Using Compost As A Top Dressing To Thicken Your Lawn (4K)
Ғылым және технология
Our lawn experiments continue as we trial using compost as a top dressing to thicken up the lawn #allettmowers #lawncare #cylindermowers
Allett Lawn Renovation Part 1 • The Allett Lawn Renova...
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its great to see the results after 4 weeks in the same video 👍🏻 also liked the side by side comparison
This is the most useful lawn video on KZread. I'd be interested to see more experiments done by Allett in future. Thank you!
Keep up the great work, the lawn looks great. The best lawnmowers deserve the best lawn.
I did this just over a month ago on some patchy areas on my lawn and noticed how quickly the new grass started to grow. Putting compost over the seeds you put down also prevents the birds from eating the seeds. I didn`t use that compost roller thing you have, but now my yard looks more whole and great. My neighbor told me this morning he`s jealous of my yard. 😁
@OOICU812
Жыл бұрын
Is your neighbor also jealous of your hard work? 😅
@amck72
Жыл бұрын
@@OOICU812 Yes, I think that part as well. I always put in more work in my front yard than he does. lol
@OOICU812
Жыл бұрын
@@amck72 😂
Such a clear demonstration. Straight to the point and great end results so thank you...extremely helpful!
I’ve been doing something like this for years and over time it makes a massive improvement to the soil with a number of top dressings. You’ve refined my technique here with the top dressing on top however! Noted for future reference! I imagine the success is from a mixture of increased ground temperature for the seed, increased water retention and the nutrient content from the compost. A fine organic solution. Thank you! Now just to find one of those compost spreaders!
Great finish 4 weeks on, great effort 🙌🏽🌱
I did this a couple of years ago on a really poor lawn. I had little gardening experience and it worked an absolute treat. I just mixed the seed in a large bucket with grass seed and sprinkled over my lawn by hand. I kept it watered and after a month had a great lawn 👌
Wow, what fantastic results!
Good to see the company MD getting out there. I found out scarifying, then overseeding and then compost helps because it stopped the fat pigeons near us nicking all the seeds. We just used compost dumped in piles and then a fiskars landscaping rake and delivered the same effect. Really like these videos gives ideas and inspiration!
Thanks Austin, I’m a grounds man in Australia it’s winter now and the sports ovals always take a beating in winter but I think you are on to something with the compost and I’m going to give it a try thanks 😊
Great video. I learned from another channel to use compost to feed the lawn. Mine had recently been over-seeded in a mix with top soil and had bare patches so I hand-sowed the grass seed and spread compost over the whole lot using a broom. Hard work but good exercise. 6 weeks later it looks the best its ever been. The compost hides the seed from pigeons and helps keep the seed moist while it develops. It’s important to keep the seeds watered if no rain for a few days. It dries out quite quickly in the summer heat. I’ll repeat each autumn and spring from now on. My lawn is only 50 sq metres so I can’t justify an Allett mower unfortunately so I bought an electric cylinder mower from Homebase for £89 and works quite well but no stripes.
This is a fantastic video! I do learn a lot from it. I will going to use the way you taught to fix my lawn with the way of compost mix with seeds. Again thank you very much! John
This is a fantastic video! I’m going to alter my overseeding plans as you had superb results. Also, having looked at the Bathgate Multi-Purpose Compost online, I think the reason why you had such good results is due to its composition. It includes Wetting Agents, a 14-16-18 Base Fertiliser, Trace Elements and Magnesium Lime. So if you’ve already got the top dressing for your lawn you could emulate that mixture to a point (possibly minus the lime), then water in the lawn with a mixture of a wetting agent and seaweed.
Brilliant video. Learnt something new there.
Outstanding video - so well explained
Very helpful. Bought a spreader, making a sifter to get the junk out of the compost bought in bulk. Excited to see the results.
What a great result. Thanks
Good to see the company boss getting hands on with the work rather than the Blue Peter here is something prepared earlier by someone else 😎 seriously I am finding your experiments very helpful and instructional in my journey to get my lawn into a condition that deserves an Allett mower.
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for your kind words! Austin loves to get stuck in! We have fun doing these videos!
Excellent demonstration, Thanks. I'm saving up for an Allett Mower :)
@TinyBasementWorkshop
3 жыл бұрын
me too 😁👍🏼
🌞Compost really worked great!!
Good video. I'm following this process for a lawn that hasn't been touched in years
i love that compost spreader. i have the same one but i overseed a freshly mowed lawn first with a drop apreader then i roll over it with a thin layer of peat moss.
Nice advertisement for BOSCH rotary mowers 😜 Just kiddin‘ 😁 great tips! Thanks for sharing! I‘ll definitely give this a shot on my lawn 😊👍🏼
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
3 жыл бұрын
Haha they don't make this one anymore.. no demand for battery at the time!
Excellent demonstration thank you. I've just bought an Allett Kensington 20B four weeks ago and absolutely love it's a dream to use especially when turning with the split rear roller. Unfortunately I am having to wait 6 weeks for my scarifier and verticut cartridges but really looking forward to using them. My lawn has never looked better. Keep up the good work.
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
3 жыл бұрын
Glad to hear your lawn is looking better! The cartridges will be well worth the wait! Thankyou for your support!
Holds moisture around the seeds & hides the seed from the birds - makes perfect sense.
Been using compost as a top dressing for years and found it really good and always produces a good thick grass
Awesome! Il be doing mine this week. Great video
Man i really appreciate this video. Rye for life! I always capped the overseed with pete moss. Now i will switch to compost.
Excellent video thanks.
Awesome video awesome information
Thank you ever so much for this video it was so helpful I now feel my journey to a better lawn is very achievable
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
5 ай бұрын
Great to hear it has helped
Already bought my spreader, Golf Coast Lawn season time, lets get it. I'll follow your steps to the T
new to the channel, this is great stuff! thank you.
Great video I wish I could afford a compost spreader !! I love those things
Thank you. This is the method I will use.
A great video Austin, you have a lovely garden. I would say Allett could make these compost spreaders, and they will be built to last. I love watching your videos, you give great advice and know your stuff. Stay safe all at Regal House 👍🏻
@boyasaka
2 жыл бұрын
I made my compost spreader for 20 pound The landzie ones seen in this video are about 280 pound
Your lawn looks lovely 😊 xx
@wendymaddock7705
2 жыл бұрын
Just put a seeded lawn down in Easter it look good 👍🏼 am a gardener and florist I dug the old lawn out it was passed it’s sell by date it had lots of weed not now it looking great 👍🏼 xx 😘
Great video..
I'm in Ohio. It's been my experience that sphagnum moss is the best medium to start seed on. This fall I have started two new lawns. I started one with seed spread directly over leveled, heavy clay soil and covered with a light layer of 'peat' moss. That lawn is growing like crazy. It looks professional. It looks like perfect, weedless green carpet. The cost was two bags of compressed moss. $15 dollars each. The second lawn I started the same way with the only difference being compost. A month later, and the compost started lawn, looks anemic and it is full of weeds. The cost was $200 worth of compost. I guess it depends on the area.
@angelf9800
Жыл бұрын
So wish is better compost or using peat moss. I am trying to get my lawn looking great
@billthompson8182
Жыл бұрын
@@angelf9800 Peat moss. If I could send you photos I would. The lawn I started with peat is near perfect. The one with compost I am currently having to tend to and plug with the grass from the peat lawn.
@mandov5916
Жыл бұрын
I have heavy clay so I will give pear moss a try instead. Thanks
@billthompson8182
Жыл бұрын
@@mandov5916 anytime. You can see the difference in photos in the community tab of my channel. If you were curious.
Great video
The approach is so scietific and result-orianted!
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
11 ай бұрын
There’s a lot of science involved in lawncare
Really interesting video - it's actually really great to see actual evidence as to what's worth doing and what's not! Awesome.
Thanks; it was really interesting to see the comparison. Unfortunately, even with that tool, I'll never be a "real man"!
Hi great video. Can I ask what is the width of your roller spreader? 24" or 36"?
Great, did you use the lawn lute on top of the compost 2nd time.
very interesting to see - i may try this out on a trial plot aswell - and implement this method in the future
Jack's magic is king
Great informative tutorial, well done. One question, did you use a peat based compost and do you think a peat free compost would work just as well?
@boyasaka
2 жыл бұрын
Jack's magic is by far the best top dresser
Can you tell me how much seed you mixed in with the bag of compost and do you have a set amount. Thanks Anthony
Would it be ok or not to apply organic compost before I aerate because I can only aerate this Friday and it's going to rain alot on Thursday so I was thinking of applying the organic compost on wed late afternoon. Please advise on this. Thank you
What kind of large bushes are those in the background?
Very interesting about using potting compost which will be high in nitrogen so you didn’t say which month you started as I think this treatment would be best in the Spring and not Autumn as a high phosphates fertilizer is better in Autumn what you say ?and the compost for lawn is better if it’s high peat and not all that recycled woody stuff iv just done my 2 lawns total 120 sq mts and Landzi Out Rowlawn top dressing started 7/10/21 yet to germinate thanks for Video ,,,,Grant Sussex coast
Awesome technique of seeding using compost!!! I will definitely try your technique. I do have this compost spreader and I had used it only with peat moss. Did small debris in the compost didn't go through the mesh ? From my soil test results, I will have to use tons of compost to improve soil from next Spring. I started using Allert Liberty43 this fall. so, I am very new to reel low. I am a bit concernd with wood chips and all from the compost for reel mowing.
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
2 жыл бұрын
Hi it all stayed in the spreader and was left over at the end! Clever!
@shion_lwn
2 жыл бұрын
@@ALLETTMOWERSUK nice :-D !!
Hi…what would be the water management with this process
Thanks for a very informative video, it's convinced me to start using compost as a top dressing. I'd also like to know what brand of compost was that please? I've just looked at what we currently have from our local garden centre and it's very lumpy, damp and certainly nowhere near as friable as the one in the video!
@desertrider325
3 жыл бұрын
Did you ever find out?
@ralphyimages
3 жыл бұрын
@@desertrider325 Nope. :-(
@zac_e9
2 жыл бұрын
@@ralphyimages I feel your pain struggling with composts that are basically just bit of stringy wood and bark! Don't know if you ever found out but I had a good look and noticed that it is 'Bathgate Multi Purpose compost'. But that particular compost wasn't very available anywhere near me so I use John Innes No1 (young plant compost) or John Innes No2 (potting on compost). These are both fine loamy composts, and I have had good success with them on my lawn! Hope I'm not too late with this information and good luck!
@ralphyimages
2 жыл бұрын
@@zac_e9 Thank you for the info. Also be aware that Bathgate Multi Purpose compost is available from Amazon and Pitchcare, both with delivery available.
So you did not use loam first to spread before the compost?? Is it okay to spread loam first then couple of weeks later spread organic compost? I will be renting the echolawn top dresser to spread. Interesting machine. Will apply evenly and quick. !! So please advise. Thank you
I'm doing this tomorrow. I need to roll the ground afterwards, otherwise the rain will wash the seed down the hill. (my lawn is on a slope) However I am very worried that the soil will stick to the roller because it is wet. What can I do?
Hmm can i use a compost spreader to level my lawn?
How much compost and seed do I need to cover my 2500 SqFt yard? USA Las Vegas NV
OMG, that's just what I need for my lawns. Thank you. It's probably too late in the season now up here (NE Scotland). Probably wait until spring 2022. Thanks 🙏👍.
@jackbramley5771
3 жыл бұрын
Back end of summer/Autumn will be fine. I overseed then and do the same just haven't got a compost roller/tumbler. 36" rake is all use.
@peterclark659
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, I’ll give that a go👍
@petertr2000
3 жыл бұрын
If you can keep it moist, just go for it. I've been growing patches through in NE England in the last 2 weeks - its flying through.
I've just tried this Austin with bent grass. My question is once it germinates and appears say an inch and a half, my front roller just flattens the shoots rather than cut - should I try and cut it with a light rotary before trying to cut it short? or use the auxillary wheels?
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
3 жыл бұрын
Hi we rotary cut up to 8 weeks and then switched over to cylinder - it was only 8 weeks for us because we had such a cold April May when we seeded- this may be 3 weeks for you. We would advise using a rotary without a rear roller for your first cuts as the rear roller can tear the grass up - if you haven’t got a rotary than the auxiliary wheels are perfect for the job- make sure you’re emptying your grass box regularly because the weight will be pushing down on the front Make sure you’re cutting little amounts off if you’re using the rotary as cutting a longer blade of grass will cause it to tear and potentially rip the grass blade out of the ground - you just want to be taking the tips off originally
What brand of compost did you use?
Hello. Thanks for the video. Just wanted to understand the amount of watering needed after doing the above. We have our automated sprinkler that runs for 8 min in the morning and and 8 min in the evening. Is this sufficient or does it needs to be increased or decreased. Any information in this regard will be very useful
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
2 жыл бұрын
You need 1-2 inches of water a week depending on conditions. Put a pot/ bucket out and see how much water is collected Put a screw driver in your lawn and see if it goes in easily
great results
Do overseed with any red fescue? To get that soft and comfy lawn?
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
3 жыл бұрын
Hi if you watch our lawn renovation journey you will see what seed we use
Looks fab, great work. you didn't mention if the compost was peat free?
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
3 жыл бұрын
Not sure I will ask Austin tomorrow
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
3 жыл бұрын
Yes - Peat free!
@malcolmbale9566
3 жыл бұрын
Why peat free?
@AlexUK2
3 жыл бұрын
@@malcolmbale9566 Because digging out the peat bogs is bad for the ecology.
Really useful video. Though I am not sure about the cheap equipment. Lutes are a hundred pounds and compost spreaders three hundred!!!! I think I will try a stick on a pole....
@boyasaka
2 жыл бұрын
I made a compost spreader very similar to this for 20 Lutes on eBay 45 quid
Link to compost spreader (and a review?) please.
I noticed you did not rake up the ground at all to loosen the soil before putting seed down. Is that not necessary?
Hi; with the ratios you said, 50l = 30m2 roughly. But you go over it twice, one with the seed and one as a topping. So is it therefor 100l to do 30m2 for the mix and the topping? Thanks
@leetaylor8599
2 жыл бұрын
Also do you not roll the compost with a roller to improve contact? I always did when only used seed and soil but find it just sticks to the roller and becomes clumpy!
The Landzie compost spreader is the best piece of kit I’ve ever bought. £250 we’ll spent 👍🏻
@davidord8211
3 жыл бұрын
You can get the same or very similar spreader from the Netherlands for about 120 Euro including p&p I got one.
@AdamRogers3091
3 жыл бұрын
@@davidord8211 really interested in that david, can you share the name of the spreader or source/website, please?
@davidord8211
3 жыл бұрын
@@AdamRogers3091 115 Euro plus 25 Euro Delivery wormenkwekerijwasse.nl/product/wormenmest-verspreider/ I think it took a week to arrive to be honest I cant tell them apart the Landzi and this one.
@joemarr4521
3 жыл бұрын
Spot on thanks @David Ord
@AdamRogers3091
3 жыл бұрын
@@davidord8211 thanks David!
Landscaper done my new lawn. 3/4 acre about 5 months ago. More weeds than grass.
Did you seed and then overseed With compost just a few weeks after the initial seeding?
@Alowan22
3 жыл бұрын
That is interesting. i just Seem to go against the conventional Way.
The way I like to look at a lawn is adding soil biology is a must healthy soil equals healthy grass sand doesn’t really hold much soil biology
It would be interesting to compare a weed free quality top soil as well as compost
@janicewilson9827
2 жыл бұрын
Where do you buy top quality top soil. I paid £150 for 1 tonne and it is full of weeds. Back breaking trying to pick them out by hand whilst still tiny. Difficult mot to pull out newly germinated grass seed.
Tried a simular test myself for whatever reason with compost higher germination rate. Hard to beat rye grass for a green lawn.
where do you get the seed - that's what I'm wondering. B & Q and the like sell branded mixes, but I'm after a top quality pure/100% rye.
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
Жыл бұрын
Get in touch with companies like pitchcare or the grass people (U.K. based) they’re great!
BIt concerned about the seeding maths in this episode, Keith ....... you say "this area ia about 50 sq meters, I want a seed spread of 50 grams per meter, so I need 250 grams of seed" ......... ???????? .......... surely 50 grams of seed per sq meter of lawn for 50 sq meters is 2,500 grams of seed required ??????? ......... happy to stand corrected. 🙃🙂
@tims3602
Жыл бұрын
Agree
Thanks for the video. Can you tell me your seed of choice and supplier please thanks
Can I ask what time of year was this done?
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
3 ай бұрын
This was May/ June time
Is this something that can be done in the Fall? September?
@rockiniboepip
3 жыл бұрын
If you're in the Northern hemisphere early September is the best time; warm soil, should be rain coming, slower growth of existing grass and therefore less rush to mow.
Where is the lawn level from? I can’t find them in UK stores
@darrencowie1178
3 жыл бұрын
google lawn lute. Look on eBay too that's where I mine. Or landzie compost spreader I you mean the spreader
@davidord8211
3 жыл бұрын
@@stevea3200 you can get them here but its in Ireland www.pitchcare.ie/shop/levelawns.html
Hi, can I just double check the maths on the seed; at about 4'30" you said that the area was 50m2 and going with the conventional overseed rate of 50g/m (not sure if that was per m2) and therefore needed 250g of seed. I must be missing something! By my maths that would be 2500g (ie 2.5kg) of seed. Help!!!
I wish you also showed with peat moss next to compost.
Great video, thank you for sharing. Can I ask if there is a cheaper way of doing the same without the need to buy expensive tools? £250 for the mesh spreader and over £100 for a lawn lute. I only have a small lawn and can't really justify that expense.
@TestingBH
3 жыл бұрын
I built my own lawn lute (~£50) having read about it on overclockers_co.uk. There's even a parts list. For small gardens you could also try a soil sieve... I used it with for my 54 sq m garden, very time consuming but saved a lot of money this way. I can't justify the cost of the compost spreader, I would rather put it towards an Allett mower. This method has worked a treat on my new lawn, just 7 days old and there's good growth all over.
@TestingBH
3 жыл бұрын
Link to built your own lawn lute: www.overclockers.co.uk/forums/threads/lawn-lutes-why-so-expensive-anyone-made-their-own.18834630/
@mikeswain1945
3 жыл бұрын
Brilliant, really appreciate the help.
@johncanter9575
3 жыл бұрын
A broom works for compost. Just let it dry a bit before using. i have a lute but did mine a few weeks ago with the broom.
@BretttSucks
2 жыл бұрын
You can get a very good lawn lute from eBay for £45 , , get a six foot broom handle online for about £5 plus postage.
And I don’t know where to buy seeds without weeds. Even after use preemergent, still struggling with some weeds, pulling them out.
@rockiniboepip
3 жыл бұрын
Lawnsmith is an excellent excellent website for seed. I like the Easygreen mix - 50% Rye 50% creeping red fescue
The best part about compost. Stops the bloody pigeons!
What was the name of the seed or which type was it thanks
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
2 жыл бұрын
Hi watch our renovation videos and you will see the different seeds we used
what about watering?
Garden centres > supermarkets - sorry but have to support them and they often have offers. Compost helps retain moisture and is free draining, your native soil probably dries quickly.
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
3 жыл бұрын
Absolutely we agree!
What am I missing here? 50grams a m2 for 50m2 is 2500 grams? That didn't look like 50 m2 anyways.
Drill a bunch of small holes in the metal strips of the landzie..
When will allett make a 20" battery powered Kensington?
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
3 жыл бұрын
Our lips are sealed 🤐
@steffen707-
3 жыл бұрын
@@ALLETTMOWERSUK I've got a $5,000 bill burning a hole in my pocket. =)
What brand of compost was that please?
@markneilson6380
3 жыл бұрын
Field Compost do a lawn top dressing grade.
@petertr2000
3 жыл бұрын
The purple bags at Home Bargains is great for this ime. £2.50 a bag too.
Seems like a guy would have to know how many lineal feet that spreader would cover with a full basket load, in order to calculate seed amount based on lawn square footage. I don't know how else to calculate seed rate without a test like this. Or, you could roll out the compost, then seed like you normally would with a broadcast spreader, rake in, then roll compost again to cover.
I thinks theres an error with the quantity required (at 4.20) 50g/m2 for 50m2 is 2.5kg grass seed
@ALLETTMOWERSUK
3 жыл бұрын
Hi I will check this with Austin 👍
@xscreamsuk
2 жыл бұрын
@@ALLETTMOWERSUK also just spotted this. any update.
@tims3602
Жыл бұрын
Just watched this and scanned through comments to see if anyone else spotted it
@LionOnSea
10 ай бұрын
yes quite right
Wish I could afford a compost spreader.
@petertr2000
3 жыл бұрын
I really don't understand how they're not £40! Its a bit of metal on a spindle. How's it more expensive than a decent electric mower!
@rockiniboepip
3 жыл бұрын
@@petertr2000 The Landzie one is a rip off - about £240! I got mine (looks exactly the same) from a farm shop in Holland, about £95 incl UK delivery.
When you buy topsoil you always get weeds. I'm getting some compost to spread.
Never seen anyone mix seed with the compost!!