Lawn Aeration and Lawn Leveling with Sand

[@skyb0yTube]

The part of the video where you show how lawn is starting to grow after sand leveling is so satisfying to watch :)

[@Staying_Dangerous_Official]

This was the most satisfying lawn leveling video i've ever seen. Great job.

[@ShortCutLawn]

😎👍🏼

[@tonylord5833]

What a sensible video.No time wasting chat and subtitles for those of us that are deaf.

[@okieshortriderz]

One of the best and well laid out videos on a subject I have seen. Nice job.

[@donnyd7516]

Hands down , greatest yard vid I've seen. You are bad ass. I love how you used the hand aerator. I do that too. It's more satisfying when your done. Your house and yard looks amazing.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Thanks 🙏🏼

[@jamesorr1200]

This was great. I love the DIY leveler. We have a large dip I’ll be leveling in a few weeks. This is much more appealing to me than a $150 level lawn rake.

[@blakejones6206]

Messaging in 2021, the $150 rake is probably less expensive than the lumber.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Lol... I’m a woodworker so I know exactly what you’re talking about

[@jamesorr1200]

@@blakejones6206 LOL, seriously. I’ve been tracking the price of OSB specifically. At this time a year ago a sheet was $13.95. Two months ago it was $38, and now it’s $43.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Wow that’s insane, I guess it was directly related to all the forest fires we had here in the west coast last year.

[@themoistgreenorganic]

I will say the lawn level rake is expensive but when I topdressed last year, once the piles were smoothed out, I began walking with the rake behind me as a drag system. I didn’t plan it that way, but it made perfect sense as Al did with hisDIY version. The tool is versatile!

[@Striperman]

And they say that perfection doesn't exist ?? That is how you do a lawn aeration and lawn leveling with sand video Lawn care community. Outstanding :)

[@ShortCutLawn]

Thanks Keith,.. you inspired me with aerating my lawn manually 💪🏼 😎

[@joelmsolomon]

@@ShortCutLawn Hi! Can you share what manual aerator you used? I don't have a truck, so currently trying to figure out how to get my lawn aerated (can't haul a rented aerator home).

[@ShortCutLawn]

Corona YardBreather www.lowes.com/pd/Corona-YardBREATHER-Core-aerator/1000384773

[@tylerk.7947]

I admire your guys commitment to a nice lawn. I’m that way for gardens. Together we could be unstoppable

[@Santiago-je5ki]

Your lawn, is something I strive for. It's incredible!

[@ShortCutLawn]

😎👍🏼

[@ElkhornRich]

First, one of the best videos I've seen for passing along work, reasons, early status & later results. Absolutely, one of the best. I'm Monterey county also & could really appreciate suggestions. Will be sending you an email...okay it's almost 18 mos after the post. I'll be checking out your other videos. Thank you.

[@MarathaRoyals]

Looks amazing, thank you for the video. Use of Sand for lawn is so new to me and have a basic question, does it not affect the quality of the soil which roots the grass? Also how does it work when reseeding do the seeds make contact with soil easily and germinate well?

[@vincentstivali1561]

An absolutely immaculate, perfect lawn.Even the sand. Piles shown by the drone looked 👌 perfect. U are very motivational. I poweraked my lawn last week , amazing wat com es out. Nice job , sir !

[@ShortCutLawn]

😎👍🏼

[@jordanjohnson5784]

Beautiful lawn and home.. I’m in the middle of a total lawn renovation in my front lawn. I’m in Michigan doing a full Kentucky bluegrass lawn. Take care 👍🏼

[@mikesmith1790]

Mad props for manually aerating that entire space!! You are a beast! 10000% worth it to sand level, looks amazing

[@ShortCutLawn]

Thanks Mike 👍🏼

[@dlvh007]

Wow...that was a LOT of sand, but it all ended up looking great and flat. Nice Job!

[@robhowe2040]

We need a vid on how to build the home made drag, want to build my own for a lawn project next year to get my lawn level. Your lawn looks awesome and something to aspire too.

[@shanew7361]

Perfectly level is bad for water run off, needs to be sloped to mitigate it. Also, how do you keep the Poa out of your lawn?

[@ShortCutLawn]

Level is relative. I leveled and “sloped” the whole yard back in 2018. I pluck all the weeds/poa by hand whenever I see them.

[@mjq7474]

Inspirational - again!! I’m going to do this on my lawn. Keep up the good work. Loving the video’s. 👍👍

[@ShortCutLawn]

🙏🏼 thanks

[@kevina4674]

If you do it to your lawn.... do yourself a huge favor and find a billy goat pl1800 or 2500 and aerate with that! Save you a lot of time!

[@JoelMPanchevre]

❤️

[@RealWomenRealStories]

How do you edge the lawn? Plastic?

[@ShortCutLawn]

Same way you would with a concrete edging/border.

[@RealWomenRealStories]

@@ShortCutLawn I believe I have seen something black and round there in 7:16 can you let me know? Thanks❤️

[@K9388-n3z]

Well done. Your the first California person I think I may like....

[@ShortCutLawn]

lol 😎👍🏼

[@justordinaryeverydaylife7977]

Wonderful X10 you will have to go maybe every two three years now. Not every season now. I think it is just right, or when you get dents. Looks right brother. Man we were getting murky skies in Chicago from the fires!!! Hope air quality and people are safe🙏🙏❤️

[@ShortCutLawn]

We still have little fires here and there but the air quality is a lot better now. By the way what is X10?

[@justordinaryeverydaylife7977]

ShortCut Lawn, X10 is Times ten brother! Sorry 😉 (Wonderful times ten!) 👍

[@jameslucas5590]

LOL. I was watching you aeratie the lawn and I muted it the sound and started playing the benny hill show music. Thank you for the video.

[@MrRamman04]

Maybe when I’m retired I can take the time to be obsessed with my lawn, for now looking for quick fixes to make it presentable. I'm jealous when I see my neighbours perfect lawn but that’s all he does every weekend, I rather do more interesting things with my spare time but it does look nice

[@ordinarypete]

I have a landscaper who lives across the street from me so I just tried for years to beat the rest of the lawns but in ‘17 I had him beat and I have to say.. . It felt good. Too good. Now I let my yard die and I just do gardening in the back yard. It’s too much energy to care that much

[@productionsud13]

Good video thank you! I will try thats . I have a question about watering and not many people talk about it, what advice do you have?

[@ShortCutLawn]

Nothing special, just continue with your regular watering schedule.

[@Szdday]

Hands down...the best sand leveling video I’ve seen!!! You’re like me and don’t mind the hard work. Btw, Allet now? You definitely need to do a head to head comparison with the Allet and Swardman.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Thanks man I appreciate it that! Yes i might film it sometime next week and god only knows when i’m gonna upload it 🙄 I should’ve taken the name “Lazy Lawns” 😁

[@joelmsolomon]

@@ShortCutLawn @niceAZlawn - that'd be a cool comparison. I've done a bunch of research and am 99% sure I'm going with the Allett Liberty 43, but am at that sweet spot where I can still change my mind.

[@alceja3522]

How did the rye hold up in cA summer? Curious as that cultivar is very nice but scared of our harsh summers

[@eddylee587]

Hard work pays off! Excellent job there and fantastic lawn!👍. Thx for the tips and video! Well done!

[@ShortCutLawn]

Thanks Eddy!

[@danielebifolco6354]

Beautiful video. At what time are the seeds put? Is it sown first and then the sand spread?

[@ShortCutLawn]

Thanks. 👍🏼 No seeds were sawn on this video, the lawn is already stablished I just added sand for leveling.

[@jokeurmnd]

Gorgeous. What type of grass are you using? YOu should help your neighbors with their grass.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Thank you, Kentucky Bluegrass.

[@programmingchicago]

I don’t know why I find these videos so satisfying.

[@graham8430]

Absolutely brilliant! My Flymo Microlight mower (UK) didn't cut short enough 'till one day I had a brainwave...and strapped 2x2 litre lemonade bottles to it to give 'weight' to press the blade down into the grass! Those of us with just a lightweight, cheap and cheerful, hover-mower should try adding 'weight'...it worked for me! Liked very much indeed and... Subscribed!

[@ShortCutLawn]

👍🏼

[@TheNormsz442]

Awesome video. Where did you get that aeration tool at? I can really use one like that for my high traffic areas that get so compacted.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Got ‘em at Lowes.

[@TheNormsz442]

ShortCut Lawn Thank you so much. I seen your reply when I was close to the only Lowe’s in my area that stocks them. I was able to pick one up. Can’t wait to use it tomorrow.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Perfect 👌🏼 😎

[@mburgos6383]

Where did you get the handheld aerating tool??? Need one.

[@truthspace5525]

Home Depot

[@dmitriyshtrikul]

Great job, man! Did you have any spots where grass didn't pop up ? What was grass height when you applied sand ?

[@ShortCutLawn]

Yes one tiny strip, after not seeing grass after 5 days i got worried and removed about an inch of sand, it was all good and green after 5 more days. It was at my regular mowing height of 5/8”

[@mitsuomits9077]

LOl this made me remember a physical test (but much heavier) that i had to pass for the Canadian navy, just watching it made me tired. Loved how the grass came back prettier and stronger.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Yup it was a good workout 😎👍🏼

[@juliusashade6520]

Hello, great job and video. Do you water the lawn after leveling each day or just let the sand naturally sink into the lawn?

[@ShortCutLawn]

I just went with my regular watering schedule.

[@Dan-ef4jz]

Good lord you used that step on aerator?

[@Jessica_Garcia_777]

Great job!! This is a workout! But it could do me good to lose a couple of pounds after staying put during Covid-19. Your video is the first that I have seen a wood leveler made. I thought I had to spend a lot of money buying a metal one, but thanks to you, my husband can easily build one in the garage. Thank you! Great job! 👍

[@ShortCutLawn]

Thanks Jessica, It’s a workout for sure 👍🏼

[@Jessica_Garcia_777]

@@ShortCutLawn well it pays off. Keep the videos coming please. Thank you. 🙏🏽

[@johnwaddell4107]

I foresee another hunny do list!

[@minthantwai]

PERFECT LAWN!👍👍👍 I will do my lawn. What kind of do I need to buy sand and which season is better?

[@ShortCutLawn]

Mason sand or fill sand. Autumn is the best time if you have cool season grass

[@minthantwai]

ShortCut Lawn Thank you so much for your help..👍😘

[@KMMEDIA1]

Very interesting. Do You think that I can do this leveling with sand, using a compact tractor with a leveling crate, or it has to be manual one man job?

[@ShortCutLawn]

Im sure you can, you just have to scale up on the leveling drag.

[@canorth]

I own that exact aerator and my lawn is so compacted I can balance on the thing without it fully going into the ground... My new home needs some work...

[@ShortCutLawn]

You have to water a couple days before aeration, give it a good soak first. Use a screwdriver and check if water penetrated deep enough maybe 4” or so. 👍🏼

[@ALnMO]

How important are the grooves in the front board of your leveling drag? I am going to make one today based on your design.

[@ShortCutLawn]

It distributes the weight better and makes it easier to pull, but making those grooves is a bit labor intensive. Most of the guys that tried it did it without the grooves and it works just fine for them.

[@mrdavester]

Do I still see sand poking through at the end? I wonder if mixing the sand with dirt is a good option.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Yes there’s a part towards the end where sand is still poking through but not at the 3rd week mark. I won’t mix it with dirt specially if you high clay soil. I often mix sand with organic compost with great results.

[@innab324]

Awesome job!! You didn’t have to put grass seed down? And why sand vs top soil?

[@idohcvtecexi]

Awesome yard! Question, what kind of tree is that at 1:26? The yucca looking one! If it’s a yucca, what type is it? Thanks in advance

[@CecilKMart]

Great video and beautiful lawn. What make and model is your mower?

[@ShortCutLawn]

Thanks. 17” Allett Kensington

[@clintsaines9274]

What kind of sand do you use? Sand box sand you buy in a bag for kids or some kind of fancy stuff

[@perres0]

looks really good, what kind of sand do you use?

[@mushy_GLX]

Wow what an amazing lawn you have there 😍

[@ferenccseki7958]

Hello your lawn is so fantastic 8:01 ❤ After top dressing was done have you watered the lawn or it is just increased the sand in the last next week? Thank you ❤

[@ShortCutLawn]

I kept my regular watering schedule.

[@ferenccseki7958]

@@ShortCutLawn okay thanks but after top dressing was done watered the lawn or you just were waiting for the next watering has came?

[@threezah1]

what brand aerator is that

[@TheCureThatKillz]

Nice! If I was going to do this but I wanted to overseed, should I put the sand down first and then seed or seed before sand?

[@gabrielgonzales1022]

I have a south Texas Bermuda lawn and want to level, is it too late to level with temps dropping in the 50s?

[@ShortCutLawn]

I think it is, I believe they do it during summer time.

[@evanstevenson2239]

Yea what happened to the Edwin? Did you experience any cons with the Swardman?

[@ShortCutLawn]

I still have it, I might discuss the pros/cons of my Swardman on my next vid.

[@ramongutierrez4542]

@@ShortCutLawn I'm looking into getting the Swardman or a Allett. But haven't found a comparison video yet. Looking forward to seeing your video.

[@ElSoly]

I’m in Wisconsin and we just bought a house. I noticed that it needs to be level ASAP. However I don’t know if I have to do a mixture of both dirt and sand or just the dirt. I believe the soil is very unhealthy.

[@ShortCutLawn]

If you think your soil is unhealthy mix it in with some good organic compost. Sand is for “fine tuning” to get that perfectly flat lawn, so get your yard level as possible, seed or sod then later on if you think you want that perfectly flat lawn then you can level with sand.

[@UrbanDadLife2024]

great video...got me all excited for my levelling in the fall :)

[@wm005]

How did you determine the 3 tons of sand was needed. Your lawn really did not look so bad before you started. Looks like putting down that much sand would of smothered the grass.

[@stripedseedco]

I noticed you roll your Allett on the concrete. I got mine recently and did that and then got scared it was scratching and damaging the roller after the sound it made. Are you not having issues with that?

[@ShortCutLawn]

The rollers are pretty much a hollow metal drum so it’ll be loud when you roll it on a pavement, it’ll be scratched up and unsightly but you won’t damage it.

[@vtphan2012]

Seriously, your lawn looked top notch even before the leveling. One question though, did you do anything to the lawn after you leveled it to make sure the grass grew back? Thanks.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Just regular watering schedule afterwards, I did though put some high nitrogen fertilizer a week prior to leveling to boost top growth.

[@KevinConlon]

I gave this video a 👍 then undid it, then hit the 👍 again, just so I could give it two thumbs-up. Wonderful work! Simply stunning.

[@ShortCutLawn]

You had me laughing on that one Kevin 😂

[@topdogsean1]

Do you have a video specifically on how to make that lawn leveler tool?

[@ijustpostedth1s724]

Ok, right of the hop, well done on your lawn sir. Secondly, not the kind of music I would associate with lawn care but whatever. Now I have a new band to obsess over. Thanks for that and carry on!

[@neilfpv]

Amazing! What type of grass is that? I'm not sure how I should address my backyard. I was shocked to find out yesterday while I was walking on it. I have hundreds to thousands of tiny hills. It was extremely bumby. I wasn't sure if it was caused by worms, ants or japanese beetles. Any tips? My estimate is that the tiny hills are 0.5 inches to 1.5 inches high.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Kentucky bluegrass. If it’s soft enough maybe you can just roll it with a lawn roller and flatten it as best as you can, or you can do what i just did.

[@peebeegeehustla2481]

USA? Nice video! Greetings from Germany! I Love your way of life!

[@thomasevans2071]

How much water are you adding during the first week of sand cover?

[@ShortCutLawn]

Just my regular scheduled watering

[@danielzarazua1129]

Congratulations. Greate video. I notticed you answer a couple of times about the sand you are using. I'm watching from Mexico and the "fill sand" that we use is very much different. The one you are using is sand from a river? Do you think silica sand might work as well?

[@CasperBang]

Why the ridges/grooves in the DIY leveling tool?

[@ShortCutLawn]

It distributes sand between the front and rear planks making it easier to pull. It’s not easy to route those grooves, so without it is fine too.

[@bruski3859]

Amazing video so great to watch. Cant believe you hand plugged that lawn so perfectly. How much sq. Footage is your lawn. I see you used less than 2 tons of sand. Ill be doing this in spring.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Thanks! About 1,500sq/ft

[@mgm5781]

What type of grass is this? Thx for the great video!!!

[@ShortCutLawn]

Kentucky Bluegrass. 👍🏼

[@juliusm5908]

Great video, all action and no long talking

[@bradjaffke4353]

Question for you. How would you combine this sort of more major leveling with your earlier "lawn rejuvenation" videos? I have a decent dip in my backyard that I"m planning on attacking next spring. However, I also need to do a full rejuvenation. I was planning on following your 4 step video series that I believe you did earlier this year. Would you recommend doing the rejuvenation first (in the spring), and then tackling more major leveling (that this video shows) later in the summer/early fall?

[@ShortCutLawn]

Brad,. assuming you have a cool season turf, yes spring would be the best time to rejuvenate your lawn, get your over-seeding and top dressing done and keep your lawn healthy throughout summer then come early fall when temps starts cooling down do your heavy leveling. Leveling with sand Will initially Stress out your lawn so make sure you give enough time to recover before winter hits. Good luck 😎👍🏼

[@bradjaffke4353]

@@ShortCutLawn thank you sir! Appreciate it. (And yes, cool season lawn up here in the PNW).

[@yordanosjigsa4144]

One of the greatest lawn leveling video i have ever come across. Looks amazing. What's the name of the mower? I wanted to buy it.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Allett Kensington

[@jonycreche2731]

So do you just leave sand on lawn when done?

[@ShortCutLawn]

Yup that’s all

[@jonycreche2731]

@@ShortCutLawn thank you!

[@sabinovalencia2997]

Great job.. what type of sand is it? And what type of grass? .

[@BramVanhautte]

Where does the sand go after that week? It can't be disappearing, right?

[@ShortCutLawn]

Nowhere, grass just grows over it.

[@steverochin]

I also live in So Cal so thanks inwas wondering about sand. At what point could I add seed and if adding seed would you suggest using some topsoil with the sand?

[@ShortCutLawn]

When overseeding and leveling i like to add a little bit of compost kinda what I did spring of last year.

[@TheNeighborDominator]

Another amazing video bro. I can't wait to start top dressing with sand next season. I will be using your video as a guide!

[@ShortCutLawn]

Thanks Clint 😎👍🏼

[@mutchumbo]

Gday mate. Can I ask what you think of the Allett? Thinking of buying one for my lawn in Australia - you'd call it Bermuda. What model is it? Cheers.

[@ShortCutLawn]

This is the Kensington 17B (for Briggs engine), I’ve upgraded mine to a Honda 160cc and that makes it Kensington 17H. Love the ergonomics on this one compared to my old Swardman. Cut quality is pretty good as well.

[@ManuelMartinez-pg4kn]

WOW didn't know you could do this just beautiful I'm going to do this on my lawn

[@philippecote2352]

Any tips with the manual lawn aerator? Mine always gets clogged after 5-10 minutes.. Thanks and great video by the way !!

[@ShortCutLawn]

I noticed that it clogs whenever you hit a dry spot, what I do is go to a moist section and that should push out the dry stuck plugs. So a good moist soil is the key.

[@davey9110]

One of the top 3 lawns out of the youtube crew (my opinion)

[@ShortCutLawn]

I really appreciate that Davey, although I never see myself as one of the Lawn youtube crew, I don’t think I’m worthy enough 🙂

[@ghll13]

What height were you cutting before the leveling and what height did you cut after ? Did you have to cut higher than before ? What height was the lawn after the two weeks of letting the Sand fill in

[@ShortCutLawn]

I cut i at my regular cutting height 5/8”, then raised it to 3/4 for 3 mows and now I’m back down to 5/8”

[@mitchellandre268]

Wow. How long that manual aeration took?

[@ShortCutLawn]

About an hour and twenty mns.

[@stefanjovovic8695]

You are now using an Allet reel mower? Would you recommend the Allet or Swardman more?

[@ShortCutLawn]

You need the my answer now or you don’t mind waiting for my next video? 😁

[@stefanjovovic8695]

ShortCut Lawn Can’t wait for the next video then!

[@nickc2124]

I was going to ask this same question...

[@nickc2124]

I guess I’ll wait.

[@travisyuga]

What mower is used in this video? And how do you get the lines between rows, do you raise/lower the blades between each row? TIA for your time in getting back to me on this!

[@ShortCutLawn]

The mower is Allett Kensington. Are you referring to the light and dark stripes when I mow?

[@travisyuga]

@@ShortCutLawn yes the light and dark stripes.

[@tro8191]

Man ur lawn was perfect to begin with. Now... even more perfect-er! Way to go!

[@saeed6811]

That's guy has a lot of patience 😅. The aeration process was a pain. Good work.

[@jimwright2795]

Btw, where did you find that hollow-tine aerator? I could shed my eggnog collection using that.

[@ShortCutLawn]

Got ‘em at Lowes

[@shaun6738]

You made that aeration look easy mine just clogs and doesn't remove plugs

[@KatherineTheGr8t]

Thought I might see a shop vac sucking up some of that sand but the aeration holes took a lot. My yard is small enough I could use one of those pogo stick aerators. I know for sure I am not dethatching with a rake so the SunJoe is looking better & better. ps I don't recommend the SunJoe Pressure Washer, could do better with a garden hose & nozzle.

[@nonsense2901]

Amazing job!!! Did you sow the seeds before laying the sand?

[@ShortCutLawn]

No seeds this time

[@miropsencik9405]

Great job! Is there any reason why you changed swardman Edwin for Allett Liberty? Can´t decide which one to buy. Any suggestions?

[@johanblomqvist7268]

Thank you! Will be doing this to my own lawn in next spring. How big is the lawn you leveled (where you used 2 tons of sand)?

[@ShortCutLawn]

About 1,300sq/ft Keep in mind 2 tons was on the heavy side, 1.5tons should be enough.

[@corysundell2742]

Very Nice!! - your work definitely paid off. Great results.

[@kerenhu4311]

Very satisfying to watch. Like the other comments, your lawn was level to me even before the project. Very tempted to try on my lawn. But it is under a huge oak tree and has lots of roots. Not sure if sand leveling would work this well though.

[@ferrhidalgo]

Which mower is better for your lawn the Allet or Swardman? My lawn is a lot like yours.

[@ShortCutLawn]

They both cut great, Allett has better ergonomics in my opinion.

[@ferrhidalgo]

@@ShortCutLawn Thanks...I'm thinking in buying the battery power one.

[@jesusquintana9374]

When is the best time to do the leveling on the grass ?

[@ShortCutLawn]

When the grass is actively growing, in my case it’s summer and for some late spring and early fall. The idea is you would want the grass to grow through the sand as quick as possible to prevent die out.

[@jesusquintana9374]

Sounds good thanks!

[@xroysx]

Great video and you have a very nice and well-kept lawn. 👍👍

[@tramac]

Have you used any water after leveling for sand to vanish?

[@ShortCutLawn]

I watered regularly. Sand did not go away, the grass simply grew over it.

[@Давид-х1щ2ш]

Класснная работа!!! Скажите пожалуйста, что у вас за газонакасилка и какая модель. Заранее благодарен!