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  Classic Gardens February 19, 2009 at 8:40pm

  I bought a wolf machine, like pro said you can forget the bag just leave the chute open and follow with a rake. I can rate the wolf machine as one of the best i have used its light weight.
  
  I always leave all mine to do in feb so iam solid booked that month with scarifying, aerating and topdressing
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  steve loftus February 19, 2009 at 9:13pm

  top tip.....late feb-early march.......cut grass first,otherwise most of the box will be clippings,2-3-4 way scarify with box on,if two man team,no raking,just follow with the box mower,dress,seed bare areas,job done.
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  Graeme @ BGS February 19, 2009 at 10:20pm

  I always apply a feed after scarification as this greatly speeds the rate of grass recovery. Of course moss treatment a week before if required.
  
  Depending upon the requirements I would consider top dressing the lawn and if necessary over-seeding.
  
  And if really bad I would also core-aerated the lawn before top dressing making sure I pass over each area in three (3) separate directions and collect the cores not like Green Thumb.
  
  Forgot scarifying with the box on. Let the grass throw out the back and then blow and rake into piles and bag. Guess it all depends on the machine?
  
  Worth mentioning to the client(s) that the lawn will look a bit beaten up for a few weeks but it will soon recover and be all the better for it.
  
  A plus for us is that lawns are a joy to mow after have been scarified!
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  Graeme @ BGS February 20, 2009 at 3:23pm

  I scarified a lawn today and took Steve's advice regarding getting someone to follow behind - Saved alot of time. Thanks for the tip Steve.
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  Lawn in Glory Mark Mason February 20, 2009 at 4:33pm

  Phones finally woke from winter hibernation,hiring a machine is ok ,but always moss treat 10 -14 days before scarification ,3 directional passes creating the diamond effect ,we dont bother using boxes,blowers and mowers to clear up ,aeration as well ,feed seed always ,top dress if client can afford it .the volume of debris can be an issue,we bag up with jumbo soil bags ,on larger jobs 1000+ mtrs skip or grab truck
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  steve loftus February 20, 2009 at 11:34pm

  i still think you guys are early on the lawns,before scarifying,did anyone do any moss treatment??
  the problem with early dressing/seeding.its still a bit cold for the seed, try advanta mm50 for good all round results.glad to help graeme, done it that way for years now.
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  Graeme @ BGS February 20, 2009 at 11:50pm

  I think you are right Steve but I'm not yet top dressing and or seeding lawns for a few weeks. Only scarifying lawns that don't require major repair work.
  
  Have found that lawn feeds have rocketed in price over the last month or so. Will be using lawn sand (without moss kill) to bring the lawns back in colour and only £6 per bag compared to £20. Not quite the same as a general spring feed but will help perk them up quickly.
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  steve loftus February 21, 2009 at 12:32am

  sorry graeme,i thought lawn sand had sulphate of iron in it,or did you mean lawn dressing
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  Graeme @ BGS February 21, 2009 at 8:47am

  You can purchase Lawn Sand as a mix with no iron - you just have to make sure when ordering that you request non moss kill. Or of course you can mix it yourselve.
  
  I don't over rate lawn sand but it is great to give a little boost to the lawns for this time of the year particularly to give them a bit of colour. Will always apply a good spring feed a little later but then at a lower dose rate.
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  Graeme @ BGS February 21, 2009 at 9:43am

  Can I just stress that you must contact your amenity provider to get the correct mix. Do not purchase general lawn sand from garden centres etc. unless you want the moss kill side effect. In which case it would probably be better depending on where you live to delay putting this down for a few weeks.
  
  And not wishing to teach anyone to "suck eggs", lawn sand when it reaches the soil will stimulate grass shoot growth and also helps to 'green' the lawn and giving it a bit more vigour.