In order to make your favorite lawn pleasing to the eye, there is an Arsenal of special devices and equipment: seeders, verticutters (scarifiers) and aerators.
We understand the terms and choose assistants with whom you can easily lay a new lawn, and maintain it in order throughout the season.
How to sow…
When laying a new lawn seeds should be evenly distributed throughout the territory. Is it possible to do it manually? In principle, Yes, but the larger the area of the future lawn, the higher the probability of errors. Therefore, it is better to buy a lawn seeder, especially since this device will be useful not only in creating a new lawn.
In spring, summer and autumn, the tool designed for spreading any bulk substances is useful for applying fertilizer or granular lime (it is necessary for deoxidizing the soil), and in winter — for sprinkling sand on slippery paths.
You will have to choose from three possible options:
- manual seeders (compact and convenient to hang on the shoulder);
- two-wheel models (only work when moving forward);
- trailed wheel spreaders (for “industrial” scale areas).
The WE 430 (WOLF-Garten) manual seeder on wheels will become a reliable assistant in the processing of large areas of lawn.
Manual seeder on wheels
In winter, it can be used for spreading sand or special reagents. Spreading width 43 cm, hopper volume 20 l.
Important: the hand spreader can be the simplest if it is driven by the rotation of the handle, the device works more expensive with a battery or battery. The lack of such devices — a small amount, and therefore the need to replenish the stock of seeds or fertilizers.
The WOLF-Garten WE-B battery operated manual seeder is suitable for spreading any loose materials. Spread radius from 0.5 to 2.5 m (user adjustable).
Left: spreader-seeder Gardena Comfort 800. Right: hand drill battery WOLF-Garten WE-B.
The Gardena Comfort 800 spreader with a spreading width of 53 cm and a volume of 20 l is perfect for large areas. The innovative high-elastic spreading cylinder ensures optimal distribution of the material. Two-wheel drive ensures smooth running.
Lawn comb
If the lawn is running, it appears bald spots, bumps, moss grows and accumulates felt — tangled shoots, roots, dead stems of herbs. To put the lawn in order, you need a special tool-verticutter, which is often called a turf slitter or scarifier. It scarification gives the lawn strength and youth, and at the same time and returns a perfect look.
Don’t get mixed up in names!
If you order a verticutter and a scarifier in the store, the delivery service can bring two identical tools, because manufacturers sometimes call the same device in different ways.
Verticutters (scarifiers)
Externally verticutter (aka scarifier) is similar to a lawn mower. The design of the working part of this tool-a few mills of hardened high-grade steel, fixed to the common shaft. Their number depending on the type of model varies from 6 to 32 pieces. Vertical cutter knives not only work on the surface of the earth, but also sink into it. At shallow immersion they cut through a dense lawn felt, at deep-loosen the soil. Do not worry if after scarification lawn will look ugly, because for him it is tantamount to surgery. But after a few days the old grass with fresh strength will grow.
Important: using the verticutter to restore the old lawn will be cheaper than to sow it again.
Verticutter combs the lawn, removing dry grass, felt, debris and moss, and using vertical knives slightly cuts the top layer of soil (to a depth of not more than 4 mm). This procedure should be carried out in the spring.
If the depth is increased (from 5 to 8 mm), the machine will loosen the overly compacted soil, cut the roots and cut up to 30% of the turf. Of course, after such a “rejuvenation” lawn for a few days will have a “pale appearance”, but then not only recover, but will be even thicker, because the knives will open oxygen and minerals access to the roots of the herbage. The most suitable period for such works is the end of August — beginning of September, when the day and night temperatures are about the same, the sun’s rays are not so burning, and the time of night frosts has not yet come.
Tip: when choosing a verticutter, pay attention to the power of the engine — it determines the depth to which the knives of the machine can sink. In light electric models, the depth is 3-9 mm, in gasoline – up to 25 mm. it would Seem that for heavy soils, the most powerful models should be chosen, but the scarification of dense felt can be carried out with the help of a light budget machine, if you work in several methods, each time gradually increasing the depth of the mills.
Petrol verticutter Cub Cadet V40B is designed for the most demanding users. It treats the lawn with 34 knives and 32 springs of the comb at the same time. The engine capacity of 123 CC cutting Width 40 cm
Gasoline verticutter Cub Cadet V40B
The s 500 PRO (Husqvarna) scarifier is a reliable tool designed for large volumes of work. The efficiency of removing straw and moss from the lawn is achieved by a system of suspended knives and easy to start a powerful engine.
Scarifier S 500 PRO (Husqvarna)
Aerators
Aerator – design with a rotating shaft, on which the metal spokes. They pierce the dense soil crust to the lawn again ” breathed deeply.” Carrying out such a procedure, experts recommend to correlate with weather conditions: if the summer temperature is within the norm-every 3-4 weeks, if the heat crosses all boundaries-more often. But you can also use the economy version of aeration-to pierce the soil with a pitchfork or walk on the lawn in special sandals with nails on the sole.
The SV 415 E electric aerator (Stiga) is an eco-friendly tool with a processing width of 38 cm, equipped with two different operating mechanisms. Plastic garbage can is designed for 50 liters.
The VIKING LE 540 electric aerator is equipped with 7 double knives, which are connected in one step with a large control lever on the drive handle. It has excellent maneuverability thanks to the wheels mounted on double ball bearings. Foldable handle allows you to save space when storing the aerator.
Aerator LE VIKING 540
Aerator lawn electric ES 500 (GARDENA) has a capacity of 500 W and is designed for processing areas up to 600 m2.
Electric lawn aerator ES 500 (GARDENA)
Ideal, but at the same time and the most expensive option – aerator and verticutter “in one bottle.” Such a tool is equipped with two removable shafts: a shaft with steel knives for scarification and an aerator shaft with spring teeth.
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