This is the exact ways I found to improve my lawn after years of trying , my yard looks fantastic now.

These are the most beneficial suggestions I have heard regarding this subject. You have condensed years of struggling into results. Thanks so much! Highly recommended!

Immediately hit the like button for the “I’m the crazy old man that drills holes In my yard on a Saturday morning” 😂

@thrivingyard

Жыл бұрын

😂 🤷🏻‍♂️

That was the most succinct and intelligent presentation on improving clay soil that I've ever come across. Thank you.👍

@James-sf5bb

Жыл бұрын

I thought exactly the same, extremely informative

I've got horrible clay soil and you're completely right on with how to fix the problem. 100%. Great analysis.

This is the best advice ever!

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I’m really pleased with the results I’m seeing.

This is incredibly helpful and makes so much sense, thank you

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

I’m so glad!

I appreciate the video. I have been searching for an alternative to digging my yard up for years. Finally, I will be able to resolve/make progress of my shallow root issue. Wow

@thrivingyard

3 жыл бұрын

Awesome. Make it happen my friend.

I have just adopted the dad lifestyle over this weekend. I'll take all the yard help I can get.

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

Welcome aboard!

The bulb auger is a eureka for me. Thanks for posting!

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

So glad! Put it to good use!

This is the best idea for a lawn renovation project that I've heard. Its going to take work but in the end it will be worth it. You just gained a follower 👍

This is the craziest idea I’ve seen to date but at the same time, just makes sense, neighbours already think I’m nuts, best not disappoint them! Sheer Brilliance! Thankyou 👍🏾🙏🏽

@pujo28

3 жыл бұрын

I hear ya. I stopped caring about the neighbors a while ago. As far as I’m concerned, they’re the crazy ones for hiring someone to do everything. What he says makes sense. I did all of em except drill holes which I have contemplated. Takes a few years to get that dark soil level deeper in the ground but why rush it. Better satisfaction if u do it yourself for less $ even if it takes a lot longer. Core aerators work but very heavy machine and u must water lawn b4 or use soil conditioner like he said or it won’t pull plugs out. Too dry. I’d skip core aeration n get the long drill bit n do it right. Just make sure to remove the clay the drill bit removes then backfill holes with good soil. Good luck buddy

@01mustang05

3 жыл бұрын

Good one; lol; thank you

@sirdumbthicc4294

3 жыл бұрын

@@pujo28 same, has a coworker who paid $2,000 for a guy to come and take care of his yard, I told him I would have done it for $1,999. Just to show him how stupid he is.

@kevinbrewster6834

3 жыл бұрын

I'm with you my friend. What else is there to do but make your yard look good 👍 I'm known as the mad scientist who care to much about his lawn. I'll leave you with this... Work hard January to May then sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Whole everyone else is slaving and sweating 🥵 during the summer.

@Lanaman400

3 жыл бұрын

@@sirdumbthicc4294 🤣, you had me choking on my cup of tea! Funny as hell! You legend lol!

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I now have a little bit of hope 🙂

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

Just keep at it. It’s a slow process but you can do it.

Damn. Thanks it actually makes sense now .

Thank you for this video! Just moved to Utah from California and this clay dirt gots me digging every day just to try an loosen up a few layers..(and yes I’ve been tossing in a few bags of good soil) Glad to know I’m not the only crazy 😜 person drilling clay in hopes of being able to grow grass someday..

@GWHAWK87

4 жыл бұрын

Marroquin family I use a product called ‘rooster booster’ (essentially chicken poop), it is amazing at water retention and breaks down into the soil to prevent compaction. Highly recommend it alongside core aeration.

@marroquinfamily793

4 жыл бұрын

GWHAWK87 Thank you I got a few bags of chicken poop.. Also purchased a few chicks a few weeks back I’ll leave them out in the clay for a while so they can poo all over the place .. thanks for the recommendation..

Sounds like great advice, I have my drill bit ordered.

Thank you!

Thank you, sir.

Loved it. Tons of information in a video which was less then 10 minutes.. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍🇨🇦

@thrivingyard

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

Great advice - thanks!

Excellent intergrated plan , when asked i have always said proper PH and soil sampling aeration and top dress compost

Stumbled on this process by accident recently. Wanted to take a soil sample from my new house sod over heavily compacted clay. ended up using the bulb drill because I could not penetrate deep enough with a lawn probe. So hard, even bent the moisture meter was using. I filled the holes with some compost and top soil and noticed those areas looked better. was wondering whether to do the same elsewhere. Glad to see someone else experimented before me! Thanks

@thrivingyard

3 жыл бұрын

My entire yard is one big experiment!!! 😂

Very interesting! I may have to give those things a try!

Great video!!! Thanks

Thanks for the video! I saw you started posting a few months ago but haven't posted for a bit... I just wanted to send these words of encouragement to keep posting as youtube is a lot like yardwork... it takes a while to pay off, but consistent care will reap rewards! Cheers!

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

Appreciate that.

Im just starting to think about this at a new house. Great video! Great overview!

Great advice

This guy is tools for everything. Yes,crazy old man is right. Never skip mulching

Very helpful I live in the uk and my lawn has some very hard compacted areas which I think the core aerator wont go through so the tip on using a large drill bit seems a great option!

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

Make sure that you moisten the soil before drilling. Let me know how it goes. I’m really pleased with the results I’ve had.

@leannekahn8315

3 жыл бұрын

@@thrivingyard Can this be done when the garden has turned to mud? You mentioned wetting it first. It is currently winter here and the snow, rain and dog have ruined the garden I would like to mulch to stop the mud coming in the house but I think I should make some drainage holes first.

Awesome tips.

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

1. core aerate and remove plugs, creating thousands of little clay pots. 2. top dress with lawn soil mixed with grass seed and fertilizer. 3. use a surfactant in the summer when you water. 4. rinse and repeat.

@TWOKDOK1

2 жыл бұрын

My clay is very heavy..core aerators don’t work and nearly give me a slipped disc after a few insertions when trying to pull out tines (hydraulic lock). Cores stick in tines and compact.

@unlisted773

Жыл бұрын

@@Domn879 Any luck with the conditioner?

Thank you

Super informative. 👍👍

Well explained and to the point. Thanks for that and I am going to start implementing these.

Thanks

Superb video, started this a few years ago and it’s really improved my lawn and soil structure. Will you be posting any more videos?

I planted fruit trees by looking at the roots then drilling holes with a gas post hole driller filling the holes with compost and peat moss then planting the tree with the roots going into these holes. They get a good start with the composting packed holes going down as deep as I can drill them( 3to 4 feet). With some trees that had been planted several year but were not growing I drilled 2or 3 holes near them and packed them with compost peat moss mixture they started growing.

@thrivingyard

2 жыл бұрын

Love this. I do the exact same thing when planting fruit trees in my yard.

I’ve just been digging up my yard and burying food scraps and coffee grounds from Starbucks. It takes a few weeks to even begin to see improvement, but it’s free and has been working. I was also told to plant cover crop seeds

@thrivingyard

2 жыл бұрын

Yes! I have done that for years myself. We have an article on our website about it called “Dig and Drop Composting”: thrivingyard.com/dig-and-drop-composting/

I'm the crazy 27 year old that spent 4 hours drilling holes in his yard with a wireless drill and a 2 inch drill bit. My back did not like it. I'm ordering the 24 inch auger today and hopefully it helps.

@crpth1

2 жыл бұрын

For goodness sake save yourself the sweat and your wallet while at it! LOL 😂 Learn how to improve your soil, with REAL and simple strategies! Videos like this unfortunately, in spite of well intentioned, are extremely misleading... At the stage we're nowadays, soil science thankfully evolved enough. To teach why and how to do it. Please be aware when following clueless information. ;-) Cheers

@Marcus-sk2xf

2 жыл бұрын

What are your results since this comment??

@jenmc9404

Жыл бұрын

Oh wow Results?

@JulianVR4

Ай бұрын

Looks like he succumbed to his laborb😂 ​@@Marcus-sk2xf

Hi there - there are no videos out there like this one. Been struggling with clay soil like this and I'll be drilling holes this weekend. I'm mixing good topsoil, compost, biochar, and mushroom compost and using that material to fill the holes. Thank you!

@thrivingyard

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for commenting Joe. It’s a process I developed out of necessity. Improving clay soil takes some out of the box thinking!

Thankyou Sir

I had a real bad spot in my yard that held water like crazy. Drilled like 10 or so 2in wide 24 inch deep holes and filled them with wood chips. Grass covered the holes up and now its not waterlogged anymore. crazy but it worked for me

planning to fix our lawn this coming fall ,thank you for this info very straight forward and informative .Can you recommend a good grass seed for partial shade where from VA

Ty

All I do is top dress Black Kow and use Air8 to drive it in. Do a soil test every 2 years to see what you need. My soil is rich. My grass is dark green. I mow tall in the summer. 4 inches and taller depending how hot and dry it gets. Finally, I keep sharp blades on mowers and I like to spoon feed my lawn at least every 5 weeks. If you can invest in a roller spreader and lawn leveling rake you should be the envy of the neighborhood!

I’m with ya! I’m the crazy lady drilling holes in her yard.

Have you experimented with or considered adding gravel in with a top dressing? I'm dealing with an area in the front yard near our road we're we often park or turn a vehicle around. Most of the time it's not an issue and the grass holds decently. However, when the clay is soaked, even a footstep into it causes it to move and spread like peanut butter... a car leaves a huge rut with mounds on either side. I'm thinking of just doing a top dressing of about 45% native soil, 35% compost, and about 15% gravel and 5% wood chips with a good bit of grass seed sprinkled it. The topdressing will also help me create a smoother slope for surface drainage.

Hi, thanks for the very informative video. I know its been a few years since you posted this. Im trying very hard to fix my lawn. We have the hardest clay here. Its like cement. I want to try your method. Can I ask a couple questions? Do you pick up the plugs from the aeration, how far apart do you drill the 12" holes, and do you rake the dirt up from the 12" holes before you mulch? Thanks again.

Have you ever thought of using a soil probe used for soil testing for your deep core Integration. Most of them contain the soil and can be dumbed in a bucket. I know the diameter will not be quite as large as the bulb auger, but the clean up should be easier. Just wanted to get your thoughts on it.

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

I think that could work very well, assuming the soil is soft enough to allow for it to go deep without too much fatigue. That may be a great option!

You're the guy drilling holes in his yard on saturday morning, I'm the guy push-brooming top dressing into the holes after aerating lol

Hi - fantastic video Thankyou. I have a very thick clay garden. Would you recommend filling the holes around the lawn with a mix of pea gravel and topsoil or just topsoil alone? Many thanks

I was wondering exactly what drill bit would you recommend for totally compact dirt mostly with little stones?

This is probably the most simple yet comprehensive explanation of lawn care I've come across on youtube. We are in the U.K. but can see those strategies work here too, we have clay soil and as a result, although grass is growing, but quite thin and a bit lifeless in colour. One question, do I need a special attachment to attach the bulb planter to the drill? - Thanks you!

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much. No you do not need any attachments. The planter bits are actually designed to work with a standard drill.

@nathanzhou5008

4 жыл бұрын

Thriving Yard thank you!

@nathanzhou5008

4 жыл бұрын

Thriving Yard hi, been looking at the drill bulb planters to buy, what size would you recommend? Thanks.

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

@@nathanzhou5008 I usually recommend a 24 inch long and at least 2.5 inch diameter. This ensures you can go deep if you need to plus it is easier on the back since you don't have to kneel every time you use it. See our Recommended Soil Compaction Products page for the current one I've been recommending at thrivingyard.com/recommended/soil-compaction-products/

@nathanzhou5008

4 жыл бұрын

Thriving Yard makes sense, thanks. With the whole country on lockdown, having to buy everything online and hard to gauge size then, but will go for the size you recdmmmded! Cheers.

Hello, I want to try the bulb auger on my clay soil lawn... after I drill the hole, should I fill it with gardening soil or top soil from Home Depot? How do I get it in the hole?

Sand helps too

The missus invaded my garage with her pots of flowers because she cant grow on clay soil around the house. Got my hoe, composts, and a heck of days ahead. Im going to war.

The bit recommended on the link has a shaft thickness of 3/16 it says on Amazon. IMO that s way to light for compacted clay especially if it hits a root or rock. Hopefully someone makes a half inch shaft bulb auger that’s 24”.

Thank you these tips. We recently moved into a new home . New home, new lawn. I’m in Houston. I have certain spots were no grass is grown and it’s due to the hard clay soil. Will the soil conditioner hurt or affect near the foundation ?

@thrivingyard

3 жыл бұрын

It should not cause any issue at all. You are only spraying a small amount on an area. See this article: www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/foundation_repair/soils.html

Dude needs to be a motivation speaker.

Hey man, I've brought a auger drill bit and not only does my drill feel like it's getting hotter then the surface of the sun, my auger drill bit broke on the 16th hole 😂 But im a persistent SOB, so I brought myself a manual Draper, the tool you use too make holes for fence posts, works a treat and it makes a 10cm wide hole with a depth of a foot and a half deep, I hope to see a huge change in the next couple of years and I would love too see anthour video of your just too keep my enthusiasm running with a full tank ✌️

@elizabeth-2213

10 ай бұрын

Yeah him telling people to drill in the back yard is such a bad idea. Not only does it not work well you could hit power or plumbing lines.

Chicken pellets are good to thanks about the best video I’ve see thanks

@thrivingyard

3 жыл бұрын

Great tip and thank you so much!

this is great, short and to the point, love it. one question though which you didn't point out. what do you do with all plugs and the clay you drilled up? i assume you raked them up and get rid of them because you don't want this back into the lawn correct?

@thrivingyard

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, don’t leave them on the ground. You want to remove them from the property.

Hey there, thanks for the video and advice. I am in the UK and have been looking off and on for a way to improve particularly the lawn at the back which gets very waterlogged in the winter. I will definitely be following your advice, but was wondering if there is a way to help the drainage quite quickly whilst helping the grass grow better over the next couple of years? Anyway thanks again for the great video and advice.

@gavinhiggins1984

3 жыл бұрын

I'm looking to do the same, here in South Wales I have a very mushy, soggy, back garden, French drains are a good way to have better drainage but I'm definitely trying this method. Have ordered a 600mm long bulb planter drill bit off amazon. I've heard backfilling with sand will help also.

In addition you might consider 1-2 shallow graves per year. In laws if you got em

@maliquewilliams86

2 жыл бұрын

Hahaha

@bigpapa21tx1

2 жыл бұрын

😂

@ctick3863

Жыл бұрын

😂

Can you make a video of when to do this , when to fertilize etc....plz

@thrivingyard

3 жыл бұрын

I sure can. I’ll get one put together and get it posted as soon as possible.

Skip to 3:30 if you want to learn the 5 strategies

Totally new to this so this might be a silly question. Our backyard has been cracked dry clay for over 25 years and is covered with weeds and patches of dry grass. Should we, and how should we, remove that before starting this process? Like should the ground be entirely free of any weeds or dead grass before starting the process?

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

Shae this depends on whether or not you want to keep the patches of dry grass. If the grass is dry but not "dead" then you do not need to remove it. If it is dead and beyond bringing back to life then yes you should remove it but can you tell me how much you are dealing with? Is it a handful of grass patches or a whole lot? If it's a lot then you may be better off moving forward with this approach in the current soil but you can follow our guidelines for establishing a new lawn if you would essentially be "starting over". Here's the link to an article where we go over both approaches (scroll down to the section titled Bare Soil. thrivingyard.com/improve-clay-soil/

My back yard gets flooded and my soil gets compacted when it drains. Should I till the flooded area and add grass clippings, other organic stuff to kind of losen it up? No lie idk crap about gardening and im being forced to learn it lol. Thanks in advance.

Would you say top dressing be done before or after seeding? If before then seed sits on top of the dressing...If after then the seed is buried under the top soil..

What if I dug a hole, put a bunch of debris in the hole, then get thousands of worms to eat the bio material and dig through the clay soil making tunnels and spreading good material arround the yard.

I have just moved into a new build house in England. The soil is clay and I am going to put grass seed down. I have dug it over then tried my best to break up the lumps of clay into smaller pieces with a spade. But it is still in chunks. I have some sandy top soil to go on top but I'm worried that underneath the layer of sandy soil there will be lots of air pockets. Should I be worried?

Thanks for this strategy. I will be giving it a try. I don't have the means to do a soil overlay but can fill deep core integration at the time of drilling the hole. Do you have recommendations for the best component to make an ideal soil mix? Should the soil mix have fertilizer in it?

@Inkling777

Жыл бұрын

If you got the space, make a compost pile. Include the best soil you can find and add a mixture of leaves and grass, turning it often. (I imagine your neighbors would be glad to contribute their grass clippings and leaves to be rid of them.) Worms will move in to aid the composting and you'll get some excellent soil. I've been doing that for a few years to improve my dreadful clay-and-rock soil. In one place I added a Japanese maple that was struggling is now thriving.

Thanks so much for your tips and direction. I live in Clay County (Florida)…named for it. I’m using the auger you linked to and had a question on the backfilling. I was considering failing with 50% alfalfa pellets and 50% garden soil. Would you think this would be a good way to inject a more natural fertilizer (alfalfa) to the soil?

@thrivingyard

Жыл бұрын

I’ve never used alfalfa pellets but honestly anytime you are putting organic material into that clay soil you are making an improvement from what it was so I wouldn’t have any concerns. Good luck! It’s tough work but it pays off with time.

Great video! when's the best time of the year to do this? and how often should this be done? how far apart do you recommend the spacing between each holes for the "deep core Integration"? Thanks!

@thrivingyard

3 жыл бұрын

If your soil is really compacted I recommend hitting it at least a couple times a year, spring and fall. I’m pretty random with spacing. 1-2 foot apart, knowing I will be going back over the area again at some point.

@thrivingyard

3 жыл бұрын

Oh and I tend to do this all through the year since I have a large yard that I’m working (2 acres). A lot of “professionals “ say that you should only aerate every few years but when you have heavy clay soil like I do the more of that that you can pull up and replace with nutrient rich organic matter, the better off you’re going to be. That has been my experience at least.

@rickyr7790

3 жыл бұрын

@@thrivingyard im starting a new lawn, its all dirt about .5 acre... Yard got leveled with some bad clay soil. Do you recommend I till with compost?

About to try this approach in my front lawn, St Augustin grass never really filled in right. Ground is very compacted. Any tips on a good top dressing to backfill with?

@zombie669mofo

3 жыл бұрын

I also would like to know what is a good topdressing /backfill for this process as I hear sand is not good to mix sand with clay and almost all topsoil I see sold around here has a good amount of sand in it.

Would you do these steps in one day or weekend or a longer period of time?

How often are you doing all five steps; couple times a year? And are you doing those 5 steps all in the same day?

What sort of spacing am I looking for between each deep core Integration?

@thrivingyard

3 жыл бұрын

1 to 2 foot but don’t overthink it. You’ll be going back over the same area each season so you’ll tend to fill in the missed areas. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. All my best to you.

After aerating my clay soil lawn am I supposed to remove all the plugs or do I just remove the dirt after the deep core aeration? Love your videos btw

@pujo28

3 жыл бұрын

Typically you would leave the cores. However if u have clay soil you want to remove the cores. If your deep core aerating you also want to remove the clay that is removed and backfill the holes with good soil. Also look into Uncle Bobs Worms. I put them in my lawn a few years ago. Roughly $25 for a bag or then that naturally disperse and aerate the soil a lot deeper. Takes a few years to amend your soil by the steps he mentioned. Mulching. Top dressing with compost in September. Adding natural fertilizer like Milorganite. Mulching some leaves in the Fall. U wanna deepen the dark soil level that’s beneath the turf. Only other option is to remove like a foot of clay n replace with soil. I did it the hard way over a few years n my lawn looks goos

It was so bad that DeWalt drill could not penetrate the clay. I kid you not it was like drilling into a brick. I wasn’t ready for torque when it hit that clay rock. I thought I had sprained my wrist. So I braced it against my knee, I gave up when I saw smoke coming out of the drill. I thought maybe I was hitting rocks, so dug them up with a shovel. It was clay that was exactly like a brick. They are about 5 inches below the surface. Any suggestions?

Wish I had a blueprint of my irrigation system.

Anyone ever use a larger auger? Thinking I may drill some pits in the garden. Fill some with stones as a soak away, fill some with compost able materials. The rest I'll fill with bulk soil amended with gypsom.

Im the crazy old man that drills holes in his lawn on saturday. I laughed at that one!

Make sure you call 811 dig safe before you use that auger. Don’t want to hit any utilities, lol.

@thrivingyard

3 жыл бұрын

Great tip!

Thanks for the info here in India we have found solutions for this clay soil by applying 2000 litre per acre of product name owdc which coast under dollar this will change your soil in 21 day continuous useing this product for year you can start digging you clay soil by hand

The clay soil in my yard is so hard that my drill starts to smoke 🥺 but that might be more because I tried to go 15 inches instead of 12. I just tried drilling only 12 and it worked much better. I need to get some compost however.

@raccoon6072

3 жыл бұрын

You hit oil!

@Adksnate

Жыл бұрын

Make sure you clear the bit as you go by pulling it back out to get rid of the dirt.

Thank you for this advice. I have few real trouble spots in my clay soil that I'm implementing some of these strategies already. Had not heard of the core integration from anyone before, been thinking about something similar. What do you think about back filling the holes with something like a small chip pine park mulch/nuggets? Also do you think liquid humic acids can help?

@thrivingyard

3 жыл бұрын

Those are good for adding bulk for aeration just know that they take a long time to decompose. If you use them cover with an inch or two of good soil.

If you think deep clay is bad, try deep clay filled with rocks. The drill hits those and twists badly. For flower beds, I've used a pick axe to break it all up. I discard the rocks and much of the clay and add decent soil from elsewhere. For the yard, I plan to use a large funnel to put decent soil and compost in the drilled holes. That should make filling them more efficient. Oh, and because my yard is on a slope, I'm putting in a retaining wall and filling in good soil behind it. That beats topping an inch at a time. It also should stop my thin layer of topsoil from washing away with each rain.

I basically followed steps 2, 3, and 5. I backfilled holes with the mixture of Perlite soil amendment and good quality topsoil. I am wondering if I can seed right after with sunny mixture grass seed. Fortunately, temp is in high 70;s in Socal. Thank you for the awesome tips. Sub'd from Socal.

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

You can absolutely seed at that point. You’ll want to keep those seeds moist and not cover them too deeply with the topsoil. Just lightly rake the topsoil over the seeds.

@trex8693

4 жыл бұрын

Thriving Yard Great! btw, add one more to the pack of old dudes drilling holes on Saturday morning. 🍻

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

Good for you! Get after it my friend.

@adamsa1000

2 жыл бұрын

Put some peat moss over the seeded area. It’ll keep the seed moist (holds in water) and you’ll get much better germination. I’ve done it both ways, side by side. 10x better germination with peat moss.

@trex8693

2 жыл бұрын

@@adamsa1000 I will definitely try that because I reseeded a half of my front yard last week and about 1/4 did not germinate. I might have put too thick of a top soil over the seeds compared to the other area. Thanx for the tip.

Great information. I never thought of using the bulb planter bit, ordered one immediately. I'm assuming the best time to do this is in the spring and fall, as I wouldn't want hundreds of bare spots before the grass grows in. What kind of organic matter do you recommend for filling the holes? I was thinking maybe a mixture of regular organic compost, composted manure, biochar and possibly wood chips. I've heard that wood chips can steal the nitrogen.

@thrivingyard

4 жыл бұрын

Compost is excellent. In fact, it's probably the absolute best organic material that you can use because it adds bulk, is bursting with nutrients, and is absolutely loved by worms and beneficial microbes. I've not used wood chips but if you did I'd encourage you to bury those deeper and then still go over the top couple of inches with compost or a really good quality topsoil. And yes, spring and fall are usually best but I tend to do this off and on all of the time. The wholes really aren't very noticeable after you backfill them.

@JordanHaisley

2 жыл бұрын

I would consider some rock as well.

What did you do with the spoils from the deep core integration?

@thrivingyard

3 жыл бұрын

I rake them up and discard them.

I've done this until I burned up my life time drill from a my child hood lol. Guess it's time for a new one.

This is a great video! Thank you! However I am an absolute novice. Could you tell me how far apart to make the holes when you do the integration? And I may have missed it but do you reseed the areas once you’ve filled? Thanks again!

@thrivingyard

Жыл бұрын

About 1 foot apart is a good goal to shoot for and yes reseeding is always a good idea if you are hitting it at the right time of year for seeding. Thanks for watching!

@luisd7632

Жыл бұрын

@@thrivingyard You rock! Thanks so much!

The fix for compacted clay soil (in my limited experience) is to let plants grow long and mature even for 1 season. The roots will go deep into the subsoil and living or dead roots turn the hard clay soil into crumbly joy. Soil biology is essential which growing plants will create. Forcing a monoculture eg lawn grass only is a challenge though - it is against healthy soil biology. Perfect soil is 25% air, 25% water, 5% or greater organic material and the rest 45% or less mineral material. If the subsoil is very compacted then a once off deep subsoil with a specialised tillage plow or excavacteur for small areas is well worth it. Also you could consider rotavating in some sand if you are in a rush to improve drainage and aeration. Clay soil in good condition is actually an asset as it holds onto minerals and water.

If I have a very wet soggy lawn that has poor drainage, would sand be a better backfill option rather than soil? Do add some real good dry drainage material? Also with the lawn being so wet would I still need to do step 1 before aerate? Because it’s already so moist? Thank you!!!!

@thrivingyard

3 жыл бұрын

Doug I really don’t recommend sand if you have clay soil. Clay has very small particles and sand is so small that it tends to bind right into it and make a bad situation worse. What you really want to do is to increase the organic matter in the soil. Compost or other matter that is made up of large particles actually creates bulk and reduces compaction. See this article: thrivingyard.com/water-sits-on-top-of-soil/

@hectorpascale1013

3 жыл бұрын

Make sure what type of soil you actually have. kzread.info/dash/bejne/c4mcsaSxhqnJds4.html Here is a video (in German) of the VOGT Geo Injector, working also on clay soil. Breaking up soil compaction by hammering a hollow sonde 1-2m into the ground, blasting compressed air into it, breaking up the compaction, and injecting a porous clay ball product (Ø 1-3mm) into the ground. Then backfilling the injection holes with this clay balls, called "Terramol", too. ~ 1 Drill hole / m², depending on blow up effect. If the area isn´t compacted again, like heavy machinery/cars driving over the area, this breaking up is permanent. Aeration of the upper soil layer has to be apllied additionally, to improve water distribution sideways in order to connect with the deep cores. kzread.info/dash/bejne/d42Am8OrhM25qcY.html KAESER air compressors have a similar device. But you would need to find a provider of this service in your region ;)

Correct me if I'm wrong but this seems to boil down to- remove clay and replace with good soil. Is that fair to say?

2:37 soil conditioning*

Can you recommend a specific auger bit? Brand and size? I bought a new to me house last year and the back yard is a mucky mess (clay soil). Drives me nuts. May need therapy! I’ve looked at doing French drains and like products but I’m not sure how effective those would be vs the amount of work required. I like your solution but reviews on these auger bits are mixed at best. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

@thrivingyard

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Al, see this page for my current recommendations. This is the one I use and I’ve been very satisfied with it: thrivingyard.com/recommended/soil-compaction-products/

If I was to back fill with compost would I not find that eventually I will have have undulations in the lawn as the compost have been broken down?

@thrivingyard

2 жыл бұрын

I’ve seen that at times but it’s a process. Apply more the following season. Overtime it builds truly rich quality soil.

If you just do 1 of his steps it's going to make a difference after a couple weeks.