What are you doing with your lawn right now? Ecofusion Plus: amzn.to/3U5x2jg Dethatcher: amzn.to/3JnmrLz Ecofusion Starter: amzn.to/49FJ3Sf (New Lawns)
Tore out the lawn and put in a Japanese garden. Best decision I ever made, little to no care. Don't have to own all the product and lawn mowers. Lawns are so 1950s.
Many people don’t mind putting in a little bit of work keeping a beautiful 1950’s lawn. Many of these lawns that need little to no maintenance tend to look like crap. To each their own though.
@@toeknee5565taking care of his family……u pretend like u are greater then thow when everyone know u would do the same thing and the video is only 4 mins.
Thank you for ALWAYS being consistent and effective in communicating your experiences. Just one video from you is more informative than 5 videos from others. Huge time saver for all of us. Too much garbage to sift through from the "look at me" generation, if I may be so rude.
Another beautiful spring to watch SilverCymbal! My wife and I have been following your guides for several years now and have completely rehabilitated two lawns using them. Tenacity should really sponsor your channel because of the business you've gotten for them. It really is a game changer. Thank you for everything you do!
I have followed your advice numerous times including buying the dethatcher as well as buying Anderson's products. More lawn care videos please. Really appreciate your content.
I like your approach. I have had good success for over 26 years with a slightly different approach though. Mine is to cut my lawn at 3.25" to 3.5", aerate in either mid April or late August, lightly overseed with Pereniall Ryegrass with or without Tall Fescue. I may use Lime as needed. I mulch at least twice per month. I side discharge the other times. For steep hills and backyard or low mow areas, I plant Clover. It works great and my three local bunnies enjoy it too. My lawn looks great with my Timemaster and simple easy minimal chemical approach.
You're one of the most honest and practical influencers out there. I've never regretted one bit of advice I've taken from you. Btw - did you end up reviewing the giraffee tools wall mounted pressure washer? I've been eyeballing it, but would like to hear your opinion on it.
My lawn came out of winter green. This 3rd cut after 2 applications of Vigoro really looks great! I’ve used Andersons and like their products. Just decided to go easy on the wallet. Rochester NY
My lawn is about 40’ x 20’ and gets the Makita equivalent over it first dry weekend of the year. What’s the furthest point in your yard 500’? That would be a chore for sure.
@@IanFarquharson2I’d say my front yard is about that. Really only did the easily visible from the road part of the yard. I don’t do it anymore. My kids have made me lazy in my old age.
I never regretted buying my corded "Greenworks" dethatcher you recommended a while back. I'm anxious to do it this year, but up here in Canada, the grass is still wet from the winter snow.
Your soil doesn’t need to be tested annually. That’s a huge waste of money. I would just check if you need phosphorus or not and use a fert that either has it or doesn’t. I use no phos fert, and some years just go with a nitrogen-only program with urea and AS. The point is, your soil is your soil, it’s not changing. Just try and avoid phosphorus if you don’t need it. All lawns need N.
Been following these steps for several years now, plus doing a preemergent. The neighbors on each side hate me because my lawn makes their lawns look awful. Right now I have an island of dark green surrounded by dandelions🤣
Personally I tried pre-emergenst once and never will use them again. I am in the minority here but I try to minimize chemicals and cost and I have found that if I work on getting my lawn thicker and better that every year weed control gets easier. If your weeds are out of control you do need to trat them once, amzn.to/3W2LDP7 this can be a great weed and feed but I ONLY use it to start, then just straight fertilizer after. I lik using fewer products. Its like comparing the one weightlifter who just eats a lot of steak, to another one that takes 100 supplements. Both might work but I like the easier approach.
@@delt19 Truth is somewhere in the middle here; once you get your lawn established, healthy, thick turf grasses that can outcompete the vast majority of weed and blight, there becomes little to no need for pesticides or herbicides of any kind. Still not an ideal situation to have a monoculture of various grasses as opposed to the diversity of various native plant/weed species populating your yard, which has a cascading effect from soil microbes, to nematodes, to insects (including pollinators), to birds and small mammals, etc. I've found the secret is creating the "happy medium" - I have a manicured, weed free, thick turf grass rich front yard, and in the back, I let nature largely run its course. I fertilize and mow, but I don't put down any weed preventatives, so if dandelion seed and the like finds its way into the back yard, it's welcome to grow. I also mow far less frequently in the back to allow those weed and other plant species time to grow to a point where they can benefit pollinators.
I think that’s what’s happening with me. My neighbor is furious with me telling me to stop cutting my grass every week and so low and watering it so much.
I basically did everything you said step by step today. Except I used anderson 16-4-8. Hopefully, it goes well. Right now, it looks a little distressed. I hope it will look as good as your lawn does.
Been a subscriber for a long time. You have done such a great job with your property. Thanks for all the great videos and ideas. Again, your yard is beautiful
I figured this out last year. The year before, I didn't give it one last cut. Or cut it short in the spring. I had brown patches forever. This year, I fertilized in the last month of the season, then cut it shorter than usual in late fall just before it went dormant . Come spring, dethatched with a rake, gave it a buzz cut and some food after it grew up a little. Results are amazing! Big difference!
I accidentally mixed way way way too much Primo into my lawn, which made the lawn go dormant for about 6 weeks in July and August- it wasn't ok again until late August. Just did a dethatch with the same machine and absolutely no dead material came out of the lawn, so that overapplcation essentially caused the grass to really root down while it appeared dormant last summer.
I bought that dethatcher/scarifier and learned a very hard lesson. If you have any crab grass it will spread it throughout your lawn. It was so bad I had to buy a post emergent to get rid of it. It costs about $100. This year I already put down a pre emergent.
Crab grass dies when the weather gets hot. The dethatcher had nothing to do with crab grass spreading. You need to keep the lawn thick like turf and water regularly. Pre-emergent has to be applied at correct time just before you start getting consistent 50 degrees F days and nights. After that it's too late for this year, but you can still fertilize every 5-6 weeks to keep the turf thick and eventually win the battle.
When you live in an area where it might not get over 90 at all in the summer? How does crab grass spread? I’m guessing by spreading seeds. I had minimal crab grass but after I detached I had rows of it, going in the direction of the dethatcher. I guess it was just coincidence. By the way crab grass thrives in the heat. Just did a simple google search.
The dethatcher is a game changer and is oddly satisfying to use. I personally use the sunjoe that comes with a scarifying attachment. This helps out big if you ever wanted to overseed as it cuts groves in the top of your soil.
It’s Alaska so I can’t quite do this yet lol 😂 we still have snow that is melting ❄️ 🏔️ 🥶 I have the electric greenworks Dethatcher & absolutely love it & have done my lawn 2 times now.
Not always the case. Overseeding in March sometimes becomes a waste bc the soil is too cool for it to germinate. You may be thinking it germinated since your grass is nice and lush now, but that could be because you fertilized in the fall which makes it pop better in the spring and that new seed you laid down in March May be dormant still or sitting. Just a thought… I’ve tried overseeding in spring and didn’t have much luck. I also live in MD. But if this is truly the case for you and it worked, very nice!
@@tashrayt4398If you’re going to try spring over seeding, you have to water on hot days or it will die. I’ve successfully spring seeded, but you can’t neglect it.
You can fertilize too early.. especially if using synthetics on zoysia or other disease-prone grasses. I'm in zone 8a and typically avoid fertilizing the lawn until May 1st to reduce lawn fungus.
Best discovery I ever made about lawn care was my county ag extension. They know your local soil temps, soil type, and fertilizer needs for different types of grasses. Growing st Augustine lawn in south Texas is a far different animal than growing bluegrass in Missouri. So for me, my lawn would be wrecked if I followed this video. For example, I mow to 4 inches, use a 10-20-10 a week or two after the stollens are really growing (a week ago for me), 8 later weeks a high nitrogen and potassium LOW phosphorus application, then nothing else until fall.
I know you’ve done videos about the Ecoflow Blade and the Luba robot lawn mowers. Do we have a future video inbound of the one seen in the background of this video? Love the content as always and always on the lookout for your next video
I don't use any pre-emergents, and I could make a fortune selling them if I did as others do. I have some reason for this and it's not specific to my lawn. I will be making a video on this, it may make you rethink it.
I used it to get a handle on my lawn at my newly purchased house. Used it for probably 3 years. I no longer have to use it, as anything that pops up, can easily be spot sprayed. At least in my experience, it’s not necessary in a healthy lawn.
Perfect timing! Was just looking at my lawn and how bad it looks and was wondering what the best plan of attack was. I already bought the dethatcher on your recommendation in previous years but kind of forgot about it. Just ordered some of that fertilizer with your link and I appreciate the help getting me going again!
I'd love to see a video about dealings with moles, Voles, and gophers. we seem to have similar rural area settings, mine is in Missouri and It's a constant battle with the moles and voles to keep them from tearing up my yard and getting the results you seem to get.
hey central jersey here too. I usually do it in the fall time but migth do detaching this weekend if weather permits. Do you see the difference between fall time vs spring time?
@@Gandio420 a landscaper had recommended thatching in the fall also. He theorized that a spring de thatching could spread weed seed and cause more issues. I am going to treat the entire lawn with Tenacity, insecticide, and anti fungal when the weather clears up. (Sunday/Monday). As this is the new startup procedure for me, I really don’t have a good comparison. Sorry.
Yes, lime is very good for most northeastern areas especially. Soil testing can help determine how much you need: th-cam.com/video/QJTPVrF1sw4/w-d-xo.html
I live in canada (Niagara Falls/Toronto region) and have an incredible lawn also. This guy is pretty accurate with do’s/dont’s list if you don’t want to waste money. My plan is very similar, I don’t go crazy on BS micro nutrients + we aren’t allowed to spray chems up here. 🤫 Ps: people stop get off their bikes to touch my lawn. Do’s: 1.) Get a reel mower (I use a tee collar version -my height is set at .75-1”) 2.) rotary scissor for edges is a must at this height. 3. Scott’s small prill fertilizer every 4 weeks. 4.) insect control once a year (mainly for cinch bug/grubs up here) 4.) weed control is done by hand mostly -I will spot spray hard to pull if needed. 5.) I do use PGR (just recently) this is optional, but does slow growth down during spring/fall and helps maintain a greener lawn if you mow shorter. Again, this is optional, and I only recently started this last year. Good luck, and happy mowing
Hey @SilverCymbal. As I mentioned in the other comment, I love your videos. Thanks for making most people's life easy. I have one request. Could you make a video on an easiest to use manual aerator? Thanks!
I have Bermuda in my backyard around 500 sq feet. It’s not doing as good as the first 2-3 years. I have about ~70 sq feet of one area that weeds took over and grass is pretty much non existent. Clovers starting to grow in patches in other areas. Should I over seed with Bermuda? Or is it possible to seed with another grass type?
I can’t find anywhere local to buy Anderson’s fertilizer. Guess I’ll hope another week to get it from Amazon doesn’t make it too late. Thanks for sharing these steps!
It’s definitely overpriced on Amazon. This is due to shipping. Unfortunately AM LEO doesn’t ship it to most of the states and they had good prices. I would check DoMyOwn they sometimes have discounts with free shipping in the reasonable price range
My lawn has a lot of shade and is prone to moss in spots. Won't cutting the grass to 1 1/2 inches make it harder for the grass to compete against the moss? I have read the best way to get rid of moss is to let the grass grow longer. I typically cut to 3 inches. Great video. Thanks.
I just want a grass alternative that is still low to the ground, helps pollinators/the environment, but doesn't require much mowing and doesn't require me to water it unless there's a drought. I've heard of clover lawns and kinda wanna do that but not sure if there's a better or easier alternative.
Yes, plant clover. It's great for the bees. I'm in landscaping industry. The amount of money people waste on their lawns is mind blowing!! It's all a racket. Plus the chemicals are slowly killing us and the soils. For what, a dark green lawn that you have to mow every 3 days in the spring?
Ugly as hell. I have turf, and barely water it. If it wants to go dormant, I let it. People like to complicate lawncare. Every grass type goes through periods of not looking it’s best. I maybe water 2 or 3 times a year. “Natural” lawns look nasty.
Not necesaarily. If your lawn is looking great maybe not, but for the first 1-3 years if you are trying to really get it into shape, its very very helpful,
Personally I think dethatching actually encourages weed growth because it disturbs the soil and brings weed seeds to the surface to germinate. The lawn's thatch layer also works like mulch in terms of weed suppression and thinning/removing it allows places for weeds to sprout. I don't use herbicide on my lawn and notice pretty healthy weed blooms after dethatching in autumn. I still do it when I overseed so there is better seed to soil contact for the grass seed to germinate (along with the dandelions lol.)
Jumping worms have infested Reading! So I’m trying some stuff called Tea Seed Meal by Genesis Supply- let you know! I did my 1 inch, thatch, fert yesterday (Sunday) and all ready see results!
My yard (4 acres) looks to be about the same size as yours. Curious to know how much time this takes you and how much money you spend for the fertilizer???
You definitely can as its still early BUT, be sure your fertiizer has been done for at least 10 days or been rained in, if you still see the particles you might scoop some up with dethatching, not the end of the world, but the less wasted the better
For moss, the best bet is usually to add lime if you are in the northern US. Doing that a few times will typically bring up PH and eliminate the conditions it needs to thrive.
Yeah, I agree. I don't live in the North, but here it's the clay soil. I have a very shady lawn, with a damp climate, and moss was a big problem. It was even air born and grew on my mailbox, until I started liming my soil once a year. The lime also got rid of wild violets. Plus my mailbox doesn't have moss on it anymore.
Don't forget fungus control. My lawn always gets some sort of fungus in the Spring (cold patch, rust, etc.) then when the weather warms up it gets brown patch. We got at lot of rain so far in April where I'm at, so I started fungus control the other day, rotate fungicide classes every month to avoid resistant. Heritage G good to put down in May then rotate monthly other types till August - that is what I have to do . (Bluegrass/fescue lawn)
is there a pre emergent you recommend? also saw a video of pre germinating grass seed in a bucket of waster and net before seeing a lawn. have you ever tried that and do you have any thoughts on it? Thanks!
So I know this may not be popula but the pre-germ stuff is a waste of time for any lawn bigger than 1/20th of an acre. It's a cool idea and makes a good video but is not needed. I also don;t use pre-ermegents. Which people will swear by but I ask, how do they know they need them? I avoid them to save the cost and do what I showed in this video. I try to grow the lawn I have as much as possible to crowd weeds. I do post emergent weed control but by year 2 or 3 even that is sooooo much less. I will do more videos sharing the stufff and know I will get some hate but the less is more approach really works. The first year can be different but after that things get much easier.
@@SilverCymbal i fallowed a lot of your stuff last year and did have good results which is why i wanted your opinion. Thanks for the reply. The only thing that didn't work for me was the andersons surge weed and feed.. The fertilizer seemed to help the lawn but it didn't kill ANY weeds and i followed insurrections to a T... Tenasity did work, but man does it make your lawn look sick for awhile with the white spots.. had a lot of neighbors ask WTH did you do to your lawn! haha
That can happen sometimes. If you have a lot of weeds this has worked very well for me, I try to limit all weed controls that I use, and I don't use pre-emergents. But if you need to wipe out a lot, I like this stuff: amzn.to/3W2LDP7
Hi Silver. I am just about to perform all the actions in this video (thank you!). However, I noticed in a similar video two years ago you linked for a seemingly similar Andersons product (PGF Complete 16-4-8 Fertilizer with 7% Humic DG 5,000 sq ft). I was wondering in layman’s terms (as you’re so good at doing!) what the difference between that vs. what you recommended this year. As a side note, I used your sponsored link and got the Plus version. Thanks!
Thank you. The Ecofusion Plus has more of the quicker growing nitrogen components, plus humic and now iron which is new. But additionally the biosolids provide a level of organics that last longer in the soil for better soil development, microbes and such. So maybe a summary is you get more of the punch but now you have longer growing benefits as well.
@@SilverCymbal Super kind of you for your quick and detailed reply. As a long term fan and first time home owner, I’d highly suggest to keep seasonal content a regular thing, be it with updates (like this video with the new fertilizer) or otherwise. Keep up the good work. Can’t wait to cut to a 1, dethatch, and lay this fertilizer you recommended. Take care!
Do you use the corded Dethatcher on your whole lawn? Seems like the lawn is quite large for the corded Dethatcher. We have 23000 sqft and am wondering if that is feasible with a corded Dethatcher. Thx
I do, I use a longer cord with a power station which makes it a little easier but you can just use an extension cord. Takes time, its not hard with the machine and seeing the stuff coming out is very encouraging. Y
Believe me when I tell you mine is not smooth at all I am in NH land of mountains and rocks and I have a lot of work to do still on this but cut as low as you can manage.
I have just bought my house, the previous owner was an elderly man, who died 4 years ago, his kids (in their 60s) sold the house. Needless to say, the "lawn" is more like a meadow. All kinds of green and dandelions and etc... Is this still applicable to my yard? I know I won't do wonders in one season, but it would be awesome to have something better looking even in this summer. Or is there something I should do? Sorry, first time home-owner, there is a lot for me to learn :D
I would do the mow short, dethatch, and put down a slow release fertilizer and an herbicide with preemergent. Fall time, do an aeration and overseed with a good organic top dressing
Great advice, although aren’t the numbers on the fertilizer a regional thing? My NPK values where I live are 33-0-3, not the same as what you have in your video. I rely are the experts at my local gardening store to establish what is appropriate for the region where I live. I imagine is it the same everywhere else…(?)
What are you doing with your lawn right now? Ecofusion Plus: amzn.to/3U5x2jg Dethatcher: amzn.to/3JnmrLz Ecofusion Starter: amzn.to/49FJ3Sf (New Lawns)
growing red maples
Tore out the lawn and put in a Japanese garden. Best decision I ever made, little to no care. Don't have to own all the product and lawn mowers. Lawns are so 1950s.
I did all 4 but used Johnson from Agway. I can’t use the eco plus on top of right? And when is the best time to level a lawn?
Many people don’t mind putting in a little bit of work keeping a beautiful 1950’s lawn. Many of these lawns that need little to no maintenance tend to look like crap. To each their own though.
What kind of grass do we do these steps? We have Tall Fescue, central Virginia, zone 7a. Thank you!
As usual, thanks for your no nonsense approach to lawn care, that's why I subscribe to you.
1. Mow to one inch 2. Dethatch 3. Chem Fertilizer 4. weed
@@toeknee5565taking care of his family……u pretend like u are greater then thow when everyone know u would do the same thing and the video is only 4 mins.
do not do this if you live in Missouri.
Thank you for ALWAYS being consistent and effective in communicating your experiences. Just one video from you is more informative than 5 videos from others. Huge time saver for all of us. Too much garbage to sift through from the "look at me" generation, if I may be so rude.
Another beautiful spring to watch SilverCymbal! My wife and I have been following your guides for several years now and have completely rehabilitated two lawns using them. Tenacity should really sponsor your channel because of the business you've gotten for them. It really is a game changer. Thank you for everything you do!
Thank you so glad the tips and videos have been helpful. Thanks for the kind words!
For warm season lawns, consider verticutting instead of dethatching to avoid pulling up runners and creating a mess.
Been following your process for several years, my lawn is the envy of the neighborhood! Thank you Chris!
Thanks!
Thank you very much
@@SilverCymbal love the channel. Thanks for the content. I just broke out the tenacity to kill my weeds, for like the 4th season in a row.
I have followed your advice numerous times including buying the dethatcher as well as buying Anderson's products. More lawn care videos please. Really appreciate your content.
I like your approach. I have had good success for over 26 years with a slightly different approach though.
Mine is to cut my lawn at 3.25" to 3.5", aerate in either mid April or late August, lightly overseed with Pereniall Ryegrass with or without Tall Fescue. I may use Lime as needed. I mulch at least twice per month. I side discharge the other times.
For steep hills and backyard or low mow areas, I plant Clover. It works great and my three local bunnies enjoy it too.
My lawn looks great with my Timemaster and simple easy minimal chemical approach.
You're one of the most honest and practical influencers out there. I've never regretted one bit of advice I've taken from you.
Btw - did you end up reviewing the giraffee tools wall mounted pressure washer? I've been eyeballing it, but would like to hear your opinion on it.
Nice work Chris!
Those EcoFusion prills look 🔥
My lawn came out of winter green. This 3rd cut after 2 applications of Vigoro really looks great! I’ve used Andersons and like their products. Just decided to go easy on the wallet. Rochester NY
This is how I used to take care of my lawn. Manually mind you but that electric thatcher looks dope. This does work.
Manually dethatch is tough if you have some space, you must have been like Rocky
My lawn is about 40’ x 20’ and gets the Makita equivalent over it first dry weekend of the year. What’s the furthest point in your yard 500’? That would be a chore for sure.
@@IanFarquharson2I’d say my front yard is about that. Really only did the easily visible from the road part of the yard. I don’t do it anymore. My kids have made me lazy in my old age.
I never regretted buying my corded "Greenworks" dethatcher you recommended a while back. I'm anxious to do it this year, but up here in Canada, the grass is still wet from the winter snow.
So glad to hear, that its been such a great machine, really works wonders
100% agree. Also you need to test soil annually so you don't buy stuff you don't need.
Your soil doesn’t need to be tested annually. That’s a huge waste of money. I would just check if you need phosphorus or not and use a fert that either has it or doesn’t. I use no phos fert, and some years just go with a nitrogen-only program with urea and AS. The point is, your soil is your soil, it’s not changing. Just try and avoid phosphorus if you don’t need it. All lawns need N.
Been following you for a few years now. Thanks for another informative video. Mike from Connecticut here..
Bought that same detacher after first seeing your video about it. Got some staycation scheduled next week so I can dive into this work.
Just literally finished this routine on my yard this past weekend. I walked 16 miles in my own yard from so much back and forth lol
How big is your yard? Did you rake all of it up? Sounds so daunting
Been following these steps for several years now, plus doing a preemergent. The neighbors on each side hate me because my lawn makes their lawns look awful. Right now I have an island of dark green surrounded by dandelions🤣
Personally I tried pre-emergenst once and never will use them again. I am in the minority here but I try to minimize chemicals and cost and I have found that if I work on getting my lawn thicker and better that every year weed control gets easier. If your weeds are out of control you do need to trat them once, amzn.to/3W2LDP7 this can be a great weed and feed but I ONLY use it to start, then just straight fertilizer after. I lik using fewer products. Its like comparing the one weightlifter who just eats a lot of steak, to another one that takes 100 supplements. Both might work but I like the easier approach.
@@delt19 Truth is somewhere in the middle here; once you get your lawn established, healthy, thick turf grasses that can outcompete the vast majority of weed and blight, there becomes little to no need for pesticides or herbicides of any kind. Still not an ideal situation to have a monoculture of various grasses as opposed to the diversity of various native plant/weed species populating your yard, which has a cascading effect from soil microbes, to nematodes, to insects (including pollinators), to birds and small mammals, etc. I've found the secret is creating the "happy medium" - I have a manicured, weed free, thick turf grass rich front yard, and in the back, I let nature largely run its course. I fertilize and mow, but I don't put down any weed preventatives, so if dandelion seed and the like finds its way into the back yard, it's welcome to grow. I also mow far less frequently in the back to allow those weed and other plant species time to grow to a point where they can benefit pollinators.
@@delt19 In my area, dandelions die in the summer or fall, leaving a muddy mess until April the next year
I think that’s what’s happening with me. My neighbor is furious with me telling me to stop cutting my grass every week and so low and watering it so much.
@@Betruetoyou4444lol I mow every 3 days , my neighbor is a copy cat and he started doing the same thing 😭😭
Great plan....the only thing I would consider is if you overseeded in the Fall you risk of ripping out the new groth by detaching in the spring.
I guess it depends on the grass? I think cold weather grasses will be sufficiently established bye end of fall.
I basically did everything you said step by step today. Except I used anderson 16-4-8. Hopefully, it goes well. Right now, it looks a little distressed. I hope it will look as good as your lawn does.
Thank you ir your response about getting rid of moss, I already applied lime, but I will definitely do it several more times
Great video, thanks Chris. I bought that dethatcher a couple of years ago and it really works great.
I am proud to be a subscriber here!!!!! Dude i dont even have a yard but you make me feel like id have a pretty one!
I really appreciate the nice words glad you are liking the videos.
3.5 inches is the golden number here in Pa. Most don't have time to mow 3 times a week
Been a subscriber for a long time. You have done such a great job with your property. Thanks for all the great videos and ideas. Again, your yard is beautiful
You've convinced me to dethatch this year thanks for the reminder !
Perfect time to unbox a detacher that I bought last year after watching one of your videos.
I figured this out last year. The year before, I didn't give it one last cut. Or cut it short in the spring. I had brown patches forever. This year, I fertilized in the last month of the season, then cut it shorter than usual in late fall just before it went dormant . Come spring, dethatched with a rake, gave it a buzz cut and some food after it grew up a little. Results are amazing! Big difference!
I accidentally mixed way way way too much Primo into my lawn, which made the lawn go dormant for about 6 weeks in July and August- it wasn't ok again until late August. Just did a dethatch with the same machine and absolutely no dead material came out of the lawn, so that overapplcation essentially caused the grass to really root down while it appeared dormant last summer.
I bought that dethatcher/scarifier and learned a very hard lesson. If you have any crab grass it will spread it throughout your lawn. It was so bad I had to buy a post emergent to get rid of it. It costs about $100. This year I already put down a pre emergent.
Crab grass dies when the weather gets hot. The dethatcher had nothing to do with crab grass spreading. You need to keep the lawn thick like turf and water regularly. Pre-emergent has to be applied at correct time just before you start getting consistent 50 degrees F days and nights. After that it's too late for this year, but you can still fertilize every 5-6 weeks to keep the turf thick and eventually win the battle.
When you live in an area where it might not get over 90 at all in the summer? How does crab grass spread? I’m guessing by spreading seeds. I had minimal crab grass but after I detached I had rows of it, going in the direction of the dethatcher. I guess it was just coincidence. By the way crab grass thrives in the heat. Just did a simple google search.
You make sound and look so easy. I'll give it a try using everything you recommended.
The dethatcher is a game changer and is oddly satisfying to use. I personally use the sunjoe that comes with a scarifying attachment. This helps out big if you ever wanted to overseed as it cuts groves in the top of your soil.
It’s Alaska so I can’t quite do this yet lol 😂 we still have snow that is melting ❄️ 🏔️ 🥶
I have the electric greenworks Dethatcher & absolutely love it & have done my lawn 2 times now.
In maryland, was able to get out March 1 and do the cleanup, fert, overseed. Apr 17, already cutting at 4" with deep green. earlier the better
Not always the case. Overseeding in March sometimes becomes a waste bc the soil is too cool for it to germinate. You may be thinking it germinated since your grass is nice and lush now, but that could be because you fertilized in the fall which makes it pop better in the spring and that new seed you laid down in March May be dormant still or sitting. Just a thought… I’ve tried overseeding in spring and didn’t have much luck. I also live in MD. But if this is truly the case for you and it worked, very nice!
@@tashrayt4398If you’re going to try spring over seeding, you have to water on hot days or it will die. I’ve successfully spring seeded, but you can’t neglect it.
You can fertilize too early.. especially if using synthetics on zoysia or other disease-prone grasses. I'm in zone 8a and typically avoid fertilizing the lawn until May 1st to reduce lawn fungus.
Best discovery I ever made about lawn care was my county ag extension. They know your local soil temps, soil type, and fertilizer needs for different types of grasses. Growing st Augustine lawn in south Texas is a far different animal than growing bluegrass in Missouri. So for me, my lawn would be wrecked if I followed this video. For example, I mow to 4 inches, use a 10-20-10 a week or two after the stollens are really growing (a week ago for me), 8 later weeks a high nitrogen and potassium LOW phosphorus application, then nothing else until fall.
Yay he’s back in the more great lawn advice!
I know you’ve done videos about the Ecoflow Blade and the Luba robot lawn mowers. Do we have a future video inbound of the one seen in the background of this video? Love the content as always and always on the lookout for your next video
1" is challenging if you don't have a level area.
Skipped the crucial pre-emergent application step but yes this all contributes to a green lawn.
I don't use any pre-emergents, and I could make a fortune selling them if I did as others do. I have some reason for this and it's not specific to my lawn. I will be making a video on this, it may make you rethink it.
I used it to get a handle on my lawn at my newly purchased house. Used it for probably 3 years. I no longer have to use it, as anything that pops up, can easily be spot sprayed. At least in my experience, it’s not necessary in a healthy lawn.
Perfect timing! Was just looking at my lawn and how bad it looks and was wondering what the best plan of attack was. I already bought the dethatcher on your recommendation in previous years but kind of forgot about it. Just ordered some of that fertilizer with your link and I appreciate the help getting me going again!
I'd love to see a video about dealings with moles, Voles, and gophers. we seem to have similar rural area settings, mine is in Missouri and It's a constant battle with the moles and voles to keep them from tearing up my yard and getting the results you seem to get.
Cat or traps.
I aerated too… low mow, dethatched, mowed again, aerated, then fertilized. (Central NJ)
hey central jersey here too. I usually do it in the fall time but migth do detaching this weekend if weather permits. Do you see the difference between fall time vs spring time?
@@Gandio420 a landscaper had recommended thatching in the fall also. He theorized that a spring de thatching could spread weed seed and cause more issues. I am going to treat the entire lawn with Tenacity, insecticide, and anti fungal when the weather clears up. (Sunday/Monday). As this is the new startup procedure for me, I really don’t have a good comparison. Sorry.
What about using limestone in the spring?
Yes, lime is very good for most northeastern areas especially. Soil testing can help determine how much you need: th-cam.com/video/QJTPVrF1sw4/w-d-xo.html
Great video. Will be doing that this year.
Thank you for this video. I've watched so many of your videos and they always help
All of the corded dethatchers I've seen have old brush motors, which don't last as long as brushless motors (at least not without extra maintenance).
Thank you for your video. I learned a lot. And you've saved me money $$$
I live in canada (Niagara Falls/Toronto region) and have an incredible lawn also.
This guy is pretty accurate with do’s/dont’s list if you don’t want to waste money.
My plan is very similar, I don’t go crazy on BS micro nutrients + we aren’t allowed to spray chems up here. 🤫
Ps: people stop get off their bikes to touch my lawn.
Do’s:
1.) Get a reel mower (I use a tee collar version -my height is set at .75-1”)
2.) rotary scissor for edges is a must at this height.
3. Scott’s small prill fertilizer every 4 weeks.
4.) insect control once a year (mainly for cinch bug/grubs up here)
4.) weed control is done by hand mostly -I will spot spray hard to pull if needed.
5.) I do use PGR (just recently) this is optional, but does slow growth down during spring/fall and helps maintain a greener lawn if you mow shorter. Again, this is optional, and I only recently started this last year.
Good luck, and happy mowing
Hey @SilverCymbal. As I mentioned in the other comment, I love your videos. Thanks for making most people's life easy. I have one request. Could you make a video on an easiest to use manual aerator? Thanks!
Amick Rolling Aerator. Everything else is useless unless you have a tiny lawn
I love this channel!
Thank you for the very kind words
I have Bermuda in my backyard around 500 sq feet. It’s not doing as good as the first 2-3 years. I have about ~70 sq feet of one area that weeds took over and grass is pretty much non existent. Clovers starting to grow in patches in other areas. Should I over seed with Bermuda? Or is it possible to seed with another grass type?
I can’t find anywhere local to buy Anderson’s fertilizer. Guess I’ll hope another week to get it from Amazon doesn’t make it too late. Thanks for sharing these steps!
It’s definitely overpriced on Amazon. This is due to shipping. Unfortunately AM LEO doesn’t ship it to most of the states and they had good prices. I would check DoMyOwn they sometimes have discounts with free shipping in the reasonable price range
Another great and informative video!
Thank you for making this video today
My lawn has a lot of shade and is prone to moss in spots. Won't cutting the grass to 1 1/2 inches make it harder for the grass to compete against the moss? I have read the best way to get rid of moss is to let the grass grow longer. I typically cut to 3 inches. Great video. Thanks.
What if i already fertilized? Is it too late to dethatch???
Nope, you can still do this, if its early. Just be sure to give that fert a couple of weeks to settle in so you aren't pulling the particles up.
@@SilverCymbal perfect, thank you!
I just want a grass alternative that is still low to the ground, helps pollinators/the environment, but doesn't require much mowing and doesn't require me to water it unless there's a drought. I've heard of clover lawns and kinda wanna do that but not sure if there's a better or easier alternative.
Yes, plant clover. It's great for the bees. I'm in landscaping industry. The amount of money people waste on their lawns is mind blowing!! It's all a racket. Plus the chemicals are slowly killing us and the soils. For what, a dark green lawn that you have to mow every 3 days in the spring?
Ugly as hell. I have turf, and barely water it. If it wants to go dormant, I let it. People like to complicate lawncare. Every grass type goes through periods of not looking it’s best. I maybe water 2 or 3 times a year. “Natural” lawns look nasty.
When do you apply pre emergent? Before these steps or after?
I’m assuming the de-thatching is only for northern cool grass lawns?
I have lots of trees in my back yard, the grass is terrible, what can I do to get a nice green yard?
Dumb question, but should I use BOTH of the Anderson products or just pick one of the two? Thank you SO much. Huge fan!
I would just buy the plus product to start as it is technically giving you more bang for the buck.
Thank you sir
Amazing video. How often should the lawn be fertilized after dethatching?
Do you do this every season?
Not necesaarily. If your lawn is looking great maybe not, but for the first 1-3 years if you are trying to really get it into shape, its very very helpful,
@@SilverCymbal my lawn is definitely pretty rough, lots of moss and some weeds.
What height do you usually mow the grass at?
I cut a little lower than average, usually around 2.5 inches. You can certainly cut at 3-4" but I find my kids trample it too easily as I cut taller.
In the south, I would never dethatch my TTTF lawn in the spring. it would thin it out for sure, during the hottest months of the year....
Personally I think dethatching actually encourages weed growth because it disturbs the soil and brings weed seeds to the surface to germinate. The lawn's thatch layer also works like mulch in terms of weed suppression and thinning/removing it allows places for weeds to sprout. I don't use herbicide on my lawn and notice pretty healthy weed blooms after dethatching in autumn. I still do it when I overseed so there is better seed to soil contact for the grass seed to germinate (along with the dandelions lol.)
How about the scarifier attachment? When the best time to use it? Use de-thatch then scarifier then fert?
Thanks again brother
Jumping worms have infested Reading! So I’m trying some stuff called Tea Seed Meal by Genesis Supply- let you know! I did my 1 inch, thatch, fert yesterday (Sunday) and all ready see results!
If I’ve already fertilized is it too late to dethatch?
Like exactly what I did 6 weeks ago, perfect.
What do you do if you have several different types of grass mixed in your lawn? How do you take care of this problem?
I like allot of what you say, but this impossible when you have 2 acres. I have used the tenacity and nitrogen and doing pretty good.
My yard (4 acres) looks to be about the same size as yours. Curious to know how much time this takes you and how much money you spend for the fertilizer???
Even if you've already fertilized, is it good to do the first two steps?
You definitely can as its still early BUT, be sure your fertiizer has been done for at least 10 days or been rained in, if you still see the particles you might scoop some up with dethatching, not the end of the world, but the less wasted the better
My lawn has a lot of yellow spots where I killed weeds. Any recommendations for that? And I still have some weeds to deal with.
Can you do a video on a Husqvarna lawnmower 54 inch mower deck?
Great ideas! 😊
Thank you.
What did you use to remove the dead grass after dethatching?
My question as well, he works hard so im guessing he raked
I bag it with my mower...easier than raking.
Nice! Did you bring your Walker mower along with you on your move? ⛳ That's looks like a fun lawn to cut with a Walker
What are you doing for irrigation on this big lawn? I'm hearing all this will go to waste without sprinklers
Great video! Thanks!
Chris, Your lawn looks great and you seem to have a larger yard. How do you keep it so flat and even?
Does dethatching take care if moss. I have a lot this year
For moss, the best bet is usually to add lime if you are in the northern US. Doing that a few times will typically bring up PH and eliminate the conditions it needs to thrive.
Yeah, I agree. I don't live in the North, but here it's the clay soil. I have a very shady lawn, with a damp climate, and moss was a big problem. It was even air born and grew on my mailbox, until I started liming my soil once a year. The lime also got rid of wild violets. Plus my mailbox doesn't have moss on it anymore.
Great info.
Don't forget fungus control. My lawn always gets some sort of fungus in the Spring (cold patch, rust, etc.) then when the weather warms up it gets brown patch. We got at lot of rain so far in April where I'm at, so I started fungus control the other day, rotate fungicide classes every month to avoid resistant. Heritage G good to put down in May then rotate monthly other types till August - that is what I have to do . (Bluegrass/fescue lawn)
is there a pre emergent you recommend? also saw a video of pre germinating grass seed in a bucket of waster and net before seeing a lawn. have you ever tried that and do you have any thoughts on it? Thanks!
So I know this may not be popula but the pre-germ stuff is a waste of time for any lawn bigger than 1/20th of an acre. It's a cool idea and makes a good video but is not needed. I also don;t use pre-ermegents. Which people will swear by but I ask, how do they know they need them? I avoid them to save the cost and do what I showed in this video. I try to grow the lawn I have as much as possible to crowd weeds. I do post emergent weed control but by year 2 or 3 even that is sooooo much less. I will do more videos sharing the stufff and know I will get some hate but the less is more approach really works. The first year can be different but after that things get much easier.
@@SilverCymbal i fallowed a lot of your stuff last year and did have good results which is why i wanted your opinion. Thanks for the reply. The only thing that didn't work for me was the andersons surge weed and feed.. The fertilizer seemed to help the lawn but it didn't kill ANY weeds and i followed insurrections to a T... Tenasity did work, but man does it make your lawn look sick for awhile with the white spots.. had a lot of neighbors ask WTH did you do to your lawn! haha
Unfortunately, in NY the weeds took hold immediately 😢. The warm, very rainy wet winter really meesed timing up this year.
That can happen sometimes. If you have a lot of weeds this has worked very well for me, I try to limit all weed controls that I use, and I don't use pre-emergents. But if you need to wipe out a lot, I like this stuff: amzn.to/3W2LDP7
@@SilverCymbal👍🏼
Hi Silver. I am just about to perform all the actions in this video (thank you!). However, I noticed in a similar video two years ago you linked for a seemingly similar Andersons product (PGF Complete 16-4-8 Fertilizer with 7% Humic DG 5,000 sq ft). I was wondering in layman’s terms (as you’re so good at doing!) what the difference between that vs. what you recommended this year. As a side note, I used your sponsored link and got the Plus version. Thanks!
Thank you. The Ecofusion Plus has more of the quicker growing nitrogen components, plus humic and now iron which is new. But additionally the biosolids provide a level of organics that last longer in the soil for better soil development, microbes and such. So maybe a summary is you get more of the punch but now you have longer growing benefits as well.
@@SilverCymbal Super kind of you for your quick and detailed reply. As a long term fan and first time home owner, I’d highly suggest to keep seasonal content a regular thing, be it with updates (like this video with the new fertilizer) or otherwise. Keep up the good work. Can’t wait to cut to a 1, dethatch, and lay this fertilizer you recommended. Take care!
Thx
Can you dethatch in the spring if you've over seeded the lawn in the fall?
Hi Silver Cymbal, thank you for the tips , how do you feel about aération with the plug tool?
Do you use the corded Dethatcher on your whole lawn? Seems like the lawn is quite large for the corded Dethatcher. We have 23000 sqft and am wondering if that is feasible with a corded Dethatcher. Thx
I do, I use a longer cord with a power station which makes it a little easier but you can just use an extension cord. Takes time, its not hard with the machine and seeing the stuff coming out is very encouraging. Y
Thanks. I appreciate the reply
Most yards are not smooth enough to be mowed down to 1 inch. I have managed to get 2 inches on some
Believe me when I tell you mine is not smooth at all I am in NH land of mountains and rocks and I have a lot of work to do still on this but cut as low as you can manage.
I have just bought my house, the previous owner was an elderly man, who died 4 years ago, his kids (in their 60s) sold the house. Needless to say, the "lawn" is more like a meadow. All kinds of green and dandelions and etc... Is this still applicable to my yard? I know I won't do wonders in one season, but it would be awesome to have something better looking even in this summer. Or is there something I should do? Sorry, first time home-owner, there is a lot for me to learn :D
I would do the mow short, dethatch, and put down a slow release fertilizer and an herbicide with preemergent. Fall time, do an aeration and overseed with a good organic top dressing
Great advice, although aren’t the numbers on the fertilizer a regional thing?
My NPK values where I live are 33-0-3, not the same as what you have in your video. I rely are the experts at my local gardening store to establish what is appropriate for the region where I live. I imagine is it the same everywhere else…(?)