart while walking and leave a trail of stentch behind you 😂
@@matte3561 it’s both where I live. Have to pay more attention to context.
I made a mix, 70% top-dress (compost/soil), 20% Peat Moss, and 10% Play Sand. I made a lawn leveler which screens out the stones and twigs and the result has been a really nice cushion lawn. We had hard-packed soil with a ton of clay on a hill that did not absorb water well, no matter how many times I aerated. This method, while laborious because I had to spread out at least 2-3 inches of it, is proving to work well for the grass seed germination. Long-term results are TBD. btw, your lawn advice has been really helpful, especially because we also live in MA, so thank you.
I use a top soil sand mix here in Ohio for bald spots in the yard an fill in hole works Great use sand also to break-up the hard clay soil with top soils never a problem beds are get better every year just play sand u buy at the big box stores
Grading a lawn is very expensive process (if done by professional). My landscapers is asking for 4-5 grands and i am not sure even after spending that much money he will do the job as per my satisfaction.
When I lived in Houston Texas, a friend top dressed his lawn with sand. I thought that he was out of his mind but learned better. It wasn't long before night crawlers start coming up through the sand and leaving casings that mixed with the sand. His lawn did real well.
I am assuming that your friend had St. Augustine grass lawn
@@kingbabarkhan That is the primary grass grown in Houston.
Yes don't listen to grifters who go by internet hearsay. Sand is a natural component of 'soil.' Soil is also in process as you just described. If you dump several inches of sand in a rut it will not remain there permanently as a homogenous layer and prohibit grass growth. This video is moronic.
@@guyincognito320ok brown
@@guyincognito320 What a judgemental and unhelpful comment. His point was there is no nutrients in sand.
Unless you believe silica is a nutrient.
Silver Cymbal - You are, by far, the best lawn care expert on RUclips that I have found in terms of your videos...good explanation, succint in your communications, you don't play annoying music as so many seem to do, etc...I have only recently discovered your channel...I really like it!
Question...top dressing large areas....the hand held rake style leveler is good for small areas. What do you recommend for large areas that can be pulled behind a riding mower/lawn tractor?
I just recently purchased a Cub Cadet XT2 LX46 lawn tractor, which has alerted me to the need to level my lawn, such a bumpy ride!
I have a homemade 'chain length fence section' that I could pull behind my lawn tractor, but thinking it may be too rough on my fescue lawn?
I’ve been using a 64 qt bag of potting mix, a bag of premium sand and 1/2 a bag of Black Kow mixed in my wheelbarrow. Couldn’t afford the recommended tool, so I’ve been using an old push broom. Little extra work, but the Zoysia has really started spreading
Who the hell uses quarts? Is this the 19th century.?
Thx for that informative video. I’ve followed the debate about sand top dressing for years. Finally this makes sense that it depends on the soil that’s already there and if it’s compatible. Great tip.
I appreciate it, you won't ever go wrong using exactly what your lawn wants. I tell people visit a beach, you won't see find sand or weeds anywhere except around the borders that touch....soil.
Thanks Here in Florida I live next to a golf course so My backyard is in direct competition with the pros. An d I can’t always do what they do but I can always use tips and tricks to help my lawn look it best.
Living in New England last 10 years - my lawn has always been -mehh. So thankful I found your channel. A HUGE thank you for sharing !
Thank you so much I really appreciate that
@@SilverCymbal Benjamin, his mower, reeling in the sun
Hi there. I was curious if you have ever looked into or tried to use Granusil mineral filler as an alternative to sand for leveling a lawn?
After years of using a traditional 70% sand top dressing on our bowling green, we've now got a very bad Localised Dry Patch (LDP) problem which we've been told has been caused by too much sand in the top dressing. We've now reverted to hardly using any top dressing at all and just deal with any smaller areas of unevenness using a finely sieved topsoil. It's going to still take a few years for us to solve the LDP problem though.
I use a 60/40 sand potting soil mixed in my cement mixer. Dumbed in my wheelbarrow Spread/ leveled with a rake. Before I spread it I fertilize my yard with milorganite days before. Best Bermuda yard in the neighborhood!! I dont have clay soil but If i did i think that I'll use a 70/30 sand soil mix then top it with a liquid aerator once or twice a month.
Thank you, your video was helpful. My lawn's on a predominantly clay soil and I was thinking of using sand to topdress but now I know that'd be a mistake. So, thanks again!
Use a few pallets tied to the back of a 4wheeler and itll work great.
Adam Mcgrath Chain link fence also
how about using 50/50 or a 60/40 riversand and compost mix. I was told that since compost will decompose, it will not level the lawn as well as adding sand/compost mixture. Would love to get thoughts on that since I am about to get the leveling mix from Soil3 which is a 70/30 sand/compost mixture. I felt it and it is very soft and fine textured.
@Moon Pie I did end up using the Soil3 level mix of 70% sand and 30% compost. It worked great. I had to go in and do some additional work after but that was more to ensure that it is working. e.g. I used a manual aerator to see if the soil had softened. We have clay so putting sand on clay can harden the soil. Also I dusted a bit more organic compost on the sand just to make sure it looks good. As far as the leveling is concerned I have resigned to the reality that it is a 2-3 year process and I just have to be patient. Rushing it is not going to help and I am focusing on growing grass in the spots where it is not level. Once I have a healthy lawn, I can work on more leveling. Hope that helps. Also, since Soil3 can be expensive, I have used Black Kow compost plus play sand to do some more work. That worked out to be a lot cheaper than Sol3. However, if I have to do a larger project, I would definitely go back to Soil3 from Super Sod.
Sounds like I’m going to stick with good old fashioned top soil. That leveling tool looks pretty interesting too.
Ive always had doubts about sand. Why would anyone want to add a non organic material?
Organic matter breaks down, so the leveling won't last. It's best to have a mixture of sand as well as some organic matter to help promote growth after leveling.
Well I'm glad you talked me out of spreading top dressing by myself, as you said it's just too much work to go over an entire lawn even with that lawn leveler tool. I have 12,000 sq ft of grass, small compared to your yard but I know I'll be out there for days if I tried this lol. Might have to rent a skid steer or something. My lawn is incredibly bumpy, to the point I feel like I might roll an ankle of I'm not careful. I'm really hoping just a couple of years of regular aeration might ay least help a little bit. But eventually I'll have to do this I think.
There’s another vid on here where a guy made a drag behind tool for his ATV which worked with sand. But topsoil tends to be more difficult to spread. I like the suggestion to roll it after the rain. Try doing a smaller area 20x20 and gauge time, effort and results.
Watch ConnorWard on RUclips. He has the best flattest lawn and he has an in-depth video of him leveling his lawn from maybe 8 months ago.
@@gordbaker896 - I don't have time to manually work over a 12k ft^2 yard every time it rains, nor do I think my lawn guy can rush on over for on-demand visits when it rains. :-b Also, many people like me who live along among the piedmont deposits of the Appalachians (north central NJ, in my case) want to top dress their lawn due to problems with "clay" soil (silty loam in NJ, according to a local soil professor). Rolling after it is wet would COMPACT the loam, no? The "clay" loam already lacks pore space. So, rolling would seem to be a BAD idea for many people addressing this problem. (The soil professor specifically said don't even walk on such when it is wet since it packs the soil further.) What then?
Top dressing in Michigan for first time. Wish I could find that rake locally. Damn expensive on Amazon.
I hear you. It’s very tough to find this amazing tool. I have had mine for 2 years and love it. I think it’s a great long term purchase for yard work. You can see how I just used it in my new flower bed video. Very helpful. 🌸
How does the machine level low spots or divots??
Thank you so much for the video!! Very very helpful
I have always used good quality Top Soil whenever I’ve top dressed our lawn. I’ve been concerned about any potential salt content in sand and have avoided using it on the grass. When necessary, I will repeat the top dressing multiple times during the growing season in order to slowly fill in swales or deep recesses only after giving the grasses a chance to recover and grow. This process has always worked well.
I subscribed......hey how good is sandy loan/cedarmulch mixture together? its costs 30$ a yard..........love to see you make compost video for lawn guys, i hear bananasa and egg shells and clippings willdo the trick
I use both... 75% soil mixed with 25% sand and aerate 2-3 times a year.... great video
I’m obsessed with my lawn but even that’s overdoing it. No point in aerating more than once per year.
Just water your yard every other day and you won’t need to aerate that often
Trey Terronez no way in the world I would water grass that much... and sometimes there’s water usage restrictions during some droughts.. naturally grown grass will grow without all the water and chemicals
Trey Terronez my lawns look great... if you don’t like aeration... don’t do it!! I love it and 120 of my customers love it as well and when I start aeration on most of the of the “grass won’t grow” lawns ... the grass started growing... 30 years of Lawn experience and I’m one of the BEST!!!
one small trick to help with clay soil and sand is to add compost or topsoil in addition to the sand. I remembered reading that just make sure they're mixed well enough and the compost is fine enough for the lawn. great tips by the way thanks :-)
Compost is decaying material. You can't build earth with that.
Why is everyone so ignorant about the most basic stuff? Soil literally is silt + sand + clay in some ratio or another. "Putting sand into earth makes concrete"... holy mother of God people are useless
I’m learning so much on your channel. Thank you!
Thank you very much for the nice comment
will tying pallets to my lawn mower work if I’m really really poor and lazy lol 😂
😀If you are really poor, just leave the bumps and enjoy life.
Yes, it works great.
i just want to fill some potholes to ease my back from the mower. without ripping up the grass
Using the topsoil will help solve this issue. Do it a little at a time and by the end of the season you will have a flat and level lawn and yard. Watch for some nw videos coming soon too.
Yes, and then you need to seed that area or else the weeds come up quick. I find it’s hard to get seed started mid season in the heat.
I’m among many who have used sand over clay with Bermuda and haven’t made concrete yet. You need cement and aggregate for that. I use a golf course aerator and backfill with sand just like on a golf course. There are lots of opinions and some of them are correct.
Bermuda definitely likes sand. I really like the way that you phrased this and appreciate the kindness of your statement and couldn't agree more.
A while back I got curious about this debate on whether we are making concrete by applying sand. I did some quick research on Portland cement and it’s quite interesting the process for making it and what goes into it. It would be a strange and unusual set of circumstances if we were to do that in the lawn by accident. So if we apply sand to clay we are making sandy clay soil and it will take decades to mix well. Some people call what we do “sand capping” because the sand mostly just sits on top of the clay or loam.
Beautifully stated man! I too have leveled with sand with no issues.
The soil on my allotment is mostly clay, I add a few bags of sharp sand every year and it's made a massive difference to the quality of the soil.
Great video! My yard is very high in clay content. It's very lumpy when I walk on it. Could a Scott's broadcast spreader be used for putting on top coating? Would you recommend compost?
Sadly no manual spreader has enough capacity and would constantly clog. I would recommend just ding a small area by hand each year and over time you will help improve it.
@@gordbaker896 - What do you "roll" with? Also, does that compact the soil?
ok, hottest wheelbarrow girl 1:54
Great video. I see a bunch of people these days using sand but I’ve been hesitant to use sand. After watching your video, I think I’ll stick with fine top soil. Thanks for the info 👍
Great informative video, many thanks. How come you had footage from Rosscarbery in South West Cork., a beautiful place.
Even though I have 5000 sq ft to do, I plan on using the lawn leveler and compost this fall... hopefully if time allows. May have to hold off til spring.
I used the lawn leveler on my 5k and its a weekend project but not that hard to do. The biggest part of the project was dumping wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow throughout the yard.. Good luck!
A golf green like the one seen in this video, requires 9 inches of sand only and top dressing is only sand as well. This is because on a green there's no room in between the plants for compost or other debris.
Water is retained in soil from capillary action between all the small bits of debris similar to a paper towel's many fibers close together.
On a green, capillary action is achieved by the individual plant roots proximity to each other. There are thousands of individual grass plants in a square inch of golf green. A yard has typically 10 to 30 individual plants per square inch.
It's not possible to have a high plant count without cutting low because sunlight cannot reach all the plants if there's a canopy of tall grass shading them.
People believe growing vegetables and turf requires soil and there's no way to get this fallacy out of their heads. An inquiring person learning they must only use sand will immediately claim, " well it still needs some soil". Cutting short makes logical sense for most people but soil has a self defense mechanism that people just can't shake. This is why everyone fails to grow dense turf every time.
Turf requires little nutrients, it is not snap peas or eggplant or tomatoes. Turf is not harvested like vegetables.
Also the sand used is man-made. It is sharp if you pinch it between your fingers and can be purchased easily as concrete sand or construction sand. It sometimes includes pea gravel which is tolerable if you're not cutting less than 1/2 in.
When ordering sand get lots, 4 yd minimum for top dressing. It's easy to work with sand. Load your wheelbarrow properly and it becomes virtually weightless.
Another mistake 100% of people make is using incorrect fertilizer when seeding. All fertilizer has three sets of numbers, Starter fertilizer has zero for its first set of numbers.
If you're fixing to grow a beautiful golf or bowling green in your yard, don't do it. Even if you can resist the urge to use soil and plan to use sand someone will talk you out of it and you'll make a terminal mistake and all the elbow grease and green thumbs in the world won't help you either.
If you're crazy enough to try, respect the process like the 3,000-year-old science that agriculture is.
We have clay base backyard. And some of spot has water standing. I’m thinking put the soil on the top such as top soil or compost. Which one will be good in my situation??
Did you figure out a solution? I also have clay and standing water.
Great information and insightful. Thanks.
Where has this channel been my entire life?? ☺️
Sorry I missed this very nice comment from a few months back. Thank you
Some thoughts:
- Golf courses are not using special grass types that are tolerant to sand. In cool season areas they use bentgrass, ryegrass, and kentucky bluegrass, the same stuff you can get from a premium seed supplier. Sure you don't want to have an entirely sand soil layer, but we're talking occasional top dressing here.
- Sand+soil does not make concrete-like material. I know this is a common myth on the internet, but the reality is that all of us have sand in our soil and any soil blend you get will have sand in it.
- Compost or any organic material is not a good choice for leveling because it decomposes which will cause it to "shrink" and could ruin your nice leveling. It's a good choice for nutrients but not for leveling.
- Plenty of people use sand for leveling and it works fine. Look at The Lawn Forum and check out the warm season lawn section. Check out Connor Ward's yt channel for a cool season example.
A happy medium is finding a "lawn mix" of sorts from a bulk place that delivers soil/mulch/etc to your house in a dump truck. One by me sells that mix and it's mostly dirt and sand with a bit of compost. Sand is ideal for fine tuning because it is finer.
I agree completely sand is a great leveling product for under patios and foundations. But just because it's a fast track to leveling construction jobs doesn't make it right for cool season lawns and no science or literature supports this use. Look very close at many of the folks that use it online they have odd "hot spots" that never seem to grow and it's no surprise since these layers are not what a residential lawn wants. Some sand mixed in soil is just fine, layering sand is not and ultimately it will degrade your lawn. It's not my opinion it's what all the research shows. I would never use sand to level any cool season lawn. Using soil to level works very well and since it is what your lawn is built from you can be sure of no issues.
I started this year using sand compost mix ratio 75/25 for dressing. Hopefully my lawn won't get so thin in fall and winter because of the moisture.
You're right on point. Can't go wrong with compost or topsoil. Sand only in specific situations. Good video!
Compost and topsoil will sit on top and won't settle into the low spots.
Unless you persuade earthworms to grow it for you, worm casings are expensive. That said, I suspect worm casings would provide the ultimate topping mix. They are fine-grained and rich in nutrients.
I have a question, I purchased a new home and the builder Ashton Woods fail to put compost down before lying the Bermund Tif Tuf grass. I am still trying to get them to pay for the compost. My question is what month should I spread the compost? Should I get a soil test first? What other suggestions do you have for my sitution.
Sand is awesome for Bermuda grass top dressing
Yes, the Bermuda loves the sand!
I aerated then put 2 cubic yards of compost on my lawn last year and overseeded in the fall. The result is unbelievable. The grass is incredibly thick and the soil below is beautiful. I'd recommend that to anyone.
How much does a cubic yard of compose cost? Does it come in sacks or did you have it delivered?
@@johnblackburn2237 it wasn't too expensive, something like $50 per cubic yard but the delivery was $50 from a garden center. It would take many, many bags to get that much.
Two was quite a lot and it took me several days to spread it. It was enough for my front and back yard (average North American lot). I've never had such a thick dense lawn as this spring.
@@johnblackburn2237 actually the compost was cheaper than the topsoil which is a mixture.
Thanks
Ahhh, well yeah I ALWAYS take your word for it, and I am ALWAYS dam glad that I did :). I'm not exactly a newbie, but I'm also far from knowing it all (or even knowing much about lawns for that matter). I moved into (back to) a 1 acre lot and it is atrocious - uneven, weeds, thin/little grass, 1/4 of it too wet, and zero landscaping/edging/or anything to make maintenance easier. So yeah, I'll be trolling through all of your past videos on my journey to a new lawn. Ps. I just bought your recommend corded electric Thatcher (Greenworks) and plan to use it this weekend. Then I'll need to seriously consider following this video as my lawn is sooooo uneven.
I am about to redo someone’s lawn and there we are taking out there existing soil. But I was wondering if I can use screened loam and compost. Would that work we are laying sod down for there new lawn.
I need a golf course turf tech on payroll. I will say thet ive found sharp sand mixed into a clay soil makes it far more nutrient permeable. My lawn has suck for ten years because i stopped using chems on it.
Do you have a schedule recommendation for when Topdress, aerating, overseeding, etc?
But if you just spread out a top dressing evenly across the entire lawn wont it just keep the bumps but just make everything higher?? Figured unless you apply the fill in the spots you wanted leveled thsn your not helping the situation...
Sand + clay does not make concrete. It doesn't' make for good soil either, but it won't turn your lawn into a slab of rock.
sand + clay makes sandy clay.... why do people forget about the cement component?
@@stephensumpter7514 what I read was if you get up to like 50/50 you end up with a composition like bricks. Adding 50% sand to clay is a sort of ridiculous concept
that's how bricks are made... clay fired
Wow I was just thinking of spreading sand over my lawn. Thanks for the warnings about sand. I do have a clay like soil.
Mix mix two parts topsoil to one part Sand
I have hard pack clay, the sand helps filter the water deeper into the soil.
@@craftman5632 Thanks.
Big fan - love your videos. Know anyone in Southern NH that rents the ecolawn machine? thanks.
The spooky language indisputably scare because bush externally bat between a curvy case. mysterious, bent actor
Sand & chicken compost. Trying to level the lawn with nutrition.
What is the best time of the year to apply topsoil in North Carolina for Bermuda/Zyosia grass? TIA
2:30 where did you buy this tool? I was trying to explain to the salesman in my local garden store if they have this kind of soil spreader and the guy started looking at me like I was out of this planet 🤣🤣
I have ruined my lawn with fill dirt, and now I'm paying for it. No help from landscaping companies, so I give up. Sounds like compost gives the best nutrients?
I got some fill dirt from a local farmer and I was less than happy with it. It had large stones in it and welding rods. It also started growing wild garlic and onions. I had all kinds of weeds like ragweed pop up. He said the dirt was from his field although I now doubt that very much. After about 10 years it seems to be doing a little better. Lucky it was only around 350 square feet of my yard. He charged about the same price as a landscaping company for the dirt.
flilguy you guys know there is a difference between fill dirt and top soil, right?
To put fill dirt on top of your lawn is a numbskull idea.
Adding sand to any soil makes concrete if you use use the wrong sand. Don't use builders sand use sharp sand.
Thank you so much - getting ready to top-dress my soil in a week. Am going with Black Kow and a topsoil w/Black Kow mixed in.
Been putting sand on my lawn for decades and it never turned to concrete. And I live in Texas with clay. Sand + Clay does NOT = Concrete. Pure internet bull.
To get concrete you need the most important ingredient....CEMENT! lol gotta love the internet bull.
How much sand and what type do you put down? Do you mix it with top soil or compost?
New homeowner in Texas. What works best for this?
They were talking figuratively about being concrete, and sand will compact/harden with clay. To soften clay you can use sawdust which will hold the moisture to keep plyable.
@@62classic4d Adding sand to clay soil does not make it harder. Thats old wives tale.
In my opinion sand is better than soil.
Bcoz sand has no weeds seend in it and soft for grass to grow fast.
Soil is hard and it has bunch of seeds of weeds.
So glad I found you! My yard is dirt and fescue and Bermuda on the side lawn ugh!
Dirt is what you get on your clothes not what you plant in. No such thing as 'dirt' science.
Gread video and I use sand in the Chicagoland area.
wow great video, than you for your time and help by sharing. Super Like and subscribed!
Thanks for the sub and the nice words. I really appreciate it.
Great content
Thank you
So sand and clay make concrete? Last I knew, you need Portland cement to make concrete regardless of what type aggregate you use.
Glad I came across this because i have soggy spots and I knew topsoil wasn't going to be enough to soft and takes days to dry Thank You
I want that mega lawn in the intro. Haha. Good content as always man
I'm thinking the mega lawn could actually be a sod farm. We have a couple of those in our area.
Thanks for the video. So is this something I should do before I aerate and seed my crappy lawn or after ive seeded and the lawn is established? Im obviously a beginner and this is my first lawn
You can topdress on mature grass but it only needs to be at least 6 months old to be safe. Then you can do it any time after
I want the golf grass that you mention at the 1:38 mark. How do I get some of this golf grass seeds? I just want a modified grass seed that can stay green and use less water. Somebody has to have some gene splicing capability.
Check out thelawnforum.com. Lots of info on quality seed.
I live in Arizona. We have a dirt and pea gravel back yard. I just wanted to know how to level out the uneven terrain so we could set up a dance floor for my wedding reception. Lol.
Can anyone recommend whether or not one of those caged,rolling compost spreaders would be a good tool to spread soil for top dressing? I'm thinking it would be great to get an even layer of soil without too much rake and shovel labor
It is the ONLY way to spread your top-dressing mix of choice if don't have a 19 year old back anymore (like me). A fair quality one is about 200 bucks, a mid level is about 350 bucks, don't get a pro level (49 inch wide) as they are 600 bucks. The common fail mode on the cheaper models are the door latches as they are often not very robust and.....cheaper. I would fill my cheap-o up to the max and twist wire the door shut. A bit of extra time to reload but hey, beats shoveling and pushing that dang big old lawn rake for 3 hours. By far the easiest way to sift and spread without spending HEAPS on lawn tractors and pull behind attachments. Not the best tool to use with sand (obviously) but we have high clay content soil here so I only use peat moss and never use sand here so, it works out. One year I got lazy and just mixed the peat moss and seed and a splash of fertilizer in one go. Hope this helps. Cheers mate.
What’s the advantage of top dressing? Do you then spread grass seed over the top dressing dirt loam in order to over seed?
I think you do such a great job with your vids!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you so much
This video helped me a lot . excuse me , got work to do :-)
Thank you glad it was helpful
You would think a contractor would know this BUT they just laid sod down on existing dirt. My yard holds water. They put a drain in the middle of my backyard BUT it still hold water.
Sadly many of them really don't care or don't bother. Hopefully this can help you over time I Have other lawn repair videos too that might help.
@@SilverCymbal I was told to wait til the spring. Said it will hold water because it hasn't rooted yet. If water still stands in the spring they will fix it
@@SilverCymbal it actually has gone down some since it stopped raining so I will wait and see.
just use the back of a rake.ten times cheaper.
Yes, cheaper not better or easier Give one of these a try you will be surprised by the speed and the lawn level ability it has or quality of the result.
@@SilverCymbal Those leveling tools are $170.00. I find that ridiculous.
@@exnjute - Supply and Demand. :-b I am thinking of making my own, but time is valuable!
Sand and clay soil warning could have been at the start. ;) thankfully I haven't made that mistake yet.
@@_P0tat07_ Yeah that's disturbing to think. Like I said, I've watched a few videos that have discussed various top dressing techniques and more than a few than said "use sand!" And none of them gave that warning. So many people throughout the US have clay soil so I would argue that's kind of a big deal! Glad I know that now.
Good advice. I'll get my wife right on it.
That's what my husband says. Lol
Best combo imho: 2/3 top soil, 1/3 sand.
Great info Thanks!
How do you estimate how much material you will need?
Would you recommend chocolate loam/sand mix to level?
That machine is pointless if you are trying to level. You only talk about using top dressing for levelling, but then recommend a machine that doesn't do any levelling.
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