i have used a qualcast scarifier...hopeless around 2005, i moved on to a a flymo around 2008 till 2012..a bit better ,then i moved on to a al-co austrian made 3.8 combi ve. its a combi because thet give you a set of areator blades ,you tale out the scarafier section and insert the aereator section, twice the price at around £180 to £200..great machine very powerfull there is a you tube film by al-co all about how to use it,check it out if you are thinking of getting one . will post again tomorrow a bit more about scarafying and what proceedure i use every spring ....alan b.
It might be worth checking whether these people also aerate after scarifying - some do and just take for granted that you know, although it will be in the contract. This is seriously worthwhile on heavy, wet or compacted grass. If you feel you need exercise you can brush in a mix of compost and sand after. Aerating machines cost an arm and a leg as well as being very heavy for a woman to use. It's a job best done in autumn but very early spring will do.
Thought I would post the details on this thread as this is what you have been discussing and you could probably give me a heads up on - value, features on the product etc.
Any comments, advice welcome and like Verdun I WILL try and walk past the plants but it is all SO tempting!!
i wouldnt buy an easter egg out of lidls never mind garden tools equpment etc ,though aldis bedding plants are good value for money ,one of the reasoms i startmy scarifying in early march is that i have quite a few gardens to get through,the problem is the weather you dont get to many days when you can do this , i dont like it when its been raining a lot,i prefer the the ground to be a bit firmer,this year i am putting in my evergreen 4 in 1 applications after i have done my scarafying,pointless doing the grass over seed till early may, a question someone could maybe help me with , i have about a third left of a bag of sports fertilizer ( 25 kg ) it comes in a grey granular form ,but it has gone a mushy black semi clayish texture ,to save throwing it away could i put in a certain amount of this into a watering can,liquidise it ,then apply to to the lawn ,does this make sense ? alan bridges.
My lawn is terrible (I'd rather grow veg) and I just use a rake to clear out some of the moss from time to time but this is half hearted scarifying. The proper machines actually dig down into the soil a little way and so a much more thorough job - one day I'm sure my attention will turn to the lawn and I'll end up doing it properly, maybe even aerate it, fill the divots and seed the bare patches....
Sounds a bit like my 'lawn' Boater . For me lawn maintenance ranks very high in the list of most boring garden jobs - don't mind cutting and edging to keep it all looking nice and tidy but the rest of it ...
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Having watched the video of Monty Don scarifying with a lawn rake I had a go at this myself, yesterday. Managed to remove roughly a bin bag full of moss and assorted detritus which I've shoved behind the shed as a starter for my new compost heap. However, there appears to be plenty of moss still sitting on the surface of the lawn, particularly in the sloped areas, so maybe the rake isn't quite enough and I need to consider one of those machines.
One thing I meant to ask: what's the reason for brushing sharp sand into the lawn following aeration?
Posts
i have used a qualcast scarifier...hopeless around 2005, i moved on to a a flymo around 2008 till 2012..a bit better ,then i moved on to a al-co austrian made 3.8 combi ve. its a combi because thet give you a set of areator blades ,you tale out the scarafier section and insert the aereator section, twice the price at around £180 to £200..great machine very powerfull there is a you tube film by al-co all about how to use it,check it out if you are thinking of getting one . will post again tomorrow a bit more about scarafying and what proceedure i use every spring ....alan b.
Bit early for scarifying isn't it? I was planning to wait until the beginning of April before I do mine.
It might be worth checking whether these people also aerate after scarifying - some do and just take for granted that you know, although it will be in the contract. This is seriously worthwhile on heavy, wet or compacted grass. If you feel you need exercise you can brush in a mix of compost and sand after. Aerating machines cost an arm and a leg as well as being very heavy for a woman to use. It's a job best done in autumn but very early spring will do.
Just found this thread having started one regarding the product below
http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=21657
Thought I would post the details on this thread as this is what you have been discussing and you could probably give me a heads up on - value, features on the product etc.
Any comments, advice welcome and like Verdun I WILL try and walk past the plants but it is all SO tempting!!
I've got and been using something similar, although I think it's a black & decker one.
They do remove a lot of thatch and moss, but you have to be careful to get the height right so you don't shred the grass too much at the same time.
Ideally you pre-treat and kill the moss first before scarifying, but I've used mine without always doing so.
Mine is only a scarifier, interesting to see how good that Lidl one is in aerating mode.
i wouldnt buy an easter egg out of lidls never mind garden tools equpment etc ,though aldis bedding plants are good value for money ,one of the reasoms i startmy scarifying in early march is that i have quite a few gardens to get through,the problem is the weather you dont get to many days when you can do this , i dont like it when its been raining a lot,i prefer the the ground to be a bit firmer,this year i am putting in my evergreen 4 in 1 applications after i have done my scarafying,pointless doing the grass over seed till early may, a question someone could maybe help me with , i have about a third left of a bag of sports fertilizer ( 25 kg ) it comes in a grey granular form ,but it has gone a mushy black semi clayish texture ,to save throwing it away could i put in a certain amount of this into a watering can,liquidise it ,then apply to to the lawn ,does this make sense ? alan bridges.
My lawn is terrible (I'd rather grow veg) and I just use a rake to clear out some of the moss from time to time but this is half hearted scarifying. The proper machines actually dig down into the soil a little way and so a much more thorough job - one day I'm sure my attention will turn to the lawn and I'll end up doing it properly, maybe even aerate it, fill the divots and seed the bare patches....
Sounds a bit like my 'lawn' Boater
. For me lawn maintenance ranks very high in the list of most boring garden jobs - don't mind cutting and edging to keep it all looking nice and tidy but the rest of it ...
Having watched the video of Monty Don scarifying with a lawn rake I had a go at this myself, yesterday. Managed to remove roughly a bin bag full of moss and assorted detritus which I've shoved behind the shed as a starter for my new compost heap. However, there appears to be plenty of moss still sitting on the surface of the lawn, particularly in the sloped areas, so maybe the rake isn't quite enough and I need to consider one of those machines.
One thing I meant to ask: what's the reason for brushing sharp sand into the lawn following aeration?