I was WRONG about aeration

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Do you think aeration is needed? Drop me a comment below ☟

[@solidsoldier9021]

ABSOLUTELY 😁

[@curious_sausage]

So what were you wrong about?

[@chrisholt1561]

I use the fork method and have improved the drainage and quality of grass over the last 6 years so yes I do think aeration is both needed and worth while.

[@jameskavanagh4315]

@@curious_sausage he mentioned it at the end of the video🤷‍♂️. About leaving the corks on the lawn.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

I have always told people to remove the cores...

[@chadjensen7248]

Aerated our lawn just last weekend. we have a pretty bad compaction issue where i live. hoping it helps out

[@gordonwood1594]

I was given one of those 5 prong aeration forks and found it impossible to push into the ground. In desperation I hammered two of the prongs ( 2&4) flat and not only did it penetrate easier but also threw out the cores. Dipping the prongs into soapy water every now and then also helped .

[@TheRumpusView]

Interesting, I was thinking of removing two of the cores as well, as it stands the tool is entirely useless on my clay lawn.

[@gordonwood1594]

If your soil is really heavy you may be better off cutting or flattening three prongs. Another use I found for the thing is as a mini broadfork in the borders it works well loosening the top four inches of soil with little effort. The fork went from being the most useless thing in the shed to my favourite tool overnight.@@TheRumpusView

[@davel831]

Blimey Robbie i thought you was going to eat the soil then!! I did use the drill last year and when my neighbour asked me what i was i doing? i told them i was looking for either gas or oil! Just to let you know i found neither . Great video and wise words as ever Robbie, may the grass be with you.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

If you find oil I want in on the deal 😂

[@oloneadrian]

Was just waiting on April to scarify my lawn & thought I should Aerate afterwards, so I should actually be doing it anytime and before scarifying

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Aerate anytime, though not in a frost or drought. Apart from that your all good

[@ohwearyone]

Thanks for a great video! May I ask what the little rotary rake you were using at the end is called please?

[@arrenlear5649]

If you're manually aerating, aim for your weeds while you're at it! Very satisfying

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Haha love it 😂😂😂😂

[@charleshamilton585]

I find watering the lawn the day before aeration makes this process a lot easier!

[@Premier_lawns_official]

100 percent

[@FredrikRambris]

Some manufacturers of manual aerators recommend this as well.

[@Megalocade]

The garden fork works wonders, i had a patch of grass that was going slightly yellow after a reseed as there was originally paving slabs down in that area the grass was growing but very slow and patchy , also it would always flood in that area when ever it rained, i put the fork right down in a fair few places and now the grass is growing lovely and green again and even better when i put some lawn feed down made sure it went down in those little holes, very handy tip and one i wouldn't of known had it not been for this channel thanks 👍

[@johnblagg7021]

Hello. I live in luton. (Chalk soil). I bought aerator it ripped up grass and roots.lucky i only took one stripe out. Tried to take sample out with spade too see if lawn is thatched. Spade wouldn't even penetrate a mm. My next plan is to use scarifier at highest setting of 9mm. What if if it rips roots out of grass? I need advice please.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

John not sure what is going on there. I run a private group on Facebook called the premier lawns community You can post all the pictures you want there and get advice. The link for it is in the video description 👍

[@dagtailgroundmaintenance]

Hope all is well with you, Robbie. Your videos are a great help.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Glad you are enjoying them 🙂 Hope you are doing well Carl

[@calmdymon]

Thanks for the video! I have 150sqm of lawn, I used the shoe spikes , my one has a little longer spikes , and I walked for 2 hours one step closely to another, if I want to do the same with the fork , it would take probably 2 days ! But today I'll do heavy traffic areas with the fork . Let's see how long that take 😮

[@Premier_lawns_official]

👍👍👍

[@calmdymon]

@@Premier_lawns_official did half of my lawn, got bad blisters on hands, but areas with heavy traffic was impossible to dig the fork in, how to do it? It's like concrete!

[@Premier_lawns_official]

@@calmdymon you need to wait until the ground gets a bit softer (winter time)

[@michaelbrett171]

Great videos, and your a great bloke, thanks mate for all the tips.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Thank you 🙏 👍

[@mr.tidygarden]

You have fantastic knowledge Robbie I learnt alot here. I uploaded to my channel today. Damien from Cork City

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Hope you are keeping well, I was in Ireland this week (Donegal) making a video, going back this coming week too.

[@grahammacklam4736]

A sometimes forgotten aspect of aeration is it renders the lawn more drought tolerant. The roots are able to go deeper down as freer movement is obtained and also a better soil/airspace ratio.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Yep, another great benefit!

[@TheRumpusView]

Absolutely brilliantly informative video, thanks so much for tackling the issues that are troubling me, and covering the options and all of the practical issues. Brilliant!

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jeremyminns5627]

So many factors involved in the health and up keep of a lawn, lucking forward to getting stuck in this season and doing battle,we've always have to work with nature not against it.

[@padraictreacy5988]

In your opinion which is better for the lawn, a petrol/electric powered aerator, or one that is towed behind a tractor lawnmower. We have a fairly big garden (800m2)

[@Premier_lawns_official]

The biggest problem with a tow behind one is does it have weight to get the holes in the ground. If so, are those holes big enough to do anything worthwhile

[@padraictreacy5988]

@@Premier_lawns_official Okay, thanks for that. So in terms of push models, which do you think might be better - VonHaus 2 in 1 Lawn Scarifier and Aerator - 1800W Electric OR Cobra S40C Scarifier (although this obviously only does scarifying)? Or would you recommend another make/model for home use

[@Premier_lawns_official]

@@padraictreacy5988 none of those are aerators

[@Karl_Hogarth]

Loving your videos. My lawn is in need of repair, I'm in New Zealand. The lawn is heavily thatched and the soil is clay and compacted. Should I scarify first then aerate or vice versa?

[@Premier_lawns_official]

If it's your own lawn and your hiring the tools chances are you will be doing it on different days Scarify first and the areate afterwards 👍

[@themashugana9440]

In the northeastern U.S., where we're "blessed" with horrid clay soil, yes, aeration is definitely needed. Otherwise the top layer of soil becomes a compacted nightmare, especially in the summer heat. It's like expecting your lawn to do well in concrete.

[@BenjaminBrown-o8r]

Yeh us to in Cali. Straight compacted clay. I could drive a F150 on my lawn and not ever see tire marks. If I didnt aerate every 6 months, Id have to till and resod.

[@brodygoalie]

What do you do to get rid of bentgrass??? Can aeration make your lawn worse if yiu hsve bentgrass all over your lawn? Please advise. Thanks

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Are you in north America

[@onyinoyi_o]

Please will this work on turfed lawns?

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Of course, though not right away. Let it establish first

[@mikepitman8029]

I have just aerated my garden lawn with a fork to help with drainage etc, is it to early to weed and feed it yet?

[@Premier_lawns_official]

It's way to early to use a 4 in one product

[@mikepitman8029]

@@Premier_lawns_official when do you recommend doing this?

[@Premier_lawns_official]

@@mikepitman8029 it needs to warm up a bit for weed control to work, double figures

[@AntonGully]

The spiked shoes are used by some people painting floors so you can walk across the paint without marking it.

[@justinmbr5619]

Hi. Really enjoy your channel. What do you think of the aerators that come with the cheap scarifiers like the Vonhaus scarifier./aerator?

[@Premier_lawns_official]

They aren't really aerators, it's a marketing ploy...

[@justinmbr5619]

@@Premier_lawns_official Yes that's what I thought thanks. I'd never even bothered trying it as it looked like a waste of time and no good as a rake because the collection bag is so small on those cheap scarifiers

[@oliverp9368]

Good morning Robbie. Thank you for the cracking videos you put out. I have a question. I had a lawn laid in November and would like to know when I should be doing the mowing, aeration and other jobs like fertilising and sanding? I should add that the turf has taken properly in most areas but there are still some patches where the turf can be lifted easily.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

This video should help you kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4LCnHR6hKiSrdU

[@maintainyourgarden]

I thought those strap on soles were a belting idea until I seen the bottom of them 🤣 hire the machine any day.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

It's a neat idea that would be great if it worked.

[@bobwyattfpv9847]

Great stuff. Time to dig the swardman out again. There goes my hips 😂

[@Premier_lawns_official]

😁😁😁😁 I'm glad I have a petrol aerator

[@djpaulsid]

For possible waterlogged boggy mushy areas, what would u add to the holes where the core was? Compost and sand? Would u then add some grass seed over?

[@Premier_lawns_official]

water logged boggy areas, you would be better looking at the drainage and fixing it the best you can, that's going to have a mucher bigger impact

[@stephengray-xh8ds]

Brilliant video! Just applied for a role you had posted there, would love to get into this kind of work and build on my career! Every part of this (even the Belfast weather) just seems so calming! All the best!

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Thanks, I'm going through the people who have applied. We have had a fantastic response so far.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

This isn't the job though, this is me messing around my family lawn making videos!

[@stephengray-xh8ds]

@@Premier_lawns_official oh no of course! I just meant in general! You do some quality work!

[@Premier_lawns_official]

@@stephengray-xh8ds thank you 🙏🏻 I'm very lucky to do a job that I enjoy.

[@stephengray-xh8ds]

@@Premier_lawns_official great opportunity! Hoping to become part of the team some time!

[@WildDanHibiki]

I wonder if you can modify the green aerator with an angle grinder? I've just bought something similar and am considering cutting out some side ejection holes

[@Premier_lawns_official]

It would be worth trying if you don't mind writing it off if it doesn't work I guess

[@WildDanHibiki]

@@Premier_lawns_official yeah I don't mind disposing it if it doesn't work out. It's pretty useless out of the box lol

[@Premier_lawns_official]

@@WildDanHibiki I think if the tines were shorter it would have a better chance at ejecting them too

[@keiththemagiccat8543]

@@WildDanHibiki did you try it? Considering the same thing?

[@CathalMacDonnacha]

Great video. When you say "more often", are we talking every year?

[@lenamore69]

Would it be to early to aerate and scarify now

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Best to hold off until March, not long to go now :)

[@noelmadden1920]

Hi. Great video. Should I aerate or scarify first?

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Noel, it doesn't matter which way around you do it. Most people believe that you should scarify first, the problem with doing this is its not always easy to see the holes created. I like a nice tight pattern and doing the aeration first allows me to do this

[@noelmadden1920]

@@Premier_lawns_official Thanks

[@robertchurches3567]

The edges of my grass are getting overtaken by what looks like buttercup tendrils. They can stretch for up to 2 or 3 feet. Any suggestions on how to stop them?

[@noroy2]

Great video, greetings from Mexico.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Glad you enjoyed it! Greetings from Ireland

[@alivebythegraceofgod2935]

I use the spikey shoes to pull up any moss growing on my lawn.

[@roger4880]

Thanks Robbie. What were you wrong about, did you forget to include that at the end? Personally I prefer to top dress yearly, build the soil ecology and allow the worms and natural processes to combine the new and old materials. Pulling out cores disturbs the soil structure and brings up weed seeds, its why you see Poa A often appear where a worm cast was. No home owner equipment will improve the soil enough to warrant the negatives, verti drainers and toro pro core machines are in a different league to anything shown so it isn't the same. The spacing of the tines for one is much tighter. I'm sure the Swardman is well made but £150 is far too high, my Roughneck landscape rake is £50 and is made from aluminium and fibreglass, almost a meter wide - just as a comparison for a well built tool. Loved your Golf course video btw, excellent insight into the preparations that go into rebuilding a green.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

I have always recommended removing the cores. I was researching this video and read that the cores should be left on the lawn and thought it might make for some good debate In the comments. After I make videos based around the question people ask me

[@JED-DogsBestFriend]

If you are spreadding compost or fresh soil. I suppose removing the cores would be ok. But for the average person that is only aerating. It is pretty important that you leave the cores on the lawn. As they will naturally break back down within a week or two. Returning essential nutrients back into the soil. If you are in any kind of rush to get it done for any reason. You can use the back side of a steel rake to break them down. Or even mow over them with a lawn mower to do the same. But they really should not be removed.

[@davewalkden9978]

Cracking video as ever Robbie. Quick question: Our lawn's about to enter its second Spring & it's looking a bit ropey. It survived brilliantly through the first winter and actually came back thicker than before & looked brilliant all through the second summer but I'm less confident about this year. As I said, the grass looks quite patchy & there's quite a lot of compacted matter & standing water on the surface where the grass has gone a bit thin. Is it safe to use the scarifier with the aerator head in yet or should I leave it? Cheers, Dave in Salford.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Those weak areas, they are the places to aerate. It's probably quite hungry and needs fed. A pre seeder would be a good choice to wake it up

[@davewalkden9978]

@@Premier_lawns_official Brilliant. Many thanks.

[@tobywoods7938]

Hey mate, everyone says aeration is more important but it makes me wonder a deep scarification not only removes thatch and the dead material but if it’s cutting into the soil would it not also aerate it? Just started watching the video so maybe you will answer in ur video.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

It's two different things...

[@retoulrichgareus3457]

Hi Robbie - seems I was a bit to early with my question last time 😂 Any power tool you can recommend for aeration?

[@Premier_lawns_official]

@@retoulrichgareus3457 I dont usderstand your question

[@retoulrichgareus3457]

@@Premier_lawns_official i tried to figure out what Aerator you are using but could not identify the brand. As i am looking into buying a machine i was wondering whether you can recommend a brand

[@goldfish2289]

the folk and it’s depth it’s a good tip to screw two pieces of board together on the folk at the depth you want. Takes a lot of thinking out of it. Just go out there and go crazy with it.

[@Jordan.E]

This reminds me of when I was a kid watching my dad walking up and down the lawn with those ankle breakers 😂

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Terrible terrible things. Last time I had them on was a couple of years ago.

[@opticyclic]

I picked up about 2 thousand dandelions by the root using a $4 tool! Aeration and weed control in one! Safe to say I didn't leave those on the lawn...

[@fenners1290]

I don’t have one of those fancy brushes, would a leaf rake do the job to get the cores up? Thanks as ever for the content very helpful.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Yes a rake is perfect 🙂 👍

[@lucasrocha5795]

Thank you for the video. I wish these soil aeration machines were available for rent in my country. Currently, they can only be purchased here and they are quite expensive.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

They are quite expensive here too!

[@justinbailey2806]

I think the manual core aeration tubes need to be necked down like a bullet casing, so there is a small cutter restriction only, then the tube gets larger diameter and allows the core plug to easily be pushed up and out the top. A lot of the core aerators don't have a well designed tool tip like that. Also if you have some rocks, a masonry bit at least 1/2 or 5/8 can last longer and penetrate deeper ground better than an auger bit.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Great post, thanks 🙏👍

[@paulhollingsworth8729]

Yeah but I have one like this - the tube is narrower at the bottom and wider at the top: the soil still gets clogged. I have to stop every few feet to push the soil through with an old screwdriver. Our soil is quite claggy - maybe if you've got more sand in the soil it works better but then your probably don't need to aerate as much either. Maddening.

[@justinbailey2806]

@@paulhollingsworth8729 Check the inside of the tubes for excess weld blobs, I used a dremel and a carbide burr to remove some of that and also a polishing bit to get it really smooth and shiny inside the tubes, that made a big difference for mine. I have a yard butler brand tool with 2 tubes. I also sharpended the angled tips somewhat. Store it clean and dry so it doesn't rust inside the tubes between uses and develop a rough surface inside. The ground moisture level is important, somewhat damp not too dry.

[@smartfactorgardenmaintenan4831]

Great video, thanks for that 👍

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Thanks for stopping by 👍👍👍

[@legendhero99]

What's that cylinder type machine at the end that you are using to brush up the cores Robbie?

[@Premier_lawns_official]

It's a multi-tool system with a brush head, fantastic tool for clearing stuff up, comes with a range of different attachments for all sorts fo tasks in your garden strimmer, brush heads, edger, hedge trimmer, chainsaw uk.milwaukeetool.eu/en-gb/outdoor-power-equipment/quik-lok%E2%84%A2-multi-head-tool/?

[@legendhero99]

@Premier_lawns_official Thanks Robbie. I've had the standard multitool with the cutting attachments. Didn't realise there was one like that as well!

[@Premier_lawns_official]

@@legendhero99 there are two brushes for it now, one for hard surfaces and this one for lawns The other head is in this video, I used it to clean moss off a tarmac driveway kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWWtZIOjbJl2obM

[@legendhero99]

@@Premier_lawns_official I've fallen behind on watching your videos....the shame!

[@Premier_lawns_official]

@@legendhero99 haha that's ok, the youtube algorithm doesn't always show all my viewers the videos out of season.

[@Robme5311]

What if you have clay soil....i have seen mixed reviews! Please advise as my soil is soft and i just did my cut grass cut of the year

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Watch the video and you will know what the answer is

[@pepelepew2690]

Hi, can you do a review on Spike rollers which similar to the Spike shoe straps

[@SBow311]

Don't do it. Material needs to be removed. You're actually causing compaction with spikes. Unless you have a machine like an aeravator that causes fractures.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Sarel Spiking Roller - these are more for sports turf, they don't cause much disruption to the ground. Great to use when seeding, less useful on a lawn.

[@petertr2000]

@@Premier_lawns_official With the spikes going in and then coming out via rotation (rather than directly in and out), won't that so something very similar to the fork action?

[@scottmh96]

I have a JNJ top ejecting aerator and it works great, I've found it's ideal for my clay soil as it goes deeper than side ejecting ones

[@ws775]

A fork with wide tines works good.

[@lawncare-4u849]

Manual hollow time ones are ok if tiny

[@johnturner4400]

Or if you have plenty of time on your hands!

[@tompas11A3n52KkX]

I have voles that help me dig holes and aerate the lawn.

[@LawnRight]

What about ye! All the best!

[@Premier_lawns_official]

😁😁😁 bout yee

[@ianpeete5437]

Hi Robbie I tested my lawns ph and it's alkaline is this to high, if so how can I lower this .

[@Premier_lawns_official]

How did you test it?

[@ianpeete5437]

@Premier Lawns I bought a soil testing kit .

[@Premier_lawns_official]

@@ianpeete5437 did you send it away?

[@ianpeete5437]

@Premier Lawns no , it's a soil testing kit from a garden centre .

[@Premier_lawns_official]

@@ianpeete5437 I wouldn't put my faith in something like that. Soil samples for a lawn should be taken from multiple places across the lawn And sent away to a lab to be properly tested, especially if you are thinking about altering your lawn I'm not the best person to seek advice from, best to get onto Google and seek out some companies that provide that service and talk to them about it

[@solidsoldier9021]

GIVE ME A PAIR OF THOSE ANKLE BRAKERS😂😂

[@Premier_lawns_official]

😂😂😂😂

[@bobdickson188]

I don't think you mention what it was you were 'WRONG' about? Were you previously opposed to the idea of aerating lawns?

[@aprilgeneric8027]

Managing Rainfall with Aeration Practices Turf Tips with Brian Youell 1 year ago

[@Premier_lawns_official]

👍👍

[@petertr2000]

Anyone tried one of those Swordman Aerators on a heavy clay lawn? Does it work well?

[@alaskanmalamute101]

Ive used landzie hollow tine very similar to swardman there good as long as the ground isn't bone dry I used in middle summer once for a family member had to leave hose on then it was alot better. Our area is very clay like. Spring and summer it pretty easy just time consuming I did 80sq metres in 2-3 hours bit tiring but deep holes very good. The holes look pretty huge but they close up after a couple weeks or so. Wear good pair of shoes cos pushing piece of steel into ground over and over will hurt your feet like hell after If u got a huge garden id consider hiring a proper machine for time saving and saving your body lol machine evenly spaces holes too while manual u have to eye it up easy to mess them up your always trying keep them in line.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

That's a great question for the Facebook community page Peter

[@petertr2000]

@@alaskanmalamute101 Thanks. Yeah, I've hired a machine before, but worked out about £125 for a 125sqm lawn, which isn't really a good spend of money. A quick hour's manual once a month would probably do a better job in reality. Thanks for the advice.

[@android01978]

Why not get the green one and cut the front out of the tubes from an inch up… makes it like the one you like

[@coupsdestylo]

Good soil is 50% space, which is filled with half air and half water.

[@buttonman6262]

Great, I’ve just bought a pair of them shoes!🤦‍♂️

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Send them back, save your heels & your money!

[@paulkelly8882]

That Draper tool is a danger to the neighbours, it's likely to get chucked over the fence when it keeps clogging

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Best reply yet 😂😂😂😂

[@keiththemagiccat8543]

I’ll second that as an owner of one… thinking about taking an angle grinder to release the cores

[@elliotcourt580]

I will third this. I even tried lubing up the cores with vegetable oil....which kind of worked for the first plug ejection, and then more. I am also thinking about cutting side ejection slots in mine.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

@@elliotcourt580 the tool isnt up to the job...

[@marqueswilsonn]

You’re speaking from the perspective of a UK guy who has a loamy soil I bet. Southern USA is sandy or clay. You have to add context.

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Yes, for the UK

[@stevenbuckley1416]

Cheers Robbie a like from me thank you 👍🙏

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Good man!

[@yooozekspieszyc7761]

ankle breakers hahahahah

[@DixonSimonLee]

8:10 - That's what she said!

[@andydunn5673]

Can I ask your viewers the same question Any of you out there not air at or for a year or so and then aerated and seen a difference I’m betting you always did a number of things and it’s difficult to know what made the biggest difference

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Can you rephrase that please

[@andydunn5673]

@@Premier_lawns_official I’m rubbish at English but I’ll try Any one lived in the same house for multiple years 1 st do nothing to the lawn Next 2 years or so only scarifie Next 2 year or so only air-ate Next 2 years or so treat with Seaweed or other treatments And which made the biggest difference

[@lawncare-4u849]

Don't know why your messing around with garden forks and drills mate ?! Better than nothing... Hmm.. maybe

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Lots of my viewers don't own or afford the professional gear. Just trying to show the pro's and cons of different tools

[@wiktorpoliszczuk1372]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@solidsoldier9021]

GREETINGS SOLDIER 🪖🙋🏾 ROBBIE

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Yo Solid soldier 😁

[@solidsoldier9021]

ANOTHER GREAT AND INFORMATIVE VIDEO,. THANKS SOLDIER 🪖