Hey Ron just found your channel a few hours ago and haven’t stopped watching since. I’m loving it. Great content and very thorough in the steps and process of creating and maintaining a great lawn. You don’t find that a lot with other videos on lawn care. They show you before and after but not the process. Do you have an email or another way to reach out to you? Looking for some guidance for my father in laws lawn. Thanks and can’t wait to see the final product when you and Alex are done with his lawn!
@@drewbrown5792 thanks so much Drew! I really appreciate you watching the content. The Fix My Ugly Lawn series has been really well received. My email is ron@ron-henry.com Looking forward to hearing from you. Will do my best to help out where I can.
Alex is getting $!?T done well over 5k spent with irrigation . But the best teacher guiding him thru the process and more importantly putting in work together forging a turf society brotherhood is priceless 😎
Well said davin24. It's been a lot of work and an investment but all the heavy lifting is now done. Plus we split the cost on the equipment so it wasn't too bad. Helps to have a neighbor with a lawn additional...errrr appreciation 😎👍
Best video yet, Ron. So many levels of excellence. Teamwork with you neighbor, great use of the tools, and a great how to video. Plus great camera work and editing.
Thanks so much John. It’s slowly getting better. This edit took a while to complete. It’s a bit long but happy with how it came out. Thanks for watching the content. 👍😎
I thought that top dressing machine was going to be over kill but.....whew saved a lot of back breaking work for sure. Look forward to seeing the grass work back up through the sand.
Lawn Journeys it was definitely a good idea. What you don't see is me also doing my lawn after the fact. I didn't film it because I wanted this video to focus on Alex's lawn. Besides, What you saw on his lawn is the same process on mine. His turf is already coming back very quickly. The nitrogen kicker really did the trick.
It's coming back very nicely Jonny L. The nitrogen hit we gave to the lawn as part of the top dressing work really did its thing. The lawn is coming back very, very nicely. Thanks so much for watching the content.
Oh yeah....that’s leveling up! Right there. Those machines are like unicorns here so that’s a huge find. Well worth it’s rental investment. Especially your size of turf area. This was fun
I totally agree Frankie. They're totally a game changer when it comes to getting great results in as little time as possible. Finding a working top dressing machine is really tough. It was an absolute treat to use these machine for the work. I'd totally do it again. 😎👍
Ron Henry I myself would skip the dumpster, looked like it’s not very user friendly and looked frustrating...but the top dresser looks fantastic and I just wish they were more readily available near here...a buddy and I struck out after several weeks of trying
Glad we could capture the work for you guys to see Kevin. Be sure to share the video with anyone that you think would like it. Appreciate you watching the content. 😎👍
It was pretty brutal Jason. We started work at 6:30 in the morning when it was cool on day 2. We were completely done by 2PM. Still a very long day. Totally worth it though.
Ron I commend you (& Alex) for the hardwork you both are doing. Also it’s nice seeing neighbors helping each other. I wish I was there because I love STUFF (lawn work that is 🤣) like this is so ADDICTIVE to me my siblings think I’m crazy! 🤣😂. Your labor will not be in vain.🤞🏾 ANOTHER GREAT INFORMATIVE VIDEO 👍🏽🙌🏽
Thanks so much Wize Guy!👍 I really enjoy working in the lawn. It's a great way to work up a sweat and it's very rewarding. Top dressing is a big step that will have the lawn looking great for years to come. When your siblings call you crazy, just tell them you're committed. 😎👍
Raining outside today so catching up on my Ron Henry videos. Man., Alex’s yard is looking great! I’m sure the machinery REALLY helped. Completely none of my business but curious as to how much was spent in the rental equipment?
Yeah dude. Alex has been putting in the work and it’s really paying off. The equipment rental cost just under $600. The sand (18 yards) was another $700. Not terrible for 2 lawns.
Ehh. I just gave him some advice. Alex does all the work. The equipment definitely makes the job way easier. It would be hard top dressing almost 18k square feet without some equipment.
Strong work Ron and Alex! Lawn is looking great! Next top dress I do I will be renting the tools from Keystone and recruiting some help. I just top dressed 10 cubic yards of dirt with one wheel barrel, one shovel, one level lawn rake, and me. Took me 13 hours!
I know I chuckled as how often you cut but foun out I need to cut twice a week to keep weeds down. So I am slowly falling into that too😂😂. Thought I would share I am sold now!
That's awesome Charlene. Once you start getting results, it motivates you to keep the lawn manicured. You'll love how your lawn looks if you decide to top dress it.
Ron Henry oh I will top dress it for sure! I am pricing materials. That’s why I need to know soil mixture. I did something like that without the level tool (I used garden rake). It was tedious and soil had weeds in it too like a clown I thought getting dirt from road crew cleaning road shoulders was easier😳😳
Wow....that looked like a lot of work! Thank goodness you had all of that fancy equipment and some helpers. Looking forward to see how it recovers! Excellent content, Ron!
Thanks LG. It was a ton of work. Will totally be worth it though. It shouldn’t take long to recover with all this heat. The soil is also very healthy so that should speed things up. 👍😎
It was a ton of work Bryan. Love the results though. If you want to see what we did this year, check this video out: ruclips.net/video/AdB2HEUOEJg/видео.html
Ron Henry ron i have few bare and thin spots i plan on addressing those come August when cools down a bit. I have quite a few weeds all of a sudden lettuce looking stuff i guess dandelions some grab grass also. Id like to spray a weed and feed but being new grass and the Fact i plan on reseeding in August i dont want to mess that up or kill any of my new grass now. What do u suggest?? Also the sand deal the heavy rains settled in the New top soil and id like to add sand to bring up the dips ect is that something im Safe doing now? If i do can instill top Dress and overseed come August to fix the bare and thin spots?? I greatly greatly appreciate your help and lobe your videos you do a fantastic job. Thanks Ron God bless enjoy the Rest of your summer. Brian 👍🏻
@@baims8367 I would try to top dress sooner than later. If you're talking the start of August, you're probably ok, but I wouldn't wait too late into the month. It's best to top dress the lawn when the grass is actively growing. As far as a product for weeds that works well but won't damage the grass, I really like Spectracide. One bag covers 3000 square feet and is effective against most common weeds. Can get it here: amzn.to/2OY4k2M Let me know if I can help with anything else.
Ron Henry thank you so very much if i apply this spectracide say next week. When can i then go ahead and top dress and over seed for my final time? Right away if it doesnt damage the grass or seed like you said? Sorry to bug ya w ? ? ? Im just trying to be sure i dont F up what I just did. For a 1 st timer i dont think i did to bad imo, and thats thanks to folks like you who share there knowledge w others through this platform. Im in Region 5 of Ny. Take care Ron look forward to your upcoming vids.
If you want to see part of how we spent this past weekend, check this out: ruclips.net/video/AdB2HEUOEJg/видео.html Was a TON of work. I'm still hurting. 😂
best DIY top dressing effort i have seen on youtube -- nice machines let us get a comment from alex regarding the mow quality once the lawn has recovered
It's already done zCassanova. You'll get to hear from the man himself in the next update. Thanks for the kind words and for watching the content. I really appreciate it. 😎👍
Thanks so much for this video Ron. I reached out to Earth&Turf products to see if they are aware any top dress rental have any in my area. Only thing I've been able to locate in my area is a ECO 250 it's similar in design but it's more wide/boardcast spreader. I think the Earth&Turf drop spreader design like this helped make this job so much easier.
Glad that you found it useful renewable008. Getting any kind of broadcast spreader will save a lot of time while producing a better results. I've seen the rotary broadcast spreader types but not one around here rents those. At least not that I've been able to find. Hopefully the video gave you some good tips for when you decide to top dress your lawn. Don't forget to add the fertilizer after aeration. It'll help the lawn recover faster. 😎👍
Looks great.... Leaving the plugs down from the aerator seems to be a widely discussed topic...Another great video Ron.... I do like how you wear your brand in all your videos...
Thanks Brad H!. I'm not sure why so widely discussed? On a golf green I can absolutely see removing them because it's a playing surface. I've never seen the point on a home lawn. I've never removed aerator plugs from my lawn. They break down over time or after the next mow. I prefer to wear my own stuff when I film if possible. :-) I like it and helps make the videos more recognizable. The merch store is online! :-D
@@RonHenry the discussion never seems to have much value.... Some say its visual, some say there is no nutritional value in the plugs, while others say there is.. I've seen others say that it kills the grass as it decompose... No one has a solid reason other than that just the way they do it... Top dressing and leveling is hard enough work add in picking up your plugs is just another personal choice I presume... I do like the nitrogen hit to jump start the growth..thinking I'll double up with a liquid Airriation as well (N-ext Air8) when I do it as well..
@@Brad901 that's what I often find Brad. Many times when people have strong opinions a lot of it comes down to "it's just how I've always done it". I agree it probably doesn't provide a ton of value but I logically it doesn't make sense that it would harm the lawn. Comes down to preference.
Thank you very much Mark. Gainesville is a great area. Close enough to Atlanta to visit for a night on the town while also being "country" enough to not feel congested. I really like it here.
Thanks so much Wofski. It was a ton of work but we really enjoyed getting it done. Glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching the content and let me know if I can help with anything. 😎👍
That’s going to look awesome. Well done! Lawn already looked great but the leveling will take it to the next level. And I know how hard of work that had to be. Living in central Alabama myself, I know how hot it’s been in the south the last few days.
It was pretty rough as far as heat Kevin. We started really early. 6:00 AM. That allowed us to get a good head start before the sun really started beating on us. I think you guys will be happy with how it turns out. 😎
Looks like a beach! I want to see what it looked like after you watered it in. Alex following you around while you pushed that machine made me lol. I don’t know why. 😂
You guys must be nearby. Keystone Rental is only 5 miles from me. I’ve taken over a tired Bermuda front, Zoisa back and am getting inspired on what I could create. Thanks for the awesome content.
They're not too far Jamie. About a 35 minute drive. Dan and the team there will fix you up. Tell them Ron sent you. :-) They'll likely charge double just for that. 😂
@@RonHenry Nice! I'm just getting started (well, I started last learn, but I'm learning as I go, so I'm still at the early stages). I took over an existing 5k of lawn with Bermuda out front, zoysia out back, lots of weeds, lots of tree roots, unloved, etc. so it's been a story of what to tackle first. I've managed to get rid of most weeds the first year. I used Celsius for most and Negate for Poa. I just ordered some Certainty, a soil test kit, etc from your site, so hopefully will be able to begin taking things to the next level soon. Given all that I have to tackle, would you suggest getting the existing lawn weed free, balanced after soil test, thickened up, then tackle the leveling issues? Thanks for all of the great content. It's incredibly valuable to many of us!
Ron - Great content. Thanks for sharing the good info. I have been followig the Fix Ugly Lawn protocol. I am based in Central Fl (Orlando area). We havew made good progress with dethatching, aerations, and first round of fertilizer. This phase was done ~6 weeks ago. At that time, I top dressed a small section as a test area. I used Play Sand. It leveled up nicely for a first pass and has recovered pretty well. It is not as dense/full as prior to top dressing, but looks good and more level. As noted that was 6 weeks ago. It is hot down here and I felt like the play sand made the soil/roots even hotter. Should I wait until it cools a bit before top dressing or OK to proceed?
Hey Ron, thanks for giving me the confidence to do this to my lawn!!! \cant wait to share the progress in NW AR!!! do you have a spring scalp video? Im wondering how my spring Bermuda lawn will react to scalping after top dressing. Saving my money for a Greesnmaster for this coming season. thanks for the help thus far!!
Hi Brendan. I have a scalping video that's several years old, but it will at least give you an idea of what the lawn looked like prior to being top dressed. I wouldn't recommend going too low since you're just unnecessarily introducing additional stress into the lawn. You want to ensure there's enough grass on the lawn to hold the top dressing mix in place. ruclips.net/video/22jsR-seiXM/видео.html Hope this helps. 👍😎
☀️Got to respect the work you guys put in! Awesome! Tip: if that’s the aerator with EST it’s way easier if you go in circles. Those machines will take out the fence if not careful. Looking forward to seeing his yard fill in! 👍☀️ Great job!
Thanks for the tip Sunny. I did big ovals on my lawn when I did it. The fence did suffer a hit or 3 from the aerator. 😂That thing is savage. Does a great job though.
Hello, Ron first let me say I enjoy your videos.. I have lots of work to do on my lawn, I have lots of dips and uneven areas. I know it takes time, but is it possible to top dress more than once per season if you start early and lawn grows back fully? Some of the dips keep me from getting a low cut, using a rotary mower of course, I’m years away from a reel mower of any type 🙄
Nice LG. I've ordered a second one. I was going to put one the Tru Cut but I didn't want the other mower getting jealous. Once it arrives then I'll get them decorated. 😎👍
You won't regret it Ben. It's one of the best things you can do for you lawn to improve soil health, moisture retention and a smooth appearance. Let me know if I can help answer anything.😎👍
Darn nice Ron. I wondered if/when you guys would break out a top dressing machine. Much easier than hand throwing. You may wish to invest in a drag mat to be pulled over the lawn after the topdressing. It's much easier than hand raking on your "big" lawns. Congrats to you guys on all of the hard work. Now, do a rain dance and step back. Watering is nice, but Mother Nature's product is always better. The bermuda will likely start "dancing" WTG!
Thanks Richard. It was a metric @$$ ton of work. Renting the equipment was definitely a good call. We toyed with the idea of getting a drag mat but didn't have a way to pull it. The place we rented the equipment from said we could use the Dingo to pull a mat, but there's no way I was going to put that kind of equipment on the turf. I'm too chicken. 😂I swear that top dressing turned off the rainfall. It's only rained once since we top dressed.
@@RonHenry I have pulled drag mats with JD riding mowers, golf carts and even my 4 wheeler. Whatever lifts your skirt! Anyway, looks like the end justifies the means. Well done Sir!
Hey Ron, awesome video and super informative. What is the name of the top dressing machine you used? I would like to see if I can rent one where I am in Raleigh NC.
Hey Ron, you didn’t cover a step: height of cut. As you mentioned this is kind of the last chance of the year to do this so I’m wondering what the height of cut was before the aeration I just did this two weeks ago around the time you did yours and I cut down to 1/2” inch. I wish I could post pics! I was scared but my lawn looks almost ready for my new McLane!
Heya Nick. You don't have to scalp the lawn really. Alex's height of cuts was approximately .75" before top dressing. I was at .50" For slopes you actually want the grass a tad taller .75 - 1" in order to give it a better chance to hold onto the top dressing material. If you go too low and get a heavy rain, much of the material will be washed away. Thanks for bringing the point about HOC up. Hope your project turns out well. You McLane should do a great job on it. 👍😎
That’s great to know and also, it makes sense since you guys are dealing with some gnarly slopes. I just cut my lawn with the new McLane and I set it up a weeee bit short! Hahaha. I set the height of cut on the concrete and once I got on the grass it was much lower than expected. I ordered a grooved roller for it so at least I won’t scalp it this time. Hey it’s not a bad idea: setting up your reel mower video 😋
Awesome Job, Awesome Video! When you say topdressing mix? Is there something mixed into the sand, sifted topsoil possibly or are you just using straight sand? Just curious for clarification purposes. I live just outside of Memphis, TN and plan to do this soon, I want to make sure I use the correct topdressing material? Thanks
Hi D Cousar. In this video it's straight masonry / river sand. If you look at my top dressing video from earlier last year, I used a 70 / 30 mix of sand and top soil. You can get great results either way. If it's your first time, I'd go with a sand / soil blend. Here's the video I'm referring to if you're interested. ruclips.net/video/wTNfxCmpOGE/видео.html Thanks for watching sir.
Great job guys! That lawn is starting to look great. This has inspired me to top dress my yard this fall. I'm tired of bouncing around while mowing! I know that it may take a few years (and a top dressing each year) to get it smooth, but it will be worth it. On a side note, why didn't we get any footage of the collision between the machinery and the fence!!?? :)
Most definitely Mike. Top dressing is one of the best things you can do for you lawn. To you point, I would look at it as a multi-year process vs. something to do one time and never again. It takes a while to build up areas that are very uneven. You'll totally like how your lawn looks. My phone stopped recording because I ran out of space. I cleared some off and then it happened again. 😟 It was pretty epic though. Would have been fun to share with you guys. I'm getting a new camera setup soon so should be a problem in future videos. 😎👍
@@RonHenry Which machine caused the damage? I'm assuming the aerator and that's why you ended up helping Alex out on the slope? Also, kudos do you for answering/commenting on all the comments.
Lots of work accomplished in this one. Love seeing the top dressing machine in action. When I do this I always do it myself by hand, but I can only do a max of 2 yards in a day and by the end I am beat. I should look into this sort of rental equipment. I noticed you didn’t remove the cores. Any particular reason?
Hi Dangerlawn. I've never really seen a good reason for doing it. They break down very quickly or get chewed up when I mow. It just adds an additional step for no good reason to me. In all the years I've been aerating, I've never removed the plugs. For a golf course green I get it because it's a playing surface, but for a home lawn, meh. 😎👍
Ron Henry I am going to be doing an aerate and sand level tomorrow morning and I think I’ll skip the core removal and see how it works. Last time I removed them mostly so I could use them to help establish some really low bare spots. I basically dumped the cores and put sand on top which was sorta like sprigging I guess. It filled in quick but I don’t need to do that again. My concern was that the reel would squish the cores and kill the grass beneath. If you aren’t seeing a need to remove them I don’t see why I need to do it. Lots of effort to get those up so I’d rather skip it
I'd skip it. I don't have any dead grass on my lawn and I didn't remove the cores. They dry out and break down very quickly. Good luck on the top dressing job tomorrow. Sure you lawn will like awesome post-recovery. :-)
Nice work! I hope to do dethatching and core aeration for my Bermuda grass, can I do it now or early September or even wait at next Spring? Your advice is great appreciated!
Hi Hao. I would do it now since it’s still hot enough to keep the Bermuda actively growing. This will ensure it recovers faster. In September temps will be more mild so the turf will take longer to bounce back. Let me know if I can help with anything else. 👍😎
Hi Marcus. The big advantages of sand is it does a better job of leveling the lawn and also drains water much better than top soil. Because the layer of sand is relatively thin, you can seed on top of it without issue. Let me know if I can answer anything else. Thanks again,
So, after putting down 4 tons of sand last weekend and leveling it out, watering heavily every day since and two cuttings to 0.5” on a 4200 sq ft lawn, amazingly I still have a number of very rough spots. It is amazing how much sand it takes to level a lawn especially the first attempt. I have another two tons coming today and I am hoping to fix some of the still low lying spots where my Toro Flex 2100 feels like it is on a roller coaster. Two questions- should I cut it down below 0.5” or keep at that and after I do additional leveling should I continue to heavily water on a daily basis? After watering all week this past week, most of the sand I put down is integrated into the lawn and only a few spots can still be seen. I would hate to over water my lawn to a big extreme by going another week. Does that make sense? Thank you for all of your help with my leveling project. You have the best lawn care site on RUclips by a long shot.
Heya Jerry. You don’t have to water too heavily as part of your top dressing recovery. More important than water to recovery is getting enough heat. Depending on where you’re starting, it can take a lot of sand to get the lawn pool table smooth. Once you get this next load of sand down, I’d let the lawn recover a bit and see where things are. It’s taken me 3 full levels over several seasons to get my lawn to where it is now. It’s definitely a process. Thanks for the update. Let me know if I can help with anything else. 👍😎
@@RonHenry so for the past week I have run everyday 1/2 of my usual summer watering cycle. The grass growth has been fantastic and the green up has been nice to see. After this 2 tons I don’t to see another piece of sand for a long long time 🥳. Are highs in Phoenix are now low 90’s everyday so no problem on the heat and we are just getting warmer. Is it okay to go back to my usual 2x per week for a total of 1” per week or would you do a short cycle per day on top of that to help the new layer of sand get incorporated into the lawn?
@@JBSpine007 I totally hear on not wanting to see another grain of sand anytime soon. 😂 starting next week you can go back to your 1” of water per week. It sounds like the lawn is recovering nicely so no need to overwater. If you get an especially warm day next feel, you can throw in a short cycle if you like. I think the lawn will be fine either way. You’ve been putting in a lot of hard work. You’re going to love how the lawn turns out. Great work sir. 👍😎
I just realized, duh, that leveling is a 3 dimensional issue. So my first weekend I dragged the leveling in one direction like north south or East west but depressions are both ways. So I’m finding that mostly what I’m doing is going the opposite way or at some angle to the slope. I can see how this is a multi year process!
@@JBSpine007 it’s definitely a multi-step process Jerry. You can do multiple levels per season to improve things. Definitely not a one and done in most cases. That’s all part of the fun. 😎
Great video - I need to do something similar but will need to seed bare areas too. I see a lot of videos using sand to top dress but how does seed take in sand? Would I be better if mixing sand and soil to seed? I’m up in the northeast so cool season grass. Thanks
I would mix soil with the sand Steven. A 70/30 mix of sand and soil is great for top dressing and seeding projects. I wouldn't do 100% sand if you plan to overseed this fall.
Wow!! His lawn is really taking off. When I'm ready, im just going to have a lawn leveling company take care of it for me but it's great to have the knowledge. Question: Did you remove the aeration plugs or did you to dress over them? I've heard that it's best to remove them as they become flattened and damage the grass.
Hi chrisdadda. We top dressed over them. I've never removed aeration plugs from my lawn. They get broken up by the leveling rake and whatever is left will get taken care of when we mow. I've never had any turf damage by leaving the plugs on the lawn and allowing them to break down. You'll be super happy with getting your lawn top dressed. One of the best things you can do for your turf. 😎👍
You will Robert. You just have to start the process. The sooner you start, the sooner it's done. It's not too bad if you're able to rent the equipment we used for the work. Recruit a few buddies to come help out. 😎👍
The equipment rental was just under $600 and the sand was something like $700 for 18 yards total delivered. When you split that across two lawns, it’s not bad. To pay a service to do just my lawn would be between $2500 - 3k.
Hi Keith. By production crew do you mean tripod? 😂Last fertilizer application is typically in October before the grass is starting to go into dormancy. It depends on the weather though. If it's a hot fall, I'll apply it later.
That’s a good idea Keith. You guys are going to get me to spend more money. I’m already looking into getting a proper camera. Tired of videos being interrupted by work phone calls. 😂
Very helpful video Ron. Thanks again!! I’m planning to overseed my backyard (tall fescue) in the fall and maybe overseed my front (Bermuda) in the spring. As I currently understand it the steps I need to follow are: scalp, aerate, overseed, level (top dress), fertilizer, and water. Is that the correct order of things? Do you think the liquid Air8 is just as effective as mechanical option?
Hi D Tisdale. Depending on how heavy you're top dressing, I would reverse overseed and level. You really don't want to new grass seed to be covered by more than 1/4" of soil which top dressing can easily do. So I would scale, aerate, top dress and then finally overseed. Liquid aeration isn't as effective as physical aeration for breaking up the soil and allowing the top dressing mix to blend well with the underlying turf. If you can swing it, I'd do both. 😎👍
Great video, in the episode of top dressing. I have watch an episode on RUclips the Doc he use a 50/50 type of dressing with 50% sand, and 50% organic material, especially around deep areas around driveways. He said the heat will burn a lot of new growth. My question how come you used straight sand and not a mix? Thanks
Mainly I've never experienced issues with it burning new growth Eric. I've filled ruts 3 inches deep with a 70/30 mix without issues. In this video we're top dressing Alex's lawn which puts a 1/4" to 1/2" layer on the lawn. We're in an open lawn that's not near concrete or other structures that hold heat so the chance of excessive heat isn't there. Also keep in mind that golf courses top dress with 100% sand and their turf looks great. Hope this helps.
Hi Miguel. Nope we didn’t pick up any cores. Just left them on the ground to break down over time. Top dressing broke a lot of it up. What was left was gone the first time Alex mowed.
Hi Steve. It ended up being 12 yards of sand just for his yard. What you guys didn't see on video is where we ordered another 6 yards to be able to do spots of my lawn. So we ended up putting down a total of 18 yards of sand with his lawn eating 12 of it.
Ron Henry how to apply spectracide , in morning or noon? And what good temperature to put down spectracide , after put down spectracide does I have to water after that or wait for next day to water it?
Hi Tan. I would apply it early in the morning when there is dew on the lawn. This will help the product stick to the leaves of the weeds we are trying to get rid of. I would wait till the next day to water. Let me know if I can help with anything else. 👍😎
Hi Ned G. I think it would depend on the type of grass you're trying to grow. In previous top dressing sessions, I've overseeded the day after the top dressing was done. Right now is probably a bit too hot for KBG I'd imagine?
Hi Bermuda Chris. You should yes. The big reason to top dress when the lawn is actively growing is recovery time. I wouldn't top dress before late April. Your lawn will look like a beach for longer and won't recover as quickly. There's little chance of doing any permanent damage to Bermuda by doing it too early; there's really no benefit in doing so.
OK Ron I’m back I got some questions to ask you now what is the equipment piece that your neighbor is using to level the dirt as you dump it? Then what is the wagon piece that you’re pulling called so I can rent that as well?
Hi Charlene. He is using this tool: amzn.to/2D9hJCM It's called a leveling rake. The device that looks like a wagon is a top dressing machine. That's something you can rent. I've never found a place that will rent the leveling rake. That you'd have to purchase. Let me know if I can help with anything else. 😎👍
Ron Henry thanks I am an AMAZON QUEEN😂😂 I certainly can use that. I am focusing on certain sections ata time since I have 4.8 acres😂. When I cut WITH MY RIDING MOWER it’s takes about 4 hours. So it’s good excerise
Charlene Crump 🤣🤣🤣 I’m sure Amazon appreciates you. 4.8 acres. Good lord. That’s a lot of property. Definitely a massive project but fun. Gives you a lot to work on. 😎
Now yours look huge to me too😂😂 that is what attracted me to your videos. Cause when I see the small yards I could do that quickly but mine and yours takes head space🤣🤣 not too much socializing
Great videos Ron... I'm in the metro Atlanta area, and have been looking for a place to source a top dressing like what you guys are using. Do you mind sharing the name of the company you got your sand/organic material mix from? Most places I've checked out are selling products with a lot of sticks/junk in it. Thanks,
Hi Rodney. We got the top dressing sand from Landscape Plus in Gainesville, GA. - (404) 787-4129. Pretty much all top dressing mixes that contain organic material will contain small sticks. At least all that I've ever used has. For this top dressing job, we went with 100% sand because of the machine we were using. Let me know if I can help with anything else. 👍😎
It really depends Eddie. I've hard 1 yard per 1000 square feet, but it really depends on how bumpy your lawn is. The first time you top dress it will take more material to get smooth than subsequent top dressings. Hope this helps.
Hi Charlie. I got the sand from Landscape Plus in Gainesville, GA. All in the sand was approximately $700 for 18 yards of sand which did all of Alex's lawn and some of mine. The equipment rental was another $600. So around $1300 all in. That may sound like a lot but consider that most services want anywhere from $2500 - 3k to top dress just my lawn.
As someone who has to do a serious topdressing to my yard here in Columbia, SC. What size is that yard? I've got a roughly 7000 sq ft front lawn and dredd doing that by hand.
Alex's lawn is approximately 7000 square feet so it's about the same size as your lawn. His lawn consumed 12 yards of sand to top dress. I'd highly recommend rending equipment to apply that much sand. It would be painful putting down that much sand manually. Let me know if I can help with anything else.
Hopefully you find someone David. You almost always need more sand than you think you will. Don’t try to fix every single dip full the first time through. If there are seriously uneven spots, you’ll want to build them up a bit over time. Let me know if I can help answer anything else. 👍😎
No worries David. It’s all about the journey. If you could fix all the issues right away, it wouldn’t leave you with anything to work on. That’s no good. 👍😎
Ron what do you think of top dressing with peat moss? I live in Cleveland ohio. I am curious what your thoughts are on that? Cheers and thank you for the hard work.
Hi John. I've never top dressed with peat moss. I imagine it would be great for adding organic material but not so good for leveling since it would eventually down. Just depends on what you goals are. Thanks for watching the content. Appreciate the support. 😎👍
@@RonHenry I am looking to add some more organic material and I have read that peat moss is good just a thin layer for top dressing. For leveling I know you can use peat moss with sand and loam soil. My goal is for the top dressing...hope that clears it up for you sir. Cheers!
@@RonHenry I plan on at least mixing some peat moss. Kellogg's lawn topper organic soil and Miller's top soil plus along with some sand but I am trying to figure out good sand to use...any recommendations sir? Cheers!
Hi Matthew. Last year I got it from Landscape Plus in Gainesville, GA. There’s also Soil3 from Super Sod. A bit more pricey but excellent product. Let me know if I can help with anything else. Thanks for watching.
May be a silly question but, you keep saying sand in this video. Do you really mean sand or are you meaning to say dirt? I'm loving the videos by the way!!! Wish you were my neighbor!!
Hi Ben. Great question. I'm referring to actual sand. The material I use to top dress is a mixture of sand and compost. You can see a more recent video here: ruclips.net/video/AdB2HEUOEJg/видео.html I like a 70% sand 30% soil/compost mix. Produces a great result. Appreciate you watching sir. Let me know if I can help with anything else. 😎
Ron Henry ah ok guess Alex’s lawn didn’t need it? I just did a top dress today but didn’t put any fert down before, should I just put some fert down anyway? I’ve got some kelp/seaweed coming on Tuesday too
@@drumsonly44 it won't hurt to put fertilizer down. The extra nitrogen will help the lawn recover faster from top dressing. Top dressing is somewhat stressful for the grass so adding some nitrogen and other nutrients to help feed it will only be a good thing.
Thanks for the kind words Kevin. Your seeds are going to germinate. There's plenty of heat so they'll come in. We definitely enjoy working on the lawn!
I don't unfortunately. Your best bet is going to be Googling who sells top dressing material. Local golf courses will be able to tell you too. They''re getting their sand from somewhere local.
Yeah Richard. It's well worth renting one if you have a medium to large size property. Plus the sand application you get with the machine is nice and even. I wouldn't do a major top dress in the future without one. 😎👍
That's what I was thinking I ask the soil place and they said A70/30 mix or 60/40 would be good it seems Sander is good Together the top dressing some support
@@RonHenry I've just seen greenkeepers removing the cores... But that might be because they have to get the green ready for play as soon as possible... Where as homeowners aren't restricted to a certain deadline.. I'm a total newbie from Denmark just enjoying the show 👍
Heya Anders. Yeah for a golf course it makes sense because they want to get the playing surface up and going again. For a home lawn not necessary. Just more work. 😎
Hi Avivia. It helps smooth out uneven areas of the lawn, improves drainage and is a great way to introduce new organic material. It's one of the best things you can do to your warm season grass. I have a newer version of this video here: ruclips.net/video/AdB2HEUOEJg/видео.html
![[TOP DRESSING RESULTS] How to FIX an UGLY LAWN | Golf Course Lawn RENOVATION](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vR8KtDIp5V0/mqdefault.jpg)
![[TOP DRESSING RESULTS] How to FIX an UGLY LAWN | Golf Course Lawn RENOVATION](/img/tr.png)
![How to [TOP DRESS YOUR LAWN] // LAWN LEVELING with SAND for a GOLF COURSE LAWN](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wTNfxCmpOGE/mqdefault.jpg)
![[SOIL TESTING] How to [FIX an UGLY LAWN] | Golf Course Lawn RENOVATION](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Pmw04hOB_rs/mqdefault.jpg)
⭐Complete Guide for Top Dressing Your Lawn with Common Lawn Tools: ruclips.net/video/wTNfxCmpOGE/видео.html
😎
Hey Ron just found your channel a few hours ago and haven’t stopped watching since. I’m loving it. Great content and very thorough in the steps and process of creating and maintaining a great lawn. You don’t find that a lot with other videos on lawn care. They show you before and after but not the process. Do you have an email or another way to reach out to you? Looking for some guidance for my father in laws lawn. Thanks and can’t wait to see the final product when you and Alex are done with his lawn!
@@drewbrown5792 thanks so much Drew! I really appreciate you watching the content. The Fix My Ugly Lawn series has been really well received. My email is ron@ron-henry.com Looking forward to hearing from you. Will do my best to help out where I can.
Ron and Alex don't mess around. They got the heavy equipment out like the pros. Ballin!
D T more like saving our backs. Can you imagine applying 18 yards of sand by hand? Would be brutal.
Alex is getting $!?T done well over 5k spent with irrigation . But the best teacher guiding him thru the process and more importantly putting in work together forging a turf society brotherhood is priceless 😎
Well said davin24. It's been a lot of work and an investment but all the heavy lifting is now done. Plus we split the cost on the equipment so it wasn't too bad. Helps to have a neighbor with a lawn additional...errrr appreciation 😎👍
Awesome to see two neighbors working together!
Most definitely Matt. We have fun with it.
Best video yet, Ron. So many levels of excellence. Teamwork with you neighbor, great use of the tools, and a great how to video. Plus great camera work and editing.
Thanks so much John. It’s slowly getting better. This edit took a while to complete. It’s a bit long but happy with how it came out. Thanks for watching the content. 👍😎
Dealing with a corner lot is like doing double the work. Good job guys
You're not wrong. At least the slopes on his lawn aren't too bad. Having the heavy machinery definitely makes the job easier.
I thought that top dressing machine was going to be over kill but.....whew saved a lot of back breaking work for sure. Look forward to seeing the grass work back up through the sand.
Lawn Journeys it was definitely a good idea. What you don't see is me also doing my lawn after the fact. I didn't film it because I wanted this video to focus on Alex's lawn. Besides, What you saw on his lawn is the same process on mine. His turf is already coming back very quickly. The nitrogen kicker really did the trick.
Ron I wish that I had a neighbor like you to help me with my lawn. Doing awesome work and with great commitment!!!
Thanks Elder Everett. We had a lot of help. Alex's family also came by to help out too. More hands make the work go faster.
I like that beat when they start the top dressing l need to get that
Thanks Edub!
It is looking amazing! Both of you are very fortunate to have such great neighbors!
Yes we are Playmate. Alex is a great neighbor and friend. It's fun working on the lawns together. His hard work has really paid off.
Looking forward to seeing how this will look in a few weeks. Great job.
It's coming back very nicely Jonny L. The nitrogen hit we gave to the lawn as part of the top dressing work really did its thing. The lawn is coming back very, very nicely. Thanks so much for watching the content.
You guys went all out on this episode.!
Yessir Connor X. We didn't hold anything back! It came out a touch long but wanted to show you guys everything.
Hard work will pay off!! At the end there will be a nice lawn! Thanks!
I agree D S. His lawn is going to be incredible. That back lawn is going to be flat and smooth.
Oh yeah....that’s leveling up! Right there. Those machines are like unicorns here so that’s a huge find. Well worth it’s rental investment. Especially your size of turf area. This was fun
I totally agree Frankie. They're totally a game changer when it comes to getting great results in as little time as possible. Finding a working top dressing machine is really tough. It was an absolute treat to use these machine for the work. I'd totally do it again. 😎👍
Ron Henry I myself would skip the dumpster, looked like it’s not very user friendly and looked frustrating...but the top dresser looks fantastic and I just wish they were more readily available near here...a buddy and I struck out after several weeks of trying
But it's so much fun to use the Toro Dingo though Frankie! If you're going to be sweating away out there, might as well have a little fun. :-)
@@RonHenry hehehe. Anything to take the mind of this brutal heat...good point lol
Most definitely Frankie! Better result with less pain. 😎
i love getting to see this machinery
Glad we could capture the work for you guys to see Kevin. Be sure to share the video with anyone that you think would like it. Appreciate you watching the content. 😎👍
It’s looking good! Brave job to take on during July heat in Georgia. Can’t wait to see the next update.
It was pretty brutal Jason. We started work at 6:30 in the morning when it was cool on day 2. We were completely done by 2PM. Still a very long day. Totally worth it though.
You aren't kidding 3 weeks of mid 90's!
@@BermudaBrian yeah man. It definitely is helping the lawn the recover very quickly.
Ron I commend you (& Alex) for the hardwork you both are doing. Also it’s nice seeing neighbors helping each other. I wish I was there because I love STUFF (lawn work that is 🤣) like this is so ADDICTIVE to me my siblings think I’m crazy! 🤣😂. Your labor will not be in vain.🤞🏾
ANOTHER GREAT INFORMATIVE VIDEO 👍🏽🙌🏽
Thanks so much Wize Guy!👍 I really enjoy working in the lawn. It's a great way to work up a sweat and it's very rewarding. Top dressing is a big step that will have the lawn looking great for years to come. When your siblings call you crazy, just tell them you're committed. 😎👍
Raining outside today so catching up on my Ron Henry videos. Man., Alex’s yard is looking great! I’m sure the machinery REALLY helped. Completely none of my business but curious as to how much was spent in the rental equipment?
Yeah dude. Alex has been putting in the work and it’s really paying off. The equipment rental cost just under $600. The sand (18 yards) was another $700. Not terrible for 2 lawns.
I knew you helped take care of that lawn. I have noticed it in the background before. That's hard core equipment.
Ehh. I just gave him some advice. Alex does all the work. The equipment definitely makes the job way easier. It would be hard top dressing almost 18k square feet without some equipment.
Definitely a lot of work. Theres no way easy way about it really. It’s in my future too, and i’m not looking forward to it.
Strong work Ron and Alex! Lawn is looking great! Next top dress I do I will be renting the tools from Keystone and recruiting some help. I just top dressed 10 cubic yards of dirt with one wheel barrel, one shovel, one level lawn rake, and me. Took me 13 hours!
Lou that sounds brutal. Once you get the top dressing machine, you won’t go back. It’s a huge timesaver and you get a much more consistent result. 😎
I believe it. On another note...I just got back from buying a Tru-cut H-25! So excited!
Ooooooooooooooooh. Lawn mower upgrades. Congrats! I like it. 👍😎
I know I chuckled as how often you cut but foun out I need to cut twice a week to keep weeds down. So I am slowly falling into that too😂😂. Thought I would share I am sold now!
That's awesome Charlene. Once you start getting results, it motivates you to keep the lawn manicured. You'll love how your lawn looks if you decide to top dress it.
Ron Henry oh I will top dress it for sure! I am pricing materials. That’s why I need to know soil mixture. I did something like that without the level tool (I used garden rake). It was tedious and soil had weeds in it too like a clown I thought getting dirt from road crew cleaning road shoulders was easier😳😳
Nice. Let me know if I can help answer anything else.
Wow....that looked like a lot of work! Thank goodness you had all of that fancy equipment and some helpers. Looking forward to see how it recovers! Excellent content, Ron!
Thanks LG. It was a ton of work. Will totally be worth it though. It shouldn’t take long to recover with all this heat. The soil is also very healthy so that should speed things up. 👍😎
Great work you two! 👍awesome seeing neighbors working together.
Thanks Raul. It was tons of fun. I think the result is going to come out very nice. 👍
Incredible work!!! Teamwork for sure gets it done quick!
It was a ton of work Bryan. Love the results though. If you want to see what we did this year, check this video out: ruclips.net/video/AdB2HEUOEJg/видео.html
Excellent videos Ron and thanks for the great info!!
Thanks so much BAims. Appreciate you watching the content. Let me know if I can help with anything. 😎👍
Ron Henry ron i have few bare and thin spots i plan on addressing those come August when cools down a bit. I have quite a few weeds all of a sudden lettuce looking stuff i guess dandelions some grab grass also. Id like to spray a weed and feed but being new grass and the
Fact i plan on reseeding in August i dont want to mess that up or kill any of my new grass now. What do u suggest??
Also the sand deal the heavy rains settled in the New top soil and id like to add sand to bring up the dips ect is that something im
Safe doing now? If i do can instill top
Dress and overseed come August to fix the bare and thin spots?? I greatly greatly appreciate your help and lobe your videos you do a fantastic job. Thanks Ron
God bless enjoy the Rest of your summer.
Brian 👍🏻
@@baims8367 I would try to top dress sooner than later. If you're talking the start of August, you're probably ok, but I wouldn't wait too late into the month. It's best to top dress the lawn when the grass is actively growing. As far as a product for weeds that works well but won't damage the grass, I really like Spectracide. One bag covers 3000 square feet and is effective against most common weeds. Can get it here: amzn.to/2OY4k2M Let me know if I can help with anything else.
Ron Henry thank you so very much if i apply this spectracide say next week. When can i then go ahead and top dress and over seed for my final time? Right away if it doesnt damage the grass or seed like you said?
Sorry to bug ya w ? ? ? Im just trying to be sure i dont F up what I just did. For a 1 st timer i dont think i did to bad imo, and thats thanks to folks like you who share there knowledge w others through this platform.
Im in Region 5 of Ny. Take care Ron look forward to your upcoming vids.
This is what I’m talking about! 👍
Yessir.
Dang, I can’t wait to see it progress. Nothing as satisfying as a top dressed lawn filling back in. #carpetsmooth #stripeaction
That's the goal Nick C. The lawn is already looking really good. We've been getting a ton of heat which is helping the lawn grow in very quickly.
You guys did an awesome job!!
👍😎👍
If you want to see part of how we spent this past weekend, check this out: ruclips.net/video/AdB2HEUOEJg/видео.html Was a TON of work. I'm still hurting. 😂
Great video...gave me real ideas on how to top dress my lawn! This is the way to go!
Glad that you found it useful Never Stop. Let me know if I can help answer anything. 😎👍
Great video and great job!
Thanks Brian! It was a ton of work but glad we were able to capture the content. Appreciate you watching.
Love that toro dingo 👍 his yard looks amazing
Thanks Thomko! It was fun to run. 😎
best DIY top dressing effort i have seen on youtube -- nice machines
let us get a comment from alex regarding the mow quality once the lawn has recovered
It's already done zCassanova. You'll get to hear from the man himself in the next update. Thanks for the kind words and for watching the content. I really appreciate it. 😎👍
@@RonHenry can't wait, need more input from alex the silent
@@zCasanova hahahaha. You'll hear from him in the update video. Coming soon.
Thanks so much for this video Ron. I reached out to Earth&Turf products to see if they are aware any top dress rental have any in my area. Only thing I've been able to locate in my area is a ECO 250 it's similar in design but it's more wide/boardcast spreader. I think the Earth&Turf drop spreader design like this helped make this job so much easier.
Glad that you found it useful renewable008. Getting any kind of broadcast spreader will save a lot of time while producing a better results. I've seen the rotary broadcast spreader types but not one around here rents those. At least not that I've been able to find. Hopefully the video gave you some good tips for when you decide to top dress your lawn. Don't forget to add the fertilizer after aeration. It'll help the lawn recover faster. 😎👍
How often should you top dress ? Every year ? As needed? Thanks his lawn is really coming along .
As needed Jim. No need to do every year for most people.
Looks great.... Leaving the plugs down from the aerator seems to be a widely discussed topic...Another great video Ron.... I do like how you wear your brand in all your videos...
Thanks Brad H!. I'm not sure why so widely discussed? On a golf green I can absolutely see removing them because it's a playing surface. I've never seen the point on a home lawn. I've never removed aerator plugs from my lawn. They break down over time or after the next mow. I prefer to wear my own stuff when I film if possible. :-) I like it and helps make the videos more recognizable. The merch store is online! :-D
@@RonHenry the discussion never seems to have much value.... Some say its visual, some say there is no nutritional value in the plugs, while others say there is.. I've seen others say that it kills the grass as it decompose... No one has a solid reason other than that just the way they do it... Top dressing and leveling is hard enough work add in picking up your plugs is just another personal choice I presume...
I do like the nitrogen hit to jump start the growth..thinking I'll double up with a liquid Airriation as well (N-ext Air8) when I do it as well..
@@Brad901 that's what I often find Brad. Many times when people have strong opinions a lot of it comes down to "it's just how I've always done it". I agree it probably doesn't provide a ton of value but I logically it doesn't make sense that it would harm the lawn. Comes down to preference.
Great job as always. Watching your channel makes me truly miss Gainesville and those North Georgia mountains
Thank you very much Mark. Gainesville is a great area. Close enough to Atlanta to visit for a night on the town while also being "country" enough to not feel congested. I really like it here.
Looks great!!! Good work and the video is awesome!!!!
Thanks so much Wofski. It was a ton of work but we really enjoyed getting it done. Glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching the content and let me know if I can help with anything. 😎👍
Love watching your videos, great job.
Thanks so much Christopher. 👍😎
That’s going to look awesome. Well done! Lawn already looked great but the leveling will take it to the next level. And I know how hard of work that had to be. Living in central Alabama myself, I know how hot it’s been in the south the last few days.
It was pretty rough as far as heat Kevin. We started really early. 6:00 AM. That allowed us to get a good head start before the sun really started beating on us. I think you guys will be happy with how it turns out. 😎
Awesome job
Thanks so much Nrod. Appreciate you watching the content. 👍😎
Awesome video and info! Ty
Glad it was helpful!
Looks like a beach! I want to see what it looked like after you watered it in. Alex following you around while you pushed that machine made me lol. I don’t know why. 😂
He was doing that to scoop extra sand into low areas. #teamwork 👍😎
You guys must be nearby. Keystone Rental is only 5 miles from me. I’ve taken over a tired Bermuda front, Zoisa back and am getting inspired on what I could create. Thanks for the awesome content.
They're not too far Jamie. About a 35 minute drive. Dan and the team there will fix you up. Tell them Ron sent you. :-) They'll likely charge double just for that. 😂
@@RonHenry Nice! I'm just getting started (well, I started last learn, but I'm learning as I go, so I'm still at the early stages). I took over an existing 5k of lawn with Bermuda out front, zoysia out back, lots of weeds, lots of tree roots, unloved, etc. so it's been a story of what to tackle first. I've managed to get rid of most weeds the first year. I used Celsius for most and Negate for Poa. I just ordered some Certainty, a soil test kit, etc from your site, so hopefully will be able to begin taking things to the next level soon.
Given all that I have to tackle, would you suggest getting the existing lawn weed free, balanced after soil test, thickened up, then tackle the leveling issues?
Thanks for all of the great content. It's incredibly valuable to many of us!
Good thing it’s been nice and cool outside these last couple weeks 😂. Looking forward to seeing the results.
It was still pretty hot outside Taylor. It was in 90s I believe. Toasty. The equipment made the job far easier though. 😎👍
Great video 👍🏼‼️.. thank you for the awesome content
Thanks for watching it Chuck. I really appreciate the support. Let me know if I can help answer anything. 😎👍
Just thank you for keeping it REAL 😊
@@MrChaz0409 I'll do my best! 😊
Ron - Great content. Thanks for sharing the good info. I have been followig the Fix Ugly Lawn protocol. I am based in Central Fl (Orlando area). We havew made good progress with dethatching, aerations, and first round of fertilizer. This phase was done ~6 weeks ago. At that time, I top dressed a small section as a test area. I used Play Sand. It leveled up nicely for a first pass and has recovered pretty well. It is not as dense/full as prior to top dressing, but looks good and more level. As noted that was 6 weeks ago. It is hot down here and I felt like the play sand made the soil/roots even hotter. Should I wait until it cools a bit before top dressing or OK to proceed?
You're good to proceed John. The lawn will recover faster with hotter weather
Hey Ron, thanks for giving me the confidence to do this to my lawn!!! \cant wait to share the progress in NW AR!!! do you have a spring scalp video? Im wondering how my spring Bermuda lawn will react to scalping after top dressing. Saving my money for a Greesnmaster for this coming season. thanks for the help thus far!!
Hi Brendan. I have a scalping video that's several years old, but it will at least give you an idea of what the lawn looked like prior to being top dressed. I wouldn't recommend going too low since you're just unnecessarily introducing additional stress into the lawn. You want to ensure there's enough grass on the lawn to hold the top dressing mix in place. ruclips.net/video/22jsR-seiXM/видео.html Hope this helps. 👍😎
☀️Got to respect the work you guys put in! Awesome! Tip: if that’s the aerator with EST it’s way easier if you go in circles. Those machines will take out the fence if not careful. Looking forward to seeing his yard fill in! 👍☀️ Great job!
Thanks for the tip Sunny. I did big ovals on my lawn when I did it. The fence did suffer a hit or 3 from the aerator. 😂That thing is savage. Does a great job though.
Hello, Ron first let me say I enjoy your videos..
I have lots of work to do on my lawn, I have lots of dips and uneven areas. I know it takes time, but is it possible to top dress more than once per season if you start early and lawn grows back fully? Some of the dips keep me from getting a low cut, using a rotary mower of course, I’m years away from a reel mower of any type 🙄
Hi 1320. Yep. You can top dress 2 - 3 times in a season if you get the first one done in early May. In one season you can totally transform a lawn.
@@RonHenry awesome, thanks for the response
My #stripeaction sticker should be arriving in the mail today!
Everyone watching this channel needs to order one (or more) for their collection!
Nice LG. I've ordered a second one. I was going to put one the Tru Cut but I didn't want the other mower getting jealous. Once it arrives then I'll get them decorated. 😎👍
Fingers crossed you guys stay rain free (at least the heavy stuff) for the next few weeks
We’ve had one heavy rain Matt. Outside of that it’s been dry. Thank goodness for irrigation. 😎
I need to do this to my lawn. Much smaller though..
You won't regret it Ben. It's one of the best things you can do for you lawn to improve soil health, moisture retention and a smooth appearance. Let me know if I can help answer anything.😎👍
Hey Ron! Can you use this same process series for centipede and Zoysia lawns?
Yes Rick. Here’s an updated version from this year if you’re interested. ruclips.net/video/AdB2HEUOEJg/видео.html
Darn nice Ron. I wondered if/when you guys would break out a top dressing machine. Much easier than hand throwing. You may wish to invest in a drag mat to be pulled over the lawn after the topdressing. It's much easier than hand raking on your "big" lawns. Congrats to you guys on all of the hard work. Now, do a rain dance and step back. Watering is nice, but Mother Nature's product is always better. The bermuda will likely start "dancing" WTG!
Thanks Richard. It was a metric @$$ ton of work. Renting the equipment was definitely a good call. We toyed with the idea of getting a drag mat but didn't have a way to pull it. The place we rented the equipment from said we could use the Dingo to pull a mat, but there's no way I was going to put that kind of equipment on the turf. I'm too chicken. 😂I swear that top dressing turned off the rainfall. It's only rained once since we top dressed.
@@RonHenry I have pulled drag mats with JD riding mowers, golf carts and even my 4 wheeler. Whatever lifts your skirt! Anyway, looks like the end justifies the means. Well done Sir!
Thanks for tip Richard. I probably could have used my Tru Cut. :-)
You and Alex should put a retaining wall up between properties to get rid of that slope.
Heya Harry. But the slope looks so nice. Makes for a flowing look between the lawns.
Hey Ron, awesome video and super informative. What is the name of the top dressing machine you used? I would like to see if I can rent one where I am in Raleigh NC.
It’s made by Earth and Turf I believe
Hey Ron, you didn’t cover a step: height of cut. As you mentioned this is kind of the last chance of the year to do this so I’m wondering what the height of cut was before the aeration I just did this two weeks ago around the time you did yours and I cut down to 1/2” inch. I wish I could post pics! I was scared but my lawn looks almost ready for my new McLane!
Heya Nick. You don't have to scalp the lawn really. Alex's height of cuts was approximately .75" before top dressing. I was at .50" For slopes you actually want the grass a tad taller .75 - 1" in order to give it a better chance to hold onto the top dressing material. If you go too low and get a heavy rain, much of the material will be washed away. Thanks for bringing the point about HOC up. Hope your project turns out well. You McLane should do a great job on it. 👍😎
That’s great to know and also, it makes sense since you guys are dealing with some gnarly slopes. I just cut my lawn with the new McLane and I set it up a weeee bit short! Hahaha. I set the height of cut on the concrete and once I got on the grass it was much lower than expected. I ordered a grooved roller for it so at least I won’t scalp it this time. Hey it’s not a bad idea: setting up your reel mower video 😋
@@92boostedh22 that's a great idea nick. I'll add it to the list. Thanks for the suggestion.
Awesome Job, Awesome Video! When you say topdressing mix? Is there something mixed into the sand, sifted topsoil possibly or are you just using straight sand? Just curious for clarification purposes. I live just outside of Memphis, TN and plan to do this soon, I want to make sure I use the correct topdressing material? Thanks
Hi D Cousar. In this video it's straight masonry / river sand. If you look at my top dressing video from earlier last year, I used a 70 / 30 mix of sand and top soil. You can get great results either way. If it's your first time, I'd go with a sand / soil blend. Here's the video I'm referring to if you're interested. ruclips.net/video/wTNfxCmpOGE/видео.html Thanks for watching sir.
Great job guys! That lawn is starting to look great. This has inspired me to top dress my yard this fall. I'm tired of bouncing around while mowing! I know that it may take a few years (and a top dressing each year) to get it smooth, but it will be worth it.
On a side note, why didn't we get any footage of the collision between the machinery and the fence!!?? :)
Most definitely Mike. Top dressing is one of the best things you can do for you lawn. To you point, I would look at it as a multi-year process vs. something to do one time and never again. It takes a while to build up areas that are very uneven. You'll totally like how your lawn looks. My phone stopped recording because I ran out of space. I cleared some off and then it happened again. 😟 It was pretty epic though. Would have been fun to share with you guys. I'm getting a new camera setup soon so should be a problem in future videos. 😎👍
@@RonHenry Which machine caused the damage? I'm assuming the aerator and that's why you ended up helping Alex out on the slope? Also, kudos do you for answering/commenting on all the comments.
It was the top dressing machine Mike. Nicked the fence as we were making a pass. The fence posts are very light aluminum so they bend really easily.
Im in houston,texas whens the best time to do top dressing to your lawn?
Hi Michael. Whenever the grass is actively growing. For Houston that’s likely to be late April to early May
Lots of work accomplished in this one. Love seeing the top dressing machine in action. When I do this I always do it myself by hand, but I can only do a max of 2 yards in a day and by the end I am beat. I should look into this sort of rental equipment. I noticed you didn’t remove the cores. Any particular reason?
Hi Dangerlawn. I've never really seen a good reason for doing it. They break down very quickly or get chewed up when I mow. It just adds an additional step for no good reason to me. In all the years I've been aerating, I've never removed the plugs. For a golf course green I get it because it's a playing surface, but for a home lawn, meh. 😎👍
Ron Henry I am going to be doing an aerate and sand level tomorrow morning and I think I’ll skip the core removal and see how it works. Last time I removed them mostly so I could use them to help establish some really low bare spots. I basically dumped the cores and put sand on top which was sorta like sprigging I guess. It filled in quick but I don’t need to do that again. My concern was that the reel would squish the cores and kill the grass beneath. If you aren’t seeing a need to remove them I don’t see why I need to do it. Lots of effort to get those up so I’d rather skip it
I'd skip it. I don't have any dead grass on my lawn and I didn't remove the cores. They dry out and break down very quickly. Good luck on the top dressing job tomorrow. Sure you lawn will like awesome post-recovery. :-)
Nice work! I hope to do dethatching and core aeration for my Bermuda grass, can I do it now or early September or even wait at next Spring? Your advice is great appreciated!
Hi Hao. I would do it now since it’s still hot enough to keep the Bermuda actively growing. This will ensure it recovers faster. In September temps will be more mild so the turf will take longer to bounce back. Let me know if I can help with anything else. 👍😎
What the advantage to sand over compost , can you resead on top of sand
Hi Marcus. The big advantages of sand is it does a better job of leveling the lawn and also drains water much better than top soil. Because the layer of sand is relatively thin, you can seed on top of it without issue. Let me know if I can answer anything else. Thanks again,
So, after putting down 4 tons of sand last weekend and leveling it out, watering heavily every day since and two cuttings to 0.5” on a 4200 sq ft lawn, amazingly I still have a number of very rough spots. It is amazing how much sand it takes to level a lawn especially the first attempt. I have another two tons coming today and I am hoping to fix some of the still low lying spots where my Toro Flex 2100 feels like it is on a roller coaster. Two questions- should I cut it down below 0.5” or keep at that and after I do additional leveling should I continue to heavily water on a daily basis? After watering all week this past week, most of the sand I put down is integrated into the lawn and only a few spots can still be seen. I would hate to over water my lawn to a big extreme by going another week. Does that make sense? Thank you for all of your help with my leveling project. You have the best lawn care site on RUclips by a long shot.
Heya Jerry. You don’t have to water too heavily as part of your top dressing recovery. More important than water to recovery is getting enough heat. Depending on where you’re starting, it can take a lot of sand to get the lawn pool table smooth.
Once you get this next load of sand down, I’d let the lawn recover a bit and see where things are. It’s taken me 3 full levels over several seasons to get my lawn to where it is now. It’s definitely a process.
Thanks for the update. Let me know if I can help with anything else. 👍😎
@@RonHenry so for the past week I have run everyday 1/2 of my usual summer watering cycle. The grass growth has been fantastic and the green up has been nice to see. After this 2 tons I don’t to see another piece of sand for a long long time 🥳. Are highs in Phoenix are now low 90’s everyday so no problem on the heat and we are just getting warmer. Is it okay to go back to my usual 2x per week for a total of 1” per week or would you do a short cycle per day on top of that to help the new layer of sand get incorporated into the lawn?
@@JBSpine007 I totally hear on not wanting to see another grain of sand anytime soon. 😂 starting next week you can go back to your 1” of water per week. It sounds like the lawn is recovering nicely so no need to overwater. If you get an especially warm day next feel, you can throw in a short cycle if you like.
I think the lawn will be fine either way. You’ve been putting in a lot of hard work. You’re going to love how the lawn turns out. Great work sir. 👍😎
I just realized, duh, that leveling is a 3 dimensional issue. So my first weekend I dragged the leveling in one direction like north south or East west but depressions are both ways. So I’m finding that mostly what I’m doing is going the opposite way or at some angle to the slope. I can see how this is a multi year process!
@@JBSpine007 it’s definitely a multi-step process Jerry. You can do multiple levels per season to improve things. Definitely not a one and done in most cases. That’s all part of the fun. 😎
Great video - I need to do something similar but will need to seed bare areas too. I see a lot of videos using sand to top dress but how does seed take in sand? Would I be better if mixing sand and soil to seed? I’m up in the northeast so cool season grass. Thanks
I would mix soil with the sand Steven. A 70/30 mix of sand and soil is great for top dressing and seeding projects. I wouldn't do 100% sand if you plan to overseed this fall.
@@RonHenry great, thanks!
@@stevenmondazzi4192 Anytime sir!
Wow!! His lawn is really taking off. When I'm ready, im just going to have a lawn leveling company take care of it for me but it's great to have the knowledge. Question: Did you remove the aeration plugs or did you to dress over them? I've heard that it's best to remove them as they become flattened and damage the grass.
Hi chrisdadda. We top dressed over them. I've never removed aeration plugs from my lawn. They get broken up by the leveling rake and whatever is left will get taken care of when we mow. I've never had any turf damage by leaving the plugs on the lawn and allowing them to break down. You'll be super happy with getting your lawn top dressed. One of the best things you can do for your turf. 😎👍
This is so motivating. I know I will get there soon. Just not today😆.
You will Robert. You just have to start the process. The sooner you start, the sooner it's done. It's not too bad if you're able to rent the equipment we used for the work. Recruit a few buddies to come help out. 😎👍
@@RonHenry the help is the easy part. Just look expensive 🙈
The equipment rental was just under $600 and the sand was something like $700 for 18 yards total delivered. When you split that across two lawns, it’s not bad. To pay a service to do just my lawn would be between $2500 - 3k.
Ron, when do you stop putting fertilizer down? Great video! Looks like you have a production crew.
Hi Keith. By production crew do you mean tripod? 😂Last fertilizer application is typically in October before the grass is starting to go into dormancy. It depends on the weather though. If it's a hot fall, I'll apply it later.
Drone shots next, you can see the growth!! 👍🏽good stuff!!
That’s a good idea Keith. You guys are going to get me to spend more money. I’m already looking into getting a proper camera. Tired of videos being interrupted by work phone calls. 😂
I think is a worthwhile investment, your audience demands high quality content😂 we are Bermuda grass aficionados🤣🤣🤣🤣
So demanding this bunch. 😎
Very helpful video Ron. Thanks again!! I’m planning to overseed my backyard (tall fescue) in the fall and maybe overseed my front (Bermuda) in the spring. As I currently understand it the steps I need to follow are: scalp, aerate, overseed, level (top dress), fertilizer, and water. Is that the correct order of things? Do you think the liquid Air8 is just as effective as mechanical option?
Hi D Tisdale. Depending on how heavy you're top dressing, I would reverse overseed and level. You really don't want to new grass seed to be covered by more than 1/4" of soil which top dressing can easily do. So I would scale, aerate, top dress and then finally overseed. Liquid aeration isn't as effective as physical aeration for breaking up the soil and allowing the top dressing mix to blend well with the underlying turf. If you can swing it, I'd do both. 😎👍
Great video, in the episode of top dressing. I have watch an episode on RUclips the Doc he use a 50/50 type of dressing with 50% sand, and 50% organic material, especially around deep areas around driveways. He said the heat will burn a lot of new growth. My question how come you used straight sand and not a mix? Thanks
Mainly I've never experienced issues with it burning new growth Eric. I've filled ruts 3 inches deep with a 70/30 mix without issues. In this video we're top dressing Alex's lawn which puts a 1/4" to 1/2" layer on the lawn. We're in an open lawn that's not near concrete or other structures that hold heat so the chance of excessive heat isn't there. Also keep in mind that golf courses top dress with 100% sand and their turf looks great. Hope this helps.
@@RonHenry Yes it does thank you so much. Thanks
Hey Ron / Alex, great job on this! Question - did you picked up the cores after the core aeration or did you leave them on the ground?
Hi Miguel. Nope we didn’t pick up any cores. Just left them on the ground to break down over time. Top dressing broke a lot of it up. What was left was gone the first time Alex mowed.
That was a ton... well several actually of sand ...😜😜😜 I’m sure you back was thanking you for the rental of the top dressing machine.
Hi Steve. It ended up being 12 yards of sand just for his yard. What you guys didn't see on video is where we ordered another 6 yards to be able to do spots of my lawn. So we ended up putting down a total of 18 yards of sand with his lawn eating 12 of it.
Ron Henry how to apply spectracide , in morning or noon? And what good temperature to put down spectracide , after put down spectracide does I have to water after that or wait for next day to water it?
Hi Tan. I would apply it early in the morning when there is dew on the lawn. This will help the product stick to the leaves of the weeds we are trying to get rid of. I would wait till the next day to water. Let me know if I can help with anything else. 👍😎
Ron Henry thank a lot
@@TanNguyen-lt8kb happy to help.
You fellas are hardcore
Gotta be keyeskennard. It's the only way to make gains in the lawn care game. 😎👍
How soon after can u do a fall over seeding when u level the lawn w sand? NW Indiana cool season tttf kbg mix.
Hi Ned G. I think it would depend on the type of grass you're trying to grow. In previous top dressing sessions, I've overseeded the day after the top dressing was done. Right now is probably a bit too hot for KBG I'd imagine?
Did I see a little fence damage there? Was that the equipment you rented?
Can you get the same results from top dressing if you did this when the grass is dormant, say the early spring?
Hi Bermuda Chris. You should yes. The big reason to top dress when the lawn is actively growing is recovery time. I wouldn't top dress before late April. Your lawn will look like a beach for longer and won't recover as quickly. There's little chance of doing any permanent damage to Bermuda by doing it too early; there's really no benefit in doing so.
Ron, what kind of sand did you use?
River sand
OK Ron I’m back I got some questions to ask you now what is the equipment piece that your neighbor is using to level the dirt as you dump it? Then what is the wagon piece that you’re pulling called so I can rent that as well?
Hi Charlene. He is using this tool: amzn.to/2D9hJCM It's called a leveling rake. The device that looks like a wagon is a top dressing machine. That's something you can rent. I've never found a place that will rent the leveling rake. That you'd have to purchase. Let me know if I can help with anything else. 😎👍
Ron Henry thanks I am an AMAZON QUEEN😂😂 I certainly can use that. I am focusing on certain sections ata time since I have 4.8 acres😂. When I cut WITH MY RIDING MOWER it’s takes about 4 hours. So it’s good excerise
Charlene Crump 🤣🤣🤣 I’m sure Amazon appreciates you. 4.8 acres. Good lord. That’s a lot of property. Definitely a massive project but fun. Gives you a lot to work on. 😎
Now yours look huge to me too😂😂 that is what attracted me to your videos. Cause when I see the small yards I could do that quickly but mine and yours takes head space🤣🤣 not too much socializing
Thanks Charlene. I lit definitely does take applying everything at scale. So you want to definitely use what works! 😎
Great videos Ron... I'm in the metro Atlanta area, and have been looking for a place to source a top dressing like what you guys are using. Do you mind sharing the name of the company you got your sand/organic material mix from? Most places I've checked out are selling products with a lot of sticks/junk in it.
Thanks,
Hi Rodney. We got the top dressing sand from Landscape Plus in Gainesville, GA. - (404) 787-4129. Pretty much all top dressing mixes that contain organic material will contain small sticks. At least all that I've ever used has. For this top dressing job, we went with 100% sand because of the machine we were using. Let me know if I can help with anything else. 👍😎
@@RonHenry Thanks Ron. I will check them out. Appreciate the information.
Do you need to add seeds if you've already fertilized the area?
Shouldn't need to Favio.
@@RonHenry thank you
What's the formula to figure out how much topdress/ sand to order, yards???
It really depends Eddie. I've hard 1 yard per 1000 square feet, but it really depends on how bumpy your lawn is. The first time you top dress it will take more material to get smooth than subsequent top dressings. Hope this helps.
Where did you get the sand and how much was the total project?
Hi Charlie. I got the sand from Landscape Plus in Gainesville, GA. All in the sand was approximately $700 for 18 yards of sand which did all of Alex's lawn and some of mine. The equipment rental was another $600. So around $1300 all in. That may sound like a lot but consider that most services want anywhere from $2500 - 3k to top dress just my lawn.
Where did you get the sand mixture from?
Hi Paisley. I got it from Landscape Plus in Gainesville GA. Ask for Mike.
What does rental of the equipment generally cost.. I have done 10 yards of topsoil by hand before.. takes me a couple of days
Figure around $600 to rent the equipment. With a few helpers you can easily apply 10 yards in a few hours. The coverage will also be very even.
As someone who has to do a serious topdressing to my yard here in Columbia, SC. What size is that yard? I've got a roughly 7000 sq ft front lawn and dredd doing that by hand.
Alex's lawn is approximately 7000 square feet so it's about the same size as your lawn. His lawn consumed 12 yards of sand to top dress. I'd highly recommend rending equipment to apply that much sand. It would be painful putting down that much sand manually. Let me know if I can help with anything else.
@@RonHenry Thanks for the info! I figured I was going to need 10-14 cu yds of sand here (it's that bad). I need to research who rents this stuff here.
Hopefully you find someone David. You almost always need more sand than you think you will. Don’t try to fix every single dip full the first time through. If there are seriously uneven spots, you’ll want to build them up a bit over time. Let me know if I can help answer anything else. 👍😎
@@RonHenry Thank you! My front yard has over 12+ years of lack of care, so I'm afraid it's going to be a couple year process to get it level.
No worries David. It’s all about the journey. If you could fix all the issues right away, it wouldn’t leave you with anything to work on. That’s no good. 👍😎
Ron what do you think of top dressing with peat moss? I live in Cleveland ohio. I am curious what your thoughts are on that?
Cheers and thank you for the hard work.
Hi John. I've never top dressed with peat moss. I imagine it would be great for adding organic material but not so good for leveling since it would eventually down. Just depends on what you goals are. Thanks for watching the content. Appreciate the support. 😎👍
@@RonHenry I am looking to add some more organic material and I have read that peat moss is good just a thin layer for top dressing. For leveling I know you can use peat moss with sand and loam soil. My goal is for the top dressing...hope that clears it up for you sir. Cheers!
In that case John, you should be good to go with peat moss. I misunderstood your question earlier. I thought you were going to do 100% peat moss. 😎
@@RonHenry I plan on at least mixing some peat moss. Kellogg's lawn topper organic soil and Miller's top soil plus along with some sand but I am trying to figure out good sand to use...any recommendations sir? Cheers!
I like river sand John. It's what's commonly used for top dressing around here. It's a bit thicker so fills in uneven spots a bit better.
Where do you get your sand?(Is big box store play sand not the same?)
Hi Matthew. Last year I got it from Landscape Plus in Gainesville, GA. There’s also Soil3 from Super Sod. A bit more pricey but excellent product. Let me know if I can help with anything else. Thanks for watching.
Hi Matthew. It’s not big box store play sand. It’s masonry sand or river sand. You want something more coarse.
Ron, ill bet you made those beats at the end on your own. Probably still have your old beats machine from high school. Lol
Ned G. Hahaha. I wish that were true. I'm not talented as far as music composition. I do like the way it sounds though. Nice for B-roll footage.
May be a silly question but, you keep saying sand in this video. Do you really mean sand or are you meaning to say dirt? I'm loving the videos by the way!!! Wish you were my neighbor!!
Hi Ben. Great question. I'm referring to actual sand. The material I use to top dress is a mixture of sand and compost. You can see a more recent video here: ruclips.net/video/AdB2HEUOEJg/видео.html I like a 70% sand 30% soil/compost mix. Produces a great result. Appreciate you watching sir. Let me know if I can help with anything else. 😎
Thanks man! Love the series.
Appreciate you watching. 🙏😎
Did you overseed at any point?
I did earlier this spring aurora44. ruclips.net/video/ty4lc178cCI/видео.html I didn’t overseed again as part of this top dressing project.
Ron Henry ah ok guess Alex’s lawn didn’t need it?
I just did a top dress today but didn’t put any fert down before, should I just put some fert down anyway? I’ve got some kelp/seaweed coming on Tuesday too
@@drumsonly44 it won't hurt to put fertilizer down. The extra nitrogen will help the lawn recover faster from top dressing. Top dressing is somewhat stressful for the grass so adding some nitrogen and other nutrients to help feed it will only be a good thing.
Your killing me Ron. I don’t have as nice neighbors and I can’t keep up with you guys. 4 days left and praying for germination. Haha
Thanks for the kind words Kevin. Your seeds are going to germinate. There's plenty of heat so they'll come in. We definitely enjoy working on the lawn!
Are those all your neighbors helping you? If so 👍🏾
Hi KingKon. They’re Alex’s family. Definitely made the job easier vs. just the 2 of us this year. ruclips.net/video/AdB2HEUOEJg/видео.html
How much it cost to rent one of those machines?
I don't know individually Haff. Last I checked, there's a package that includes the top dressing machine, aerator, dingo and trailer for $750
12 yards of sand covered Alex’s yard… how many sq Ft is his yard?
It's 12 yards between both our lawns. Alex's lawn is approximately 6000 square feet.
Any recommendations for purchasing top dressing near Dallas Texas in bulk?
I don't unfortunately. Your best bet is going to be Googling who sells top dressing material. Local golf courses will be able to tell you too. They''re getting their sand from somewhere local.
I'm here
Heya Terry! 👍😎
I looked into renting a top dressing machine locally the rental price is not that Badd and quite reasonable
Yeah Richard. It's well worth renting one if you have a medium to large size property. Plus the sand application you get with the machine is nice and even. I wouldn't do a major top dress in the future without one. 😎👍
Would that much sand be good on a cool season launch like perennial rye grass I am in the Northwest probly use a sand and soil mix
@@richardharwell I would do a 70/30 mix or maybe even 60 /40 sand to soil if your plan is to overseed as part of your top dressing.
That's what I was thinking I ask the soil place and they said A70/30 mix or 60/40 would be good it seems Sander is good Together the top dressing some support
Good info thanks
Why are you leaving the cores on the lawn?
Why not Anders? I’ve never picked up cores. Have always just let them break down.
@@RonHenry I've just seen greenkeepers removing the cores... But that might be because they have to get the green ready for play as soon as possible... Where as homeowners aren't restricted to a certain deadline..
I'm a total newbie from Denmark just enjoying the show 👍
Heya Anders. Yeah for a golf course it makes sense because they want to get the playing surface up and going again. For a home lawn not necessary. Just more work. 😎
Sooo, what is the purpose of top dressing?
Hi Avivia. It helps smooth out uneven areas of the lawn, improves drainage and is a great way to introduce new organic material. It's one of the best things you can do to your warm season grass. I have a newer version of this video here: ruclips.net/video/AdB2HEUOEJg/видео.html