Thanks mate , another in depth and educational video as always , I’m currently doing up my lawn , overseeded it last weekend . Can see small shoots coming through now . Never thought I could get so excited about grass , keep up the good work 👏👏
Best scarification video I've watched. Just bought the Wolf Garten scarifyer and have started to do the lawn out the back. Crazy how much thatch in the little area I've done has come out.
@@LawnRight will give you a progress update in due course. We have Kikuyu grass which is a nightmare with it's long trendils with the thatch making it spongey when you walk on it 😫 It's Summer here in Australia so with the storms and the heat, this type of grass just goes bonkers with it's growth rate. Back to the scarifying tomorrow!
Hi, going to scarify my small lawns tomorrow for the first time, can you tell me which top dressing is best, top soil or compost? If compost is your preferred choice what type of compost is best and any make, if you could provide me with this so I don’t buy the wrong kind, Thanks, Graham.
Very helpful & informative video Shaun, am I creating more thatch overtime by using the mulch fitting in the lawn mower once in a while? I mean is it advisable to use the mulch fitting ?
Hi you can mulch fairly often (and I dont have an exact formula for how many times) but if you do it, its best to cut it very often so the grass clippings are very small (just taking off the tips of the grass) to allow it to break down on the ground. As it produces a natural feed - returning the nutrients to the gras, Id treat it a little like a fertiliser and mulch perhaps once every 2 to 3 weeks, the rts of the time mowing regular
Thanks for the advice, Shawn. Did a second pass on my lawn yesterday. Also aerated for the first time with the Walansee, based on your recommendation. 👍🏽
I'm in Texas with bermuda grass that has runners. One guy on youtube said don't scarify because it damages the runners. That said, I did and pulled 10 huge bin liners on a 4000 sq foot lawn, a lot of junk. Surely it was needed to be removed. ? Any advice for bermuda grass ?
Hi, I'm not wholly knowledgeable on US grasses, but.. from what Ive been looking into, it seems the opinion is divided on this. If anyhting, I'd say do as soon as it starts to Green up then you won't have to deal with it later, but in general it shouldn't be producing too much thatch .. if it dos you can bag up the clippings for a while
Hi sorry do you mean the material that I have scarified out? If so definitely not.. I like to use multipurpose compost as a covering for the seed thanks
Hi the stihl range are about double that but would be great if you saw a 2nd hand one rl540 or an older viking mb540.. otherwise einhell or keep looking on ebay for something 2nd hand.. camon are a high end machine.. or low end theres some basic ones in screwfix seemingly quite good. Anything with a honda engine or briggs and Stratton should be reliable though
How’s your back I just hope it freeing up and the pain is going mate. You explained in so well but I see why there’s still a lot of thatch With the Scarifier machine it ploughs out the thatch in a line of an 1” apart but it’s still leaving an inch between the blades that hasn’t been scarified much like a plough . But with the handle held scarify it Doesn’t stay in one line so removing more thatch with it. Thank you Shaun I always enjoy watching and listening and Understanding the logic to this method on the lawn much appreciated 👊👍🤝
Hi mate.. so we are thinning out the thatch with the grooves. Helping air etc. get down. Going in a few directions helps further but you'll never get it all out easily without taking more and more grass so you have to find that balance of improving lawn or going to next stage and then needing to reseed. Trouble for me is many customers only want the scarify without seeding
Oh and the backs still the same.. just getting painkillers down me.. not sure if I've pulled a muscle or not no idea.. will see doc in another week or so if no improvement
Thank you for the explanations...I apply your lawn maintenance rules in Quebec...but right now I'm waiting for the snow to finish melting...I can't wait to start the season :) I have a question : When you say scarification, is that the same as dethatching? On my machine (ducar dr40) I have 2 drums, spring tines and blade...the blade attatchment is very agressive...I normaly only using spring tines...
Hi yes it's the same meaning.. removing of thatch. Ye sthe blades certainly do a lot more and can be quite destructive if not used properly. The tines are much gentler and get there but slower
@@LawnRight doesnt look like I have much thatch in mine to take out, it's a clay soil, but ithere was plenty of moss down the middle that's had 2 iron sulphate treatments and a power rake now, it's looking much better but plenty of soil showing now. It's ready for a good ruffle with the scarifier and over seed and top dress, just need the weather to get better to crack on with it. Bloody raining now 🙄
Hi Shaun Many thanks for all these training/teaching videos. You learn so much! Sometimes a scarify can seem really tough on grass. How much healthy grass is removed? Also, I seeded a new lawn about a year ago. Do you think it needs a scarify 1 year later? Many thanks
Hi.. 1youll always lose some healthy grass but can minimise this with careful steady scarifying. If you push hard and fast it will rip more out. You'll need to scarify only if the grass seems spongy. However that can be hard to judge sometimes so if you take score of slip you can assess how much thatch is present. Even if you use a shovel to remove and then return a sliver you'll be able to check. Most grasses would benefit once year
Another helpful video, shame you don’t cover the London area. What’s your thoughts on the electric home owner type scarifiers - I see brands selling machines around £150 from Von Haus, Einhell etc. are these robust enough for example?
Hi John if you go to: lawnright.co.uk/diy/freebies/shopping-list/ you can grab my shopping list with links to all thew products I use.. but for refererence: amzn.to/3CqpvCA - dont forget youll also need a handle amzn.to/3jSGtky cheers
Hi I personally never mulch but only because I dont have a mulching mower. If you want to mulch you need to be prepared to mow twice a week so your only taking off very small bits at a time.. so if I were mulching I'd prob mulch once or twice a month. And mow normal otherwise
Hi Shaun, greetings from rainy Seattle! Thank you for detailed overview of the process and stages. I’m total newbie but with your fantastic guidance l’m learning quick, a lot and feel much more confident to take care of our lawn (rather large). One question I’ve got though is about what else would you suggest to apply to a just scarified lawn while “Emerald Green” is still in the works? By the way, I truly hope “Emerald Green” will be available in the USA as well. Thanks so much and all the best to you!
Hi you could apply some seaweed to the lawn which will nourish the plant but other than that.. watering will speed up the recovery from scarifying and then ensure you mow on a high setting to help get more sunlight in .. thanks for the kind words!
Great tips Shaun thank you . Don’t like scarifying as it looks bad for week or 2 but better in long run ! Is a good idea to scarify and overseed every Spring if want a top notch lawn or is that a bit OTT …..?! 🍺🍺
Hi every lawns different.. dwarf rye doesn't produce a lot of thatch whereas fescues do. So yes for some lawns 2 times a year or sometime more is for the super lawn nerds 😁
I bought a scarifier from Amazon - was scared by the amount that came out from just a small area. Ive re-seeded now, hopefully will come up lovely in a few weeks. When can you mow new grass though? IT says 6 cm on the box but that will look awful, can you do it sooner?
Hi the scarifier will be more aggressive. It depends if you've been doing it regular then the power rake may be enough.. as long as you scratch the surface of the soil
Hi no, its a bit of a recipe I developed over last few years. I'm bottling it up soon and hoping to make it available for sale.. fingers crossed.. it's called emerald green.. helps with a number of things
@@LawnRight Ok, I understand it's your recipe. Hope that you could start selling it. What is your opinnion to dissolve the graunles of fertilizer and then spray it on the lawn? Or i should buy the fertilizer already in liquid?
Thanks Shaun, great advice ..I just bought a scarifier today, really excited and I got three customers today here in Ireland.. What should I charge for scarifying a 2,000 sq ft lawn? I have no idea as I’m only starting off in this business? Any pointer would be a great help to me. Thanks..
I reckon its around a days work at most so comes down to your business needs, outgoings and how much you want to earn per day. Possibly charge for waste removal too. Once you've done a few you'll get a feel for it. Good luck!
@@LawnRight yea, once I get a few under my belt I’ll know how many hours it will take me..I’m thinking €60 an hour for scarifying....I’m charging €60 an hour for mowing and I think the Americans are charging around that in dollars…. So I reckon the same for scarifying.. As I say I have no experience in this…is is €60/hr a fair wage? Thanks for your help
@@LawnRight thanks Shaun, give me a shout out if you think it’s too much as I don’t want to over charge either. I really appreciate your help and I fully realise it’s beyond the call of duty. Il buy you a pint of Guinness if your ever over in the Emerald Island .. and I hope you will be mightily blessed in everything you put your hand to.. Fran
The core samples are a great way to demonstrate what is happening whilst scarifying 👌
Thanks.. yes it's amazing how much was in that lawn
Thanks mate , another in depth and educational video as always , I’m currently doing up my lawn , overseeded it last weekend . Can see small shoots coming through now . Never thought I could get so excited about grass , keep up the good work 👏👏
Best scarification video I've watched. Just bought the Wolf Garten scarifyer and have started to do the lawn out the back. Crazy how much thatch in the little area I've done has come out.
Ahhh thanks. Yes you'll be impressed by how well it performs this season as a result
@@LawnRight will give you a progress update in due course. We have Kikuyu grass which is a nightmare with it's long trendils with the thatch making it spongey when you walk on it 😫 It's Summer here in Australia so with the storms and the heat, this type of grass just goes bonkers with it's growth rate. Back to the scarifying tomorrow!
@@ingridwagner9541 good luck and enjoy 😊
Great video and sell explained, thanks Shaun, keep crackin on.
Muchos gracias!
Very educational. Thanks.
Very welcome
someone finally did an after check, good content. made me subscribed.
🙏🙏😊😊😊 thanks!
Shaun cheers mate , still waiting for a good weekend to start mine.
Okdoke.. shouldnt be too long!
Great video on scarifying. Now I understand it! Subscribed as well. Cheers Shaun 👍
Thanks colin!
Excellent video. Just a small point - should the moss be treated before scarifying to avoid spreading live spores?
Not so much when its warm the moss is struggling. Def when its wet and cold though
Hi, going to scarify my small lawns tomorrow for the first time, can you tell me which top dressing is best, top soil or compost? If compost is your preferred choice what type of compost is best and any make, if you could provide me with this so I don’t buy the wrong kind,
Thanks,
Graham.
Hi Shaun thanks for the ongoing advice. Looking forward to getting some "Emerald Green" when it's available 👍
Thanks for the support. Still working with designer for labels...
Greetings from the rainy Pacific Northwest!!! What is the name of the treatment you put on at the end of the work? Thanks so much.
Hi! Greetings! It's my Emerald Green just helps recovery and new seeds.. not quite ready for the public yet sorry
i wish you were in London I would get you to do my lawn
Maybe one day in the future when the channels grown and it can support things like this Id definitely think about it
Amazing how much thatch comes out while scarifying- 20 wheelbarrows when we did mine a few weeks back 😀
😮👍 well done! It is amazing!
Very helpful & informative video Shaun, am I creating more thatch overtime by using the mulch fitting in the lawn mower once in a while? I mean is it advisable to use the mulch fitting ?
Hi you can mulch fairly often (and I dont have an exact formula for how many times) but if you do it, its best to cut it very often so the grass clippings are very small (just taking off the tips of the grass) to allow it to break down on the ground. As it produces a natural feed - returning the nutrients to the gras, Id treat it a little like a fertiliser and mulch perhaps once every 2 to 3 weeks, the rts of the time mowing regular
Thanks for the advice, Shawn. Did a second pass on my lawn yesterday. Also aerated for the first time with the Walansee, based on your recommendation.
👍🏽
Youre welcome!
I'm in Texas with bermuda grass that has runners. One guy on youtube said don't scarify because it damages the runners. That said, I did and pulled 10 huge bin liners on a 4000 sq foot lawn, a lot of junk. Surely it was needed to be removed. ? Any advice for bermuda grass ?
Hi, I'm not wholly knowledgeable on US grasses, but.. from what Ive been looking into, it seems the opinion is divided on this. If anyhting, I'd say do as soon as it starts to Green up then you won't have to deal with it later, but in general it shouldn't be producing too much thatch .. if it dos you can bag up the clippings for a while
After scarifying and overseeing, is it advisable to put de-thatched plant material back on the lawn to be mowed over?
***overseeding
Hi sorry do you mean the material that I have scarified out? If so definitely not.. I like to use multipurpose compost as a covering for the seed thanks
Hi Shaun great video on scarifying can you recommend a petrol scarifier for my £300-£350 budget my lawn is around 120m². Many thanks
Hi the stihl range are about double that but would be great if you saw a 2nd hand one rl540 or an older viking mb540.. otherwise einhell or keep looking on ebay for something 2nd hand.. camon are a high end machine.. or low end theres some basic ones in screwfix seemingly quite good. Anything with a honda engine or briggs and Stratton should be reliable though
Very nice, I bought a machine this week, 2 small lawns done, can you pray for me when I do the big lawn please haha, cheers
🙏🙏 you will do it ... oh lawn god please give him the courage to do well on the big lawn
How’s your back I just hope it freeing up and the pain is going mate. You explained in so well but I see why there’s still a lot of thatch With the Scarifier machine it ploughs out the thatch in a line of an 1” apart but it’s still leaving an inch between the blades that hasn’t been scarified much like a plough . But with the handle held scarify it Doesn’t stay in one line so removing more thatch with it. Thank you Shaun I always enjoy watching and listening and Understanding the logic to this method on the lawn much appreciated 👊👍🤝
Hi mate.. so we are thinning out the thatch with the grooves. Helping air etc. get down. Going in a few directions helps further but you'll never get it all out easily without taking more and more grass so you have to find that balance of improving lawn or going to next stage and then needing to reseed. Trouble for me is many customers only want the scarify without seeding
Oh and the backs still the same.. just getting painkillers down me.. not sure if I've pulled a muscle or not no idea.. will see doc in another week or so if no improvement
Great stuff! Can you spray the sulphate of iron when it’s raining?
Yes as long as it's not too heavy
Thank you for the explanations...I apply your lawn maintenance rules in Quebec...but right now I'm waiting for the snow to finish melting...I can't wait to start the season :) I have a question : When you say scarification, is that the same as dethatching? On my machine (ducar dr40) I have 2 drums, spring tines and blade...the blade attatchment is very agressive...I normaly only using spring tines...
Hi yes it's the same meaning.. removing of thatch. Ye sthe blades certainly do a lot more and can be quite destructive if not used properly. The tines are much gentler and get there but slower
Nice one, doing mine soon with seed now the frost 's have gone 👍
😁👍
@@LawnRight doesnt look like I have much thatch in mine to take out, it's a clay soil, but ithere was plenty of moss down the middle that's had 2 iron sulphate treatments and a power rake now, it's looking much better but plenty of soil showing now. It's ready for a good ruffle with the scarifier and over seed and top dress, just need the weather to get better to crack on with it. Bloody raining now 🙄
Hi Shaun
Many thanks for all these training/teaching videos. You learn so much!
Sometimes a scarify can seem really tough on grass. How much healthy grass is removed?
Also, I seeded a new lawn about a year ago. Do you think it needs a scarify 1 year later?
Many thanks
Hi.. 1youll always lose some healthy grass but can minimise this with careful steady scarifying. If you push hard and fast it will rip more out. You'll need to scarify only if the grass seems spongy. However that can be hard to judge sometimes so if you take score of slip you can assess how much thatch is present. Even if you use a shovel to remove and then return a sliver you'll be able to check. Most grasses would benefit once year
Is the mid June heat too hot to be scarifying?
Ideally I wouldnt do it.. but if you did and you could hammer it with water for a month you might be ok
Another helpful video, shame you don’t cover the London area. What’s your thoughts on the electric home owner type scarifiers - I see brands selling machines around £150 from Von Haus, Einhell etc. are these robust enough for example?
Hi thanks! They are ok as long as you go steady with them. They will require you to go over the lawn several times but will do the jobe nonetheless
Hi,
Have you a link to the Wolf Garten Scarfyer?
Cheers! 🍻
Hi John if you go to: lawnright.co.uk/diy/freebies/shopping-list/ you can grab my shopping list with links to all thew products I use.. but for refererence: amzn.to/3CqpvCA - dont forget youll also need a handle amzn.to/3jSGtky cheers
i dont understand... whole season mulch... and then scarify ? maybe donot mulch over the year?
Hi I personally never mulch but only because I dont have a mulching mower. If you want to mulch you need to be prepared to mow twice a week so your only taking off very small bits at a time.. so if I were mulching I'd prob mulch once or twice a month. And mow normal otherwise
Hi Shaun, greetings from rainy Seattle! Thank you for detailed overview of the process and stages. I’m total newbie but with your fantastic guidance l’m learning quick, a lot and feel much more confident to take care of our lawn (rather large). One question I’ve got though is about what else would you suggest to apply to a just scarified lawn while “Emerald Green” is still in the works? By the way, I truly hope “Emerald Green” will be available in the USA as well. Thanks so much and all the best to you!
Hi you could apply some seaweed to the lawn which will nourish the plant but other than that.. watering will speed up the recovery from scarifying and then ensure you mow on a high setting to help get more sunlight in .. thanks for the kind words!
Great tips Shaun thank you . Don’t like scarifying as it looks bad for week or 2 but better in long run ! Is a good idea to scarify and overseed every Spring if want a top notch lawn or is that a bit OTT …..?! 🍺🍺
Hi every lawns different.. dwarf rye doesn't produce a lot of thatch whereas fescues do. So yes for some lawns 2 times a year or sometime more is for the super lawn nerds 😁
@@LawnRight Think I am a lawn nerd 😲....!!
@@125phr 😁
I bought a scarifier from Amazon - was scared by the amount that came out from just a small area. Ive re-seeded now, hopefully will come up lovely in a few weeks. When can you mow new grass though? IT says 6 cm on the box but that will look awful, can you do it sooner?
Hi as soon as its ready take the top off.. but my advice is to ensure you mow on a high setting for the next few months so at least 1.5 inches
@@LawnRight Thanks for the reply!
is this a power rake or scarifyer? my sunjoe has both. Do you need to do both before overseeding?
Hi the scarifier will be more aggressive. It depends if you've been doing it regular then the power rake may be enough.. as long as you scratch the surface of the soil
@@LawnRight I have a ton of dead tenacity crabgrass so I will go with that scarcity blade. Ty
What you spraying at the end of the video? It's some kind of fertilizer?
Hi no, its a bit of a recipe I developed over last few years. I'm bottling it up soon and hoping to make it available for sale.. fingers crossed.. it's called emerald green.. helps with a number of things
@@LawnRight Ok, I understand it's your recipe. Hope that you could start selling it. What is your opinnion to dissolve the graunles of fertilizer and then spray it on the lawn? Or i should buy the fertilizer already in liquid?
What time of the year should you use your scarifying machine
Hi spring or autumn are best thanks
Thanks Shaun, great advice ..I just bought a scarifier today, really excited and I got three customers today here in Ireland..
What should I charge for scarifying a 2,000 sq ft lawn? I have no idea as I’m only starting off in this business? Any pointer would be a great help to me. Thanks..
I reckon its around a days work at most so comes down to your business needs, outgoings and how much you want to earn per day. Possibly charge for waste removal too. Once you've done a few you'll get a feel for it. Good luck!
@@LawnRight yea, once I get a few under my belt I’ll know how many hours it will take me..I’m thinking €60 an hour for scarifying....I’m charging €60 an hour for mowing and I think the Americans are charging around that in dollars…. So I reckon the same for scarifying.. As I say I have no experience in this…is is €60/hr a fair wage?
Thanks for your help
@@murtaghslawncare. I think it's an extremely fair wage to be honest
@@LawnRight thanks Shaun, give me a shout out if you think it’s too much as I don’t want to over charge either.
I really appreciate your help and I fully realise it’s beyond the call of duty. Il buy you a pint of Guinness if your ever over in the Emerald Island .. and I hope you will be mightily blessed in everything you put your hand to..
Fran
@@murtaghslawncare. I think the hourly rate is pretty good. I reckon about 3 to 4 hours thinking about it.. once you get up to speed anyway
Superb
Thanks!
Very labourious but ok if you don't have an electric or petrol one.
👍😊
Sandy soil oh how I wish, I could make bricks from mine if I had a kiln 🤣
🤣
Anything over 7mm is bad, I wouldn't have anything more, 20mm is far too much thatch
👍