Just wanted to add as a Deaf person - I'm loving how animated you are and how effective you are at using your hands. Your attention to audio detail also helps the UA-cam autocaptioning work very effectively! I used your method (albeit with a knockoff landzie spreader) to spread out excess soil/sand mix that I had from filling holes in our lawn. Thank you!
Hey Neil! Very cool! My wife is a teacher at a deaf school and her brother is deaf. She has taught me sign language several times lol but I don’t use it as much as her. I do try to use the numbers correctly with my hands in the video when needed. Appreciate your positive feedback! Thanks for being a cool fan! 👍
I do this every year, too. I will say buy that spreader, made my life 100X easier. I wish we could post pics here, and show you how good my lawn looks!! I aerate before doing compost
I’ve done it twice, great results. I used the roller and it cost me 8 bucks. It’s easy to use and screens the compost so I get the extra rocks and twigs out. I definitely recommended the roller. Thanks JB.
I just top dressed my lawn last weekend. Saturday for the front, Sunday for the back. Took about 4 hours in total with the landzie 24 inch spreader. The Landzie works so well! I have done this in the past WITHOUT and the results aren't the same. It saved me so much time, I hope to do this at least 2 times per year but might try it a 3rd time in the summer time too. I have done this in the past in 2021, without the Landzie. But having the Landzie makes a big difference in the time, and eveness of the end result. I only have 4k of turf and got 3 yards of compost. Mine did have large chunks but I emptied those on my tree and shrub beds. I should have done it earlier in the season but life can get in the way of yard care fun.
Great content! Landzie owner here; I actually use that extra 'debris' from the compost to spread out into the flower beds. Up here in the PNW our compost has a lot more woody material and it does really well to keep the weeds down.
I’m trying this for the first time this year. I did a renovation last year and I have a massive compaction issue. Aerate > overseed > topdress is in the works. Thanks!
JB! I took advantage of the nice weather and spread compost all around my shaded areas today. Compost is crucial for a great lawn especially in heavy shade cover. I learned that over time. Boy will I sleep well tonight and I will sleep well this winter and then enjoy the Spring even more - knowing what I accomplished in the autumn months. Love my mid week Garage Gear videos. Glad to be #2 to LIKE it.
ROCK ON JOE! Pretty crazy you spread compost today on your lawn and a compost video comes out same day! Wild! All winter long that will be breaking down feed Ming your lawn. Your lawn thanks you! Have an awesome rest of your day bud! 👍
I have similar size lawn in super crummy soil and spread compost every year (about 20 yds per year!) It’s boring work but I usually spread by hand as you demonstrate. I don’t worry about the chunks as they 99% dissapear in a couple weeks. Got creative this year and here’s some ideas for spreading the piles: - tow a short length of ladder with something heavy on it. Better yet, I bought some 4 x 4s from Home Depot cull bin for like 15 bucks and nailed together a ladder-like leveler about 4 ft wide and 8 ft long with 4 cross pieces. Worked really well and tended to level out depressions too but too heavy to reliably pull through the piles. I’ll make it lighter for next year or find a better machine to pull it. - neighbor was going nuts watching me and he brought over his tow behind leaf sweeper and pulled that around with the back part of it open. Worked ok. We tried his high end clipping collector on his mower again leaving back open and that was okay too but too dusty for me. - after initial flattening of the piles, running the mower through equipped with those spring-type de-thatching blades would work really well I think but I don’t have the blades anymore. Easiest and by far the best (but I realize few will have access to one) is to run through it with a power harrow set just above soil level. I have such a harrow for the garden and after initial leveling with the ladder device the power harrow works great but mark your sprinkler heads!
As you mentioned, I go get a few truckloads of compost and use a small Landzie. Fill up my 2 ft2 wheelbarrow, roll it over to the Landzie and then dump it in. The Landzie roles it out nicely and doesn't need to be raked in. The Landzie also catches the larger clods which I dump and collect on the side and then break down later.
@@AnticipatedHedgehog hey Alex! Thanks for the kind words my friend! I know the students at my school watch them in the conservation program which is pretty cool! 👍
The landzie is really good for peat moss when over seeding. Peat moss already comes in bags so you just put those bag around cut it in half and half of it fits exactly the smaller landzie so you don’t even need a shovel, just put it from the bag to the spreader directly. Also compost is great but I have seen humid acid and bio char combo change the soil way faster than compost ever will. At least for me it did. I noticed this year when I did aeration. The cores were black and soft unlike previous years. They used to be hard as concrete and clay colored.
I put down compost yesterday. I did the first bag by hand just for the edge work, and the next 5 using the spreader. I’ll use that spreader every time going forward. It’s a lot easier than by hand, and all the debris left inside is stuff I didn’t want on the lawn anyway. Storing the spreader is a problem tho.
I use aDR lawn vac to pick up leaves in the fall. Saved over the winter and spread in my planter beds in the spring..I have about 6 ksf of beds. Over time, it did decompose
I use compost on my yard regularly as it has all the benefits you named. Our soil is clay and hard as a rock with our dry, Oregon summers. We do not use fertilizer at all and never use pesticides as we don’t have a lot of pest pressure and our goal is to attract birds. We have a plethora of compost from leaves that fall from our big oak trees. I have to get one of those nifty landscape rakes!!
I’m have been doing this the natural way. Right now some leaves are falling off trees but not to many. So what I’ve been doing is mulching all the leaves back into the lawn when I cut the grass. I do have to go over it 2 times (one time in each direction) so the leafs are mulched up good. I just started doing it this year so I hope it will be good. And it’s really wet and rainy in Northern IL. Winter is on its way!
Well done! Perfect. And getting your hands on the hi carbon, fungal dominated compost made mainly from leaves was a huge blessing. That's what you want for lawns as opposed to the "hot", bacteria dominated compost. You did a great job.
I am going to compost with the Landzie spreader this weekend. I just had my lawn aerated and over-seeded. Today I bought a few yards of “Enriched Topsoil” from a local landscape company for delivery. It consists of 50% screened topsoil, 40% mushroom compost, and 10% sand. Have a little leveling to do too. Can’t wait!
I do recommend a spreader. I know you say it's not really worth it, but I use mine a couple of times a year and cuts out the shoveling and distributing piles, then raking steps. It's a massive time saver and you end up with a more even layer. The big material that doesn't pass through is great mulch to use elsewhere. The space it takes is a legit issue though. I have a shed, so it's cool for me.
I get the benefits of top dressing with compost and i have in the past however I stopped because no matter what anyone says it comes with weeds. I had my front yard mostly weed free that was a lot of work then top dressed and back to fighting weeds. I use liquid organic matter now, easier to apply and weed free.
Just finishing 15 yards on 9k ft2. Second time this year. Changing red clay into premium soil for grass. I dump the compost on the driveway till it cools and dries out (not completely dry, but on the drier side of moist). Then sift it with a large 3ftx8ft sifter to 3/8". Then sling it with a transfer shovel across the yard. Quickest way. No need for rakes or rollers. Drag mat or drag a pallet behind a mower if for some reason theres a need to level. Spray completed project with tenacity to prevent weeds if the compost wasn't steaming hot when it arrived.
@@GarageGear You as well! Like you know, It's a lot of shoveling. Yet if the compost is on the drier side its not too bad. I've done the drop piles-in-the-yard than spread piles with a rake, but that raking is the pits and if it rains on your piles-in-the-yard, it becomes a proper nightmare to spread. Raking is the worse. The roller is also awful if doing this at any type of scale. I'm terraforming 22,000 FT2 and close to done. Try a big sifter with 2x4's and 1x2's and galvanized hardware cloth (3/8" or 1/2") - its real easy and quick to build and inexpensive. Place next to compost pile on driveway and sift from compost pile directly into garden carts. Tow cart to general area your spreading onto, then sling from cart to lawn with a transfer shovel. You'll end up with a few 'oops' piles here and there that you'll have to touch with a rake, but they're just a quick swipe with the rake and off you go, or just ignore and drag mat the whole yard at the end of the day (easiest). The mulch part of the compost is also OK to use on the lawn. If your top dressing is thick, dropping extra nitrogen on it (Urea, Ammonium Sulfate, blood meal etc) thru the year will break it down quick. I throw whatever didn't pass thru the sifter into mulch beds or on top of the garden.
I put down 60 yds of compost on 2 baseball diamonds today. Took 2 of us about 8 hrs to spread out using a turfco metermatic ii, then another hour to drag it in with a couple 7' drag mats towed behind the tractors. Last week we scalped, dethatched, aerated and overseeded PRG at 10#/thou. Raining for the next couple days. .. and now I wait.
That was a LOT of work to apply a LOT of compost on a lawn that already looked VERY good. The results will be excellent, of course! My suggestion to the average person who ISN'T He-Man is to just buy the compost roller, buy a couple bags of compost, spread them on the problem areas of your lawn, and do nothing else. No raking, no shoveling, and when you're tired, quit. You can buy another bag on another day. Bulk compost on the driveway is only cheaper if you don't factor in the time and effort needed to deal with it immediately. Bagged materials let you keep your hobby a hobby rather than a big day job. Great video and great work though, Superman! 💪😂
I planted a 2 ksf area with KBG plugs last year. I spread the compost before drilling for the plugs. It did help with moisture retention and general nutrients. Did get a good spurt of growth but I was also using starter fert then heavy nitrogen
I don’t do compost. Compost to me is just better mulch. I use Black Kow. Buy it by the pallet. Then I use my large roll spreader! Its easily the best day of lawn season. Very satisfying! The way you did it is time consuming. I think I did 15,000 square feet in about an hour and a half. The hardest part dealing with the bags! I have done this the last four years and my soil is so good right now. My plugs from aeration have no clay in them! I use the amick rollaerator probably once a month. Do it in four sections. So it seems like I’m aerating all the time! I also like to dethatch in the spring and fall. This really allows your fertilizer and water to go further and do a better job. When this is how you do lawncare, there is never a hard day. Storing the roll spreader is no big deal to me. I have a Toro 30” walk behind, a couple weedeaters and a couple blowers. A couple gas hedge cutters. Stores easy peazy.
I did compost at the end of the fall last year, I used the new Landzie that I bought to do it as well. One tip I have for all when using the Landzie is other than the sticks and debris you mentioned is make sure the compost is dried out because if it is wet is does not spread, it balls up and stays inside the Landzie. I will say that this spring that my lawn is the best in the neighborhood!
Love the video JB, planned on doing the same thing this year as well. Since my yard is smaller than yours, I will use compost spreader and take the big pieces afterwards and use in my flower bed as mulch..
I use a compost spreader mainly for putting peat moss on my lawn. But if you have a two or three half baseball size rocks put them in the spreader and it will help break up the leftovers a little more.
when i did my lawn renovation this year i use composted manure/ top soil. i wanted to use leaf compost but the one nursey charges by for delivery and the were going to make 2 deliveries because of using a smaller truck
JB, I did 13,000 sq feet with a Toro Workman and a turfco top dresser. My product was free at our yard waste facility. I also made a soil sifter so you leave the bad stuff at the site.
I’ve had this issue with my lawn where there is this hairpin turn I have to make with my mower and overtime several grooves have formed in the lawn due to the rear wheels of the mower digging into the ground when it was turning. My solution was to put down some compost down in those grooves and stop mowing that area and it looks like it is working. The grooves are starting to get less noticeable and the grass looks to be growing into them.
Now that you showed me how, I will probably try to top dress my yard next spring. I have a pickup truck that can haul two cubic yards of compost, and a landscaping rake can't be hard to find. But my yard is an acre and a half and I will probably will only finish half of it by the time my allotted weekend is up. but it will be better then nothing.
After using a compost spreader you can use the leftover chunks/pieces to make home made organic fertilizer to use in your sprayer all you need is 5 gallon pails/paint strainer and a lid then fill it with water and leave it for a few days the longer you leave it the better it gets
I got a pile of hot compost going in my backyard, but I’ve been mulching the garden with grass clippings and decided not to use the compost in the garden. But I have another house with a bad spot in the front lawn where I had an oak tree removed about five years ago. I’m going to spread it there .
Hey Luke, as you suggest my lawn seems to love “hot” compost but the garden not so much. I buy sheep compost from nearby feedlot and despite being sold as compost you can smell the ammonia coming out of the pile so long way from being done but lawn greens up immediately!
4:54 The second best part of a compost spreader is that you dont have the big clumps from compost or a dirt delivery. The big parts that dont pass through is a huge bonus. they are all collected for you that you can pick up easily out of the spreader. Otherwise that big clumps that you just complained about woul be scattered all over you lawn. What are you going to do with the big clumps---ammmm reach in and throw out. 6:35 yes compost has NPK but at a level of a 1/1/1 which are neglagable compared to a fertalizer. Compost should be look at as a soil ammendment not as a fertalizer or NPK. BTW- you have good presentations videos.
Wow it looks like a horror movie! The attack of the Giant Ants! The compost piles resemble Ant Piles. 😂 All fun aside, the compost for your lawn is great. Wack a Mole - that's even funnier. 😂Great job, JB. I just enjoy your videos. You provide great information, tips and techniques and make it so much fun to watch with your clips from movies or having your collectable characters on your work bench....like next to your bundle of pencils. Have an awesome day! Oh and yes, I have air-rated the lawn and also compost it. The process works. 👍🏻
7 days ago I spread compost on my lawn in the Asheville NC area and overseeded it with Turf type tall fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass seeds. I’ve been watering it frequently and lightly to keep the seeds moist. Now I’m noticing 3 to 5 inch white circles on the compost. I think it is actinomycetes from the compost. Is this something I should be concerned about hurting my lawn? Should I treat it with fungicide(s)? If so which fungicides? I've just changed my watering to less run time and also the last run time of the day has been moved to earlier in the day so it won't be so wet all night. Thank you in advance for your advice.
@@lisao9677 hey Lisa! I would leave it as is. If it is what you say it is they improve nutrient availability. So it sounds like it will help your lawn. Bet your lawn will look great!
You should look into getting a worm farm to produce your own worm castings. I just got the vermihut system with 1000 worms and it’s very easy to maintain while not taking up a lot of time, maybe 30 minutes a week. It’ll take a while to produce castings at a high rate but will eventually pay off.
IMO *most* people should be top dressing with compost instead of sand. I manage about a dozen soccer fields for various local schools and it’s been an interesting series of case studies on different good/bad practices. Sand cap turf is a whole other beast to manage and I see a lot of folks spreading sand without realizing what they are actually doing to their lawn. Organic material on the other hand, can’t really hurt any native soil turf. Just make sure you get compost that has been cooked, or has documented temperature readings to inactivate weed seeds.
Dude I just discover your channel today, I have was looking at lot of video's like those but, you delivery, energy and quality of video make me sub to your channel, keep it up ! (Watching from QC,Canada)
I just did this exact same thing two weeks ago. Aerated the lawn, over seeded, then spread 5 cu yards of leaf compost. I have a Landzie Compost Spreader but it struggled with the particulate size and didn’t spread well so, like you, I spread everything manually with a transfer shovel, wheelbarrow and rakes. I spread Scott’s starter fertilizer (with Minotrione/Tenacity in it) just a few days later to help the seed and prevent the weeds. Going well so far.
My landscape company could not find a Landzie compost spreader to rent anywhere in Western New York. So they had to spread 7 yards of Organic Nutrisoil (topsoil and leaf compost) by hand. I had the entire front yard killed off because of Creeping Bent Grass.
You have space on your property and the money for a $90 compost spreader. You can hang it from the ceiling. You wanted the extra excercise. With experience you learn how far the spreader will go on one load and you position your compost on a large canvas tarp (also inexpensive) so that you can make a single round-trip with the spreader using exactly one load. You gradually drag the tarp every several loads, keeping it close to the spreader. For a large yard, the spreader will cut your physical excertion roughly in half.
Hey Michael! I’m a teacher by day and a youtuber by night! Getting one out in the middle of the week is a real chore but this went together pretty quick! Thanks for watching my friend!
Boy that looks like a lot of work JB! Definitely worth the effort. Lawn looks great! Digging the Christmas Vacation reference too! I’m a bit behind on watching videos. Have a great week! Cheers buddy!
JB how on earth did you get rid of the lawn rust and how do you keep if from coming back? I've been dealing with lawn rust in the late summer and fall, this year I'm just going to start bagging clippings late summer in hopes that helps. I get aeration done, I fertalize, and have great sandy soil for drainage. The damn rust takes over though its so annoying!
Hi JB. I was wondering how you calculated how many yards of compost you needed. I'm assuming you took the sq. ft of your yard and multiplied that by a certain depth. What was that depth? Thank you for sharing this video. Very informative!
Hey Brian I did go on a number of compost websites and ran calculations for 1/4 inch. Many were saying to go with 15 yards but that would have been way too much in my driveway and far too much work. 7 yards was too much work lol but actually laid down a nice 1/4 inch of compost on my lawn. I’ll be doing a little less this year about 4 yards and I’ll see how that goes.
How do you prevent the large pieces ( left in the roller) when using just the landscape rake? I’m looking to test out leveling/top dressing my super rocky clay lawn and desperate for my Bermuda to spread and fill in ( 1 year old sod)
And yes leaf mold compost is best. However, if that can't be found. in my area most compost is cheap quality, I use a flowerbed mix. they are usually a little sandy and more consistent and less expensive than true leaf compost
Awesome my friend! Make sure the engine starts and runs fine. How old is it? Also make sure all mechanisms on the edger work properly. If the engine doesn’t work great you could take the old engine off pretty easily, sell it and replace it with a new on from harbor freight. Those engines work great!
@@GarageGear thanks buddy, it's an older one with the dreaded Briggs and Stratton engine and some rust issues. I can work with that however, the belt pulley for the edger blade looks like it might be off center. I've only seen photos.
@@GarageGear update on McLane edger, I purchased it for 100 dollars! He offered 80 but it's in great condition so I gave him 100. Just needs cleaning and the engine is good he's never changed oil and the carburetor needs cleaning. I GOT LUCKY
So after a good cleaning the engine still has a slight popping sound. My edges are very nice now, so over the winter I will have to work on getting that slight backfire fixed.
Here's a hint. Don't use a shovel. Buy a pitchfork. Shoving a bladed edge into loose materials will wear your out. Shovels are for cutting into compacted dirt. The tines of a pitchfork just glide into loose materials.
Hey Derrick! I used custom top soil but my neighbor used krantz and theirs seemed to be a little finer and lighter than mine. Might want to check out krantz! Go bills!
@@fastbreakr it was $250 for all that last year. I found different centers sell it for different prices. The place I got it from this year had a better batch but it was $250 for 4 yards. I spread it thinner but it still did an amazing job
You're nuts man 😂 you need a mechanical advantage or a new hobby. Your grass looked fine before 😅 ive been battling moss in my backyard. any videos or suggestions?
Lol! You could try taking out some of the moss and hammering the area with grass seed. See if you can have the grass take the area over and crowd out the moss.
Did you get a soil test from the compost business to see what the nutritional information was on the compost you were spreading? I ask this because people say it's great compared to a bag of fertilizer but a bag of fertilizer may have the same amount of nutrients as that huge pile of mulch compost in your driveway. The other thing was you said you didn't want to use a peat moss spreader because stuff would get stuck in it. That's because it's not a good compost. A really good compost that will work with your soil right away is truly composted already instead of laying on your yard as mulch chunks waiting for your mower to pick it up and chop it up more.
I can tell you that dark green lasted far longer than a bag of milo ever did for me! Not to mention the micronutrient blast it got. Thanks for watching
Cost would depend on square footage but you could have a landscape company come in with a Harley rake / cultivator and till down 4 to 6 inches. Then they would level it with another attachment, add compost or topsoil, seed it, then lightly rake it in, and finally roll it.
Just wanted to add as a Deaf person - I'm loving how animated you are and how effective you are at using your hands. Your attention to audio detail also helps the UA-cam autocaptioning work very effectively!
I used your method (albeit with a knockoff landzie spreader) to spread out excess soil/sand mix that I had from filling holes in our lawn. Thank you!
Hey Neil! Very cool! My wife is a teacher at a deaf school and her brother is deaf. She has taught me sign language several times lol but I don’t use it as much as her. I do try to use the numbers correctly with my hands in the video when needed. Appreciate your positive feedback! Thanks for being a cool fan! 👍
I do this every year, too. I will say buy that spreader, made my life 100X easier. I wish we could post pics here, and show you how good my lawn looks!! I aerate before doing compost
ROCK ON brother! That’s definitely gonna make the lawn green! 👍
I’ve done it twice, great results. I used the roller and it cost me 8 bucks. It’s easy to use and screens the compost so I get the extra rocks and twigs out. I definitely recommended the roller. Thanks JB.
Thanks for sharing Rick!
I just top dressed my lawn last weekend. Saturday for the front, Sunday for the back. Took about 4 hours in total with the landzie 24 inch spreader. The Landzie works so well! I have done this in the past WITHOUT and the results aren't the same. It saved me so much time, I hope to do this at least 2 times per year but might try it a 3rd time in the summer time too. I have done this in the past in 2021, without the Landzie. But having the Landzie makes a big difference in the time, and eveness of the end result. I only have 4k of turf and got 3 yards of compost. Mine did have large chunks but I emptied those on my tree and shrub beds. I should have done it earlier in the season but life can get in the way of yard care fun.
@@lazylearner967 ROCK ON my friend! Bet your lawn looks great!
Great content! Landzie owner here; I actually use that extra 'debris' from the compost to spread out into the flower beds. Up here in the PNW our compost has a lot more woody material and it does really well to keep the weeds down.
Thanks for following along and for sharing what you use. That’s good stuff.
I’m trying this for the first time this year. I did a renovation last year and I have a massive compaction issue. Aerate > overseed > topdress is in the works. Thanks!
@@DMCnME your lawn will thank you DMC! Get some good rest though… you’re gonna need it lol!
JB! I took advantage of the nice weather and spread compost all around my shaded areas today. Compost is crucial for a great lawn especially in heavy shade cover. I learned that over time. Boy will I sleep well tonight and I will sleep well this winter and then enjoy the Spring even more - knowing what I accomplished in the autumn months. Love my mid week Garage Gear videos. Glad to be #2 to LIKE it.
ROCK ON JOE! Pretty crazy you spread compost today on your lawn and a compost video comes out same day! Wild! All winter long that will be breaking down feed Ming your lawn. Your lawn thanks you! Have an awesome rest of your day bud! 👍
I have similar size lawn in super crummy soil and spread compost every year (about 20 yds per year!) It’s boring work but I usually spread by hand as you demonstrate. I don’t worry about the chunks as they 99% dissapear in a couple weeks. Got creative this year and here’s some ideas for spreading the piles:
- tow a short length of ladder with something heavy on it. Better yet, I bought some 4 x 4s from Home Depot cull bin for like 15 bucks and nailed together a ladder-like leveler about 4 ft wide and 8 ft long with 4 cross pieces. Worked really well and tended to level out depressions too but too heavy to reliably pull through the piles. I’ll make it lighter for next year or find a better machine to pull it.
- neighbor was going nuts watching me and he brought over his tow behind leaf sweeper and pulled that around with the back part of it open. Worked ok. We tried his high end clipping collector on his mower again leaving back open and that was okay too but too dusty for me.
- after initial flattening of the piles, running the mower through equipped with those spring-type de-thatching blades would work really well I think but I don’t have the blades anymore.
Easiest and by far the best (but I realize few will have access to one) is to run through it with a power harrow set just above soil level. I have such a harrow for the garden and after initial leveling with the ladder device the power harrow works great but mark your sprinkler heads!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing this information with the garage gear community
As you mentioned, I go get a few truckloads of compost and use a small Landzie. Fill up my 2 ft2 wheelbarrow, roll it over to the Landzie and then dump it in. The Landzie roles it out nicely and doesn't need to be raked in. The Landzie also catches the larger clods which I dump and collect on the side and then break down later.
Thanks for sharing erp
First time watching your channel but hearing you’re a teacher just makes me respect you and your channel even more
Appreciate you rusty! Thanks for watching! 👍
Second this JB, love your delivery and format of your videos. And these are perfect for Trade School students to absorb and implement.
@@AnticipatedHedgehog hey Alex! Thanks for the kind words my friend! I know the students at my school watch them in the conservation program which is pretty cool! 👍
The landzie is really good for peat moss when over seeding. Peat moss already comes in bags so you just put those bag around cut it in half and half of it fits exactly the smaller landzie so you don’t even need a shovel, just put it from the bag to the spreader directly. Also compost is great but I have seen humid acid and bio char combo change the soil way faster than compost ever will. At least for me it did. I noticed this year when I did aeration. The cores were black and soft unlike previous years. They used to be hard as concrete and clay colored.
I’ll have to give that mix a try! 👍 thanks for sharing
I put down compost yesterday. I did the first bag by hand just for the edge work, and the next 5 using the spreader. I’ll use that spreader every time going forward. It’s a lot easier than by hand, and all the debris left inside is stuff I didn’t want on the lawn anyway. Storing the spreader is a problem tho.
Good plan my friend!
I use aDR lawn vac to pick up leaves in the fall. Saved over the winter and spread in my planter beds in the spring..I have about 6 ksf of beds. Over time, it did decompose
Cool! Thanks for sharing Jc!
I use compost on my yard regularly as it has all the benefits you named. Our soil is clay and hard as a rock with our dry, Oregon summers. We do not use fertilizer at all and never use pesticides as we don’t have a lot of pest pressure and our goal is to attract birds. We have a plethora of compost from leaves that fall from our big oak trees. I have to get one of those nifty landscape rakes!!
Awesome aok! Thanks for sharing this with the community!
I’m have been doing this the natural way. Right now some leaves are falling off trees but not to many. So what I’ve been doing is mulching all the leaves back into the lawn when I cut the grass. I do have to go over it 2 times (one time in each direction) so the leafs are mulched up good. I just started doing it this year so I hope it will be good. And it’s really wet and rainy in Northern IL. Winter is on its way!
ROCK ON Matthew! Winter will be here soon! 👍
You are only one that is smart enough to do this
Well done! Perfect. And getting your hands on the hi carbon, fungal dominated compost made mainly from leaves was a huge blessing. That's what you want for lawns as opposed to the "hot", bacteria dominated compost. You did a great job.
Appreciate you Dan! Thanks for watching
I am going to compost with the Landzie spreader this weekend. I just had my lawn aerated and over-seeded. Today I bought a few yards of “Enriched Topsoil” from a local landscape company for delivery. It consists of 50% screened topsoil, 40% mushroom compost, and 10% sand. Have a little leveling to do too. Can’t wait!
@@patrickkeschl596 you’re gonna be all Set!
I do recommend a spreader. I know you say it's not really worth it, but I use mine a couple of times a year and cuts out the shoveling and distributing piles, then raking steps. It's a massive time saver and you end up with a more even layer. The big material that doesn't pass through is great mulch to use elsewhere. The space it takes is a legit issue though. I have a shed, so it's cool for me.
If I had a shed it be a different story! Thanks for sharing
I get the benefits of top dressing with compost and i have in the past however I stopped because no matter what anyone says it comes with weeds. I had my front yard mostly weed free that was a lot of work then top dressed and back to fighting weeds. I use liquid organic matter now, easier to apply and weed free.
@@msk3905 thanks for sharing msk
Just finishing 15 yards on 9k ft2. Second time this year. Changing red clay into premium soil for grass. I dump the compost on the driveway till it cools and dries out (not completely dry, but on the drier side of moist). Then sift it with a large 3ftx8ft sifter to 3/8". Then sling it with a transfer shovel across the yard. Quickest way. No need for rakes or rollers.
Drag mat or drag a pallet behind a mower if for some reason theres a need to level. Spray completed project with tenacity to prevent weeds if the compost wasn't steaming hot when it arrived.
@@eric3434 sounds like you got this down Eric! 👍 good work
@@GarageGear You as well! Like you know, It's a lot of shoveling. Yet if the compost is on the drier side its not too bad. I've done the drop piles-in-the-yard than spread piles with a rake, but that raking is the pits and if it rains on your piles-in-the-yard, it becomes a proper nightmare to spread. Raking is the worse. The roller is also awful if doing this at any type of scale. I'm terraforming 22,000 FT2 and close to done. Try a big sifter with 2x4's and 1x2's and galvanized hardware cloth (3/8" or 1/2") - its real easy and quick to build and inexpensive. Place next to compost pile on driveway and sift from compost pile directly into garden carts. Tow cart to general area your spreading onto, then sling from cart to lawn with a transfer shovel. You'll end up with a few 'oops' piles here and there that you'll have to touch with a rake, but they're just a quick swipe with the rake and off you go, or just ignore and drag mat the whole yard at the end of the day (easiest).
The mulch part of the compost is also OK to use on the lawn. If your top dressing is thick, dropping extra nitrogen on it (Urea, Ammonium Sulfate, blood meal etc) thru the year will break it down quick. I throw whatever didn't pass thru the sifter into mulch beds or on top of the garden.
@@eric3434 appreciate you sharing this information Eric! 👍
I put down 60 yds of compost on 2 baseball diamonds today. Took 2 of us about 8 hrs to spread out using a turfco metermatic ii, then another hour to drag it in with a couple 7' drag mats towed behind the tractors.
Last week we scalped, dethatched, aerated and overseeded PRG at 10#/thou.
Raining for the next couple days.
.. and now I wait.
@@mikestewart8412 I’ll tell you what those diamonds are gonna look awesome in two weeks!
That was a LOT of work to apply a LOT of compost on a lawn that already looked VERY good. The results will be excellent, of course!
My suggestion to the average person who ISN'T He-Man is to just buy the compost roller, buy a couple bags of compost, spread them on the problem areas of your lawn, and do nothing else. No raking, no shoveling, and when you're tired, quit. You can buy another bag on another day.
Bulk compost on the driveway is only cheaper if you don't factor in the time and effort needed to deal with it immediately. Bagged materials let you keep your hobby a hobby rather than a big day job.
Great video and great work though, Superman! 💪😂
Good information here luninair! Appreciate the positive feedback!
I planted a 2 ksf area with KBG plugs last year. I spread the compost before drilling for the plugs. It did help with moisture retention and general nutrients. Did get a good spurt of growth but I was also using starter fert then heavy nitrogen
Compost is definitely good for new plugs! 👍👍
I don’t do compost. Compost to me is just better mulch. I use Black Kow. Buy it by the pallet. Then I use my large roll spreader! Its easily the best day of lawn season. Very satisfying! The way you did it is time consuming. I think I did 15,000 square feet in about an hour and a half. The hardest part dealing with the bags! I have done this the last four years and my soil is so good right now. My plugs from aeration have no clay in them! I use the amick rollaerator probably once a month. Do it in four sections. So it seems like I’m aerating all the time! I also like to dethatch in the spring and fall. This really allows your fertilizer and water to go further and do a better job. When this is how you do lawncare, there is never a hard day. Storing the roll spreader is no big deal to me. I have a Toro 30” walk behind, a couple weedeaters and a couple blowers. A couple gas hedge cutters. Stores easy peazy.
If I had room for one of those things I would def look into one but they take up too much room and have limited space.
@paulscott6998 I have read from reviews, that the amick aerator clogs. That is why I have not purchased one. The tines dont eject the plugs.
@@patrickkeschl596 good to know
I did compost at the end of the fall last year, I used the new Landzie that I bought to do it as well. One tip I have for all when using the Landzie is other than the sticks and debris you mentioned is make sure the compost is dried out because if it is wet is does not spread, it balls up and stays inside the Landzie. I will say that this spring that my lawn is the best in the neighborhood!
Thanks for sharing this information time!
Love the video JB, planned on doing the same thing this year as well. Since my yard is smaller than yours, I will use compost spreader and take the big pieces afterwards
and use in my flower bed as mulch..
Appreciate you itqnguyen! You’re a man with a plan !👍
I use a compost spreader mainly for putting peat moss on my lawn. But if you have a two or three half baseball size rocks put them in the spreader and it will help break up the leftovers a little more.
when i did my lawn renovation this year i use composted manure/ top soil. i wanted to use leaf compost but the one nursey charges by for delivery and the were going to make 2 deliveries because of using a smaller truck
One place near me wanted to do the same! Thanks for sharing
JB, I did 13,000 sq feet with a Toro Workman and a turfco top dresser. My product was free at our yard waste facility. I also made a soil sifter so you leave the bad stuff at the site.
Awesome sparky! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve had this issue with my lawn where there is this hairpin turn I have to make with my mower and overtime several grooves have formed in the lawn due to the rear wheels of the mower digging into the ground when it was turning. My solution was to put down some compost down in those grooves and stop mowing that area and it looks like it is working. The grooves are starting to get less noticeable and the grass looks to be growing into them.
There ya go my friend! Compost works wonders lol!
I just got 10 yards of compost for my 10,000 sq ft lawn. So far i did 2000 sq ft i can barley type this comment, im tired!!!
I know the feeling Moe! Well worth it in the end!
I'm 48 and my joints are killing me lol image if you were applying sand😱
Well, that’s it for me. Earned a Sub. Loved the video. Idk why but a nice looking lawn has recently become my goal and these videos are so chill.
Thanks Stephen! I won’t let you down! Thanks for the positive feedback!
Now that you showed me how, I will probably try to top dress my yard next spring. I have a pickup truck that can haul two cubic yards of compost, and a landscaping rake can't be hard to find. But my yard is an acre and a half and I will probably will only finish half of it by the time my allotted weekend is up. but it will be better then nothing.
You are a man with a plan my friend! 👍
After using a compost spreader you can use the leftover chunks/pieces to make home made organic fertilizer to use in your sprayer all you need is 5 gallon pails/paint strainer and a lid then fill it with water and leave it for a few days the longer you leave it the better it gets
Awesome information Marc!
I got a pile of hot compost going in my backyard, but I’ve been mulching the garden with grass clippings and decided not to use the compost in the garden. But I have another house with a bad spot in the front lawn where I had an oak tree removed about five years ago. I’m going to spread it there .
Thanks for sharing Luke! 👍
Hey Luke, as you suggest my lawn seems to love “hot” compost but the garden not so much. I buy sheep compost from nearby feedlot and despite being sold as compost you can smell the ammonia coming out of the pile so long way from being done but lawn greens up immediately!
4:54 The second best part of a compost spreader is that you dont have the big clumps from compost or a dirt delivery. The big parts that dont pass through is a huge bonus. they are all collected for you that you can pick up easily out of the spreader. Otherwise that big clumps that you just complained about woul be scattered all over you lawn. What are you going to do with the big clumps---ammmm reach in and throw out.
6:35 yes compost has NPK but at a level of a 1/1/1 which are neglagable compared to a fertalizer. Compost should be look at as a soil ammendment not as a fertalizer or NPK.
BTW- you have good presentations videos.
@@rjfergus69 thanks for sharing this information rj! Appreciate the positive feedback
Dude I love my compost/ mulch spreader
A few times now I've bought bagged compost and topsoil from a local grocery store that marks the bags down at the end of summer. It'll be like 75% off
Brilliant! Way to save some money
Wow it looks like a horror movie! The attack of the Giant Ants! The compost piles resemble Ant Piles. 😂 All fun aside, the compost for your lawn is great. Wack a Mole - that's even funnier. 😂Great job, JB. I just enjoy your videos. You provide great information, tips and techniques and make it so much fun to watch with your clips from movies or having your collectable characters on your work bench....like next to your bundle of pencils. Have an awesome day! Oh and yes, I have air-rated the lawn and also compost it. The process works. 👍🏻
Appreciate you salmomlox! I always wondered if people notice the characters on the bench. Thanks for being a cool fan!
7 days ago I spread compost on my lawn in the Asheville NC area and overseeded it with Turf type tall fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass seeds. I’ve been watering it frequently and lightly to keep the seeds moist. Now I’m noticing 3 to 5 inch white circles on the compost. I think it is actinomycetes from the compost. Is this something I should be concerned about hurting my lawn? Should I treat it with fungicide(s)? If so which fungicides? I've just changed my watering to less run time and also the last run time of the day has been moved to earlier in the day so it won't be so wet all night. Thank you in advance for your advice.
@@lisao9677 hey Lisa! I would leave it as is. If it is what you say it is they improve nutrient availability. So it sounds like it will help your lawn. Bet your lawn will look great!
I live in Asheville also going to be doing over seed with top choice all turf type tall fescue blend from farmer market
@@GarageGear Thanks so much for your reply.
You should look into getting a worm farm to produce your own worm castings. I just got the vermihut system with 1000 worms and it’s very easy to maintain while not taking up a lot of time, maybe 30 minutes a week. It’ll take a while to produce castings at a high rate but will eventually pay off.
Would love to have this in my backyard!
IMO *most* people should be top dressing with compost instead of sand. I manage about a dozen soccer fields for various local schools and it’s been an interesting series of case studies on different good/bad practices. Sand cap turf is a whole other beast to manage and I see a lot of folks spreading sand without realizing what they are actually doing to their lawn. Organic material on the other hand, can’t really hurt any native soil turf. Just make sure you get compost that has been cooked, or has documented temperature readings to inactivate weed seeds.
Great info here J Horvath!
Weeds are already everywhere and won’t take over if you have a good turf
Dude I just discover your channel today, I have was looking at lot of video's like those but, you delivery, energy and quality of video make me sub to your channel, keep it up ! (Watching from QC,Canada)
Awesome Nicholas! Thanks for being a cool fan!
I just did this exact same thing two weeks ago. Aerated the lawn, over seeded, then spread 5 cu yards of leaf compost. I have a Landzie Compost Spreader but it struggled with the particulate size and didn’t spread well so, like you, I spread everything manually with a transfer shovel, wheelbarrow and rakes. I spread Scott’s starter fertilizer (with Minotrione/Tenacity in it) just a few days later to help the seed and prevent the weeds. Going well so far.
Awesome my friend! Bet the lawn looks great!
So relieved your neighbours stopped to ask about your work. I found that the hardest part 😅
@@eileenlau4456 everyone and their grandma came out to see what was going on. lol thanks for watching
My landscape company could not find a Landzie compost spreader to rent anywhere in Western New York. So they had to spread 7 yards of Organic Nutrisoil (topsoil and leaf compost) by hand. I had the entire front yard killed off because of Creeping Bent Grass.
Thanks for sharing my friend! 👍 go bills!
Great video and breakdown. How long did you wait after you applied the compost did you cut the grass?
I was actually cutting the lawn 7 days later. The lawn really bounced back after the rain we got! 👍
Your lawn looks like something out of magazine!! 😮💚
Thank you Ruthie! It’s been a labor of love over the past several years! 👍
Side note, you have the Best video I've seen on compost topdressing!!
@@HippieFertilizing I appreciate you hippie! A lot of work went into this video! 👍
You have space on your property and the money for a $90 compost spreader. You can hang it from the ceiling. You wanted the extra excercise. With experience you learn how far the spreader will go on one load and you position your compost on a large canvas tarp (also inexpensive) so that you can make a single round-trip with the spreader using exactly one load. You gradually drag the tarp every several loads, keeping it close to the spreader. For a large yard, the spreader will cut your physical excertion roughly in half.
Thanks for sharing
Use a Landzie Compost Spreader for best results
Thanks for sharing
Real video real work real info
I keep it real around here! Thanks for watching Terence!
Midweek video. Outstanding!!!
Hey Michael! I’m a teacher by day and a youtuber by night! Getting one out in the middle of the week is a real chore but this went together pretty quick! Thanks for watching my friend!
Awesome video I'll try on my lawn and hope to see nice results 👍
ROCK ON DIY Guy!
Hey JB you definitely have a green thumb. That grass is looking really nice. Great work to say the least. Have a good night and many blessings 🙏👍🙏👍
Thanks a lot Ray! Have a great rest of your week my friend! 👍👍
the Vevo compost spreader is about $90 but it's excellent.
@@MoonContradiction appreciate you sharing this moon! 👍
You can rent the spreader from home depot
Not all Home Depot’s have it. Mine didn’t.
@@GarageGear Home Depot on Elmwood near Hertel rents them. Lawn looking good, as usual.
@@thecrepesoul good to know! Thanks for sharing my friend!
Boy that looks like a lot of work JB! Definitely worth the effort. Lawn looks great! Digging the Christmas Vacation reference too! I’m a bit behind on watching videos. Have a great week! Cheers buddy!
Hey Jay! Thanks bud! A lot of work but it paid off! Loads of snowblower content coming! Have a good weekend bud!
I did Home Depot actually has landzie type compost spreaders for rent at least in my area anyway
Good to know! None by me available for rent
i was planning on having a delivery when I complete my fall over-seed, does that sound about right?
@@mikezags0816 sounds like a great plan! 👍
JB how on earth did you get rid of the lawn rust and how do you keep if from coming back?
I've been dealing with lawn rust in the late summer and fall, this year I'm just going to start bagging clippings late summer in hopes that helps. I get aeration done, I fertalize, and have great sandy soil for drainage. The damn rust takes over though its so annoying!
same climate zone, just across the river..
lol. Yessir. I feel your pain. It takes a great deal of work to spread that stuff!!! 💪
You know it! Thanks for watching michael
I got 6 cubic yards. Banged out half and this last half is taking foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrr all uphill.
I feel you pain my friend! The results are worth it though! Hang in there lol!
Hi JB. I was wondering how you calculated how many yards of compost you needed. I'm assuming you took the sq. ft of your yard and multiplied that by a certain depth. What was that depth? Thank you for sharing this video. Very informative!
Hey Brian I did go on a number of compost websites and ran calculations for 1/4 inch. Many were saying to go with 15 yards but that would have been way too much in my driveway and far too much work. 7 yards was too much work lol but actually laid down a nice 1/4 inch of compost on my lawn. I’ll be doing a little less this year about 4 yards and I’ll see how that goes.
Looks amazing!
Appreciate you flint! Thanks for watching bud! 👍
You’re the best brother. Much love from Utah.
Appreciate you ghost face! 👍
How do you prevent the large pieces ( left in the roller) when using just the landscape rake? I’m looking to test out leveling/top dressing my super rocky clay lawn and desperate for my Bermuda to spread and fill in ( 1 year old sod)
Can’t really prevent large pieces but you can pile them up and use them in a garden box or something
You did a great job! If you ever do this again use a backpack blower to spread the piles! ua-cam.com/video/mpg2fbYP7Nc/v-deo.html
And yes leaf mold compost is best. However, if that can't be found. in my area most compost is cheap quality, I use a flowerbed mix. they are usually a little sandy and more consistent and less expensive than true leaf compost
@@HippieFertilizing I like where your head is at hippie! Thanks for sharing your experience 👍
You're good man..💯✔️🤓
@@Hank-x5q thanks Hank
I wasn't clear on the overseeding - did you put the compost down first or spread the seeds first?
@@stevej-j6p spread the seed first and then cover it with compost Steve👍
@@GarageGear Thanks!
I have used a leveling rake in the past I prefer it over a landscape rake it helps to smooth out the bumps
how did you make like button border shine?
I have no influence on that. That is all UA-cam itself.
I have bermuda grass. When do you think would be a good time to lay compost?
Anytime is a good time smith! 👍
Hold up... 10 hours of work, with only TWO 20-minute breaks?? STRONG! And a little crazy. 🤣
That’s how I roll! Didn’t want that pile sitting there all weekend lol! Have an awesome weekend Mace!
What type of grass is that?
We have perennial rye, turf type tall fescue, and Kentucky blue grass
Thanks I love this. I have. Golden retriever that digs constantly so my lawn has become uneven. So the leveling is one of my takeaways from this.
Hey Dave this will help for sure! 👍
Buddy off topic but I find myself looking at a McClane Edger for $150. Please help with tips on what i need to look at. Ive never owned one before.
Awesome my friend! Make sure the engine starts and runs fine. How old is it? Also make sure all mechanisms on the edger work properly. If the engine doesn’t work great you could take the old engine off pretty easily, sell it and replace it with a new on from harbor freight. Those engines work great!
@@GarageGear thanks buddy, it's an older one with the dreaded Briggs and Stratton engine and some rust issues. I can work with that however, the belt pulley for the edger blade looks like it might be off center. I've only seen photos.
@@GarageGear update on McLane edger, I purchased it for 100 dollars! He offered 80 but it's in great condition so I gave him 100. Just needs cleaning and the engine is good he's never changed oil and the carburetor needs cleaning. I GOT LUCKY
@@meatandveggies8008 great! Let me know how she runs after her tune up! 👍
So after a good cleaning the engine still has a slight popping sound. My edges are very nice now, so over the winter I will have to work on getting that slight backfire fixed.
Here's a hint. Don't use a shovel. Buy a pitchfork. Shoving a bladed edge into loose materials will wear your out. Shovels are for cutting into compacted dirt. The tines of a pitchfork just glide into loose materials.
Thanks for sharing
is it ok to overseed after putting down the compost?
Yeah you could do that. The compost does provide a good cover over the seed to keep it wet. 👍
Yes, excellent for moisture retention! Just use a metal leaf rake to rake in the seed lightly. No deeper than a quarter of an inch.
Who did you use for compost, I am near Lancaster NY been trying to find someone who delivers compost.
Hey Derrick! I used custom top soil but my neighbor used krantz and theirs seemed to be a little finer and lighter than mine. Might want to check out krantz! Go bills!
@@GarageGear thanks if you ever want to use the Landzie spreader let me know I have one (and curse the room it takes up in my shed) haha
@@derrickp lol! Thanks Derrick! Makes you want to use it more often right?
I would use Krantz on Lapp Road in Clarence
How did you take care of your lawn rust? I have been dealing with it here.
That's an easy disease to get rid of!
If you want …. You can rent a spreader from Home Depot… if you have a Home Depot nearby.
My Home Depot didn’t have any available
Dam dude, nice.
Thanks for watching bubba! 👍
Approximately how much did it cost for the 7 yards of compost and delivery?
@@fastbreakr it was $250 for all that last year. I found different centers sell it for different prices. The place I got it from this year had a better batch but it was $250 for 4 yards. I spread it thinner but it still did an amazing job
@@GarageGear that’s much cheaper than buying it in individual bags. Thank you!
@@fastbreakr especially if you need to buy 3-4 bags per application
Please get a compost roller.
Hey emile! Did you watch the whole video?
whant free compost go tp the city where they dump the leaves and grass clippings proply cleavand.
Thanks for sharing my friend!
I have 10,000 Sq ft too my brother. I feel your pain
Glad I’m not alone lol! Thanks for watching ryan
i used a drag mat to spread mine around the yard instead of a rake
Interesting idea!
Reminds me of the time we flipped an old pallet over and dragged it behind our mower. Worked great! Used an upside down kiddie pool once too 😂
@@wehubb great ideas!
Didn't you say your compost was clean and only found 1 rock? So why would you show those twigs/small branches in the compost spreader?
Clean of garbage and debris! Not all compost is finely screened perfectly and you’ll find larger organic stuff like branches and twigs inside
Because he didn't use the spreader...
Damn that's a lot of work. How many Advil the next day? Lol.
No advil just a lot of stretching because I was so sore lol! I was beat up!
JB When did you find time to do it with all the rain weve been getting LOL
Hey DJ! I did this when we had that late fall heatwave in September. Right before all the rain! 👍
Great video sir!
Thanks Marcos appreciate you!
Im skipping a few steps. Im pasturing meat chickes in mobile coops over my yard. Moving them every day to spread the manure.
Good plan
Prewatering that seed in the bucket sequence will help growth exponentially with the compost.
Good tip!
You just convinced me not to buy the compost spreader, thank you.
@@steveniemyer9288 I have a friend with one. Perhaps I’ll give it a whirl this fall
You're nuts man 😂 you need a mechanical advantage or a new hobby. Your grass looked fine before 😅 ive been battling moss in my backyard. any videos or suggestions?
Lol! You could try taking out some of the moss and hammering the area with grass seed. See if you can have the grass take the area over and crowd out the moss.
Did you get a soil test from the compost business to see what the nutritional information was on the compost you were spreading? I ask this because people say it's great compared to a bag of fertilizer but a bag of fertilizer may have the same amount of nutrients as that huge pile of mulch compost in your driveway.
The other thing was you said you didn't want to use a peat moss spreader because stuff would get stuck in it. That's because it's not a good compost. A really good compost that will work with your soil right away is truly composted already instead of laying on your yard as mulch chunks waiting for your mower to pick it up and chop it up more.
Those tests were not offered by any company near me. Good pointers here
bag of milorganite; same results save yourself all this wasted time
I can tell you that dark green lasted far longer than a bag of milo ever did for me! Not to mention the micronutrient blast it got. Thanks for watching
My lawn is a mess. Sooo bumpy. Would probably cost a fortune to fix it at this point.
Na you can buy a leveling rake not so hard to do or use
Same here! I have hella amounts of roots from trees sticking up and making divots!
@@Matthew_Does_To_Many_Things raise up your whole land to sit above the roots
You’d be surprised what you can do on a budget! 👍
Cost would depend on square footage but you could have a landscape company come in with a Harley rake / cultivator and till down 4 to 6 inches. Then they would level it with another attachment, add compost or topsoil, seed it, then lightly rake it in, and finally roll it.
Funny thing is if you just mulch the leaves and grass in your lawn it will do this naturally
Sure will Scott!
Will leaves change the ph
@@kr5289 no it’s good for it
@@kr5289 not as far as I know.