Improve Your Clay Soil Lawn - CRAZY PROOF from Fire Ants! 

4:55 he gets to his process, spray with a soil conditioner, coring, garden auger drill twelve inches down, mow and get the grass blades into the holes, spread compost or good quality dirt to replace the clay. Do this at least three times a year.

I should admit that you are one of the few gardening/composting/permaculture... channels that don't annoy me. Your narrative is really on the button and sincere. Thank you for your enthusiasm and the valuable experience on the topic. It seems that my 1 hectar land, which I will be living for the rest of my life, is full clay soil in a desert climate in san miguel de allende/MX and I am searching ways to change the nature to more fertile while lowering carbon footprint to give back to earth and after watching you I do have hope about doing it.

After fighting with clay soil and bad lawn care companies where I live, it was nice to see someone like you who actually gives great advice. Keep up the great work.

The science experiment you have going on, showing the real time difference in the soil color from the ants, is a highly underrated portion of this video

I get your excitement. My garden is on clay soil and I do sooooo much amendment and I am constantly adding compost! I get so excited when the clay soil turn from bright orange to dark brown and I see earth worms! Thank you for the video you are correct sir. I do a similar process and the clay really change. I use the fertilizer from my bokashi system and it work really well! It takes time and patience!

Thanks for the advice. Glad I’m not the only one who is obsessive about lawn condition. My wife is fed up of listening to me on the subject.

You need to make more content. This is awesome. I’ve been dealing with all the bs from clay soil for a year and I’m going to test all this next weekend. The tip about the drill and Tupperware. Genius sir.

Keep up the good fight my man.I started battling a slew (quantity and variety) of weeds in late 2019 and think I'm finally seeing results.Next step is battling the thick, soggy, always wet (from rain in south Louisiana) clay soil.Seems like an impossible task, but gotta start somewhere.Best of luck!

Love your passion I get it. I have 19 acres of this in 🇨🇦 and will doing this. I now have hope for this crappy land ♥️. Thanks!

The clay is so bad in my garden in the uk you can make bricks and pots with it. You could use it to line a pond. Its so sticky it sticks to a shovel, makes digging bloody inpossible. In the summer it bakes as hard as concrete

Suffered with a waterlogged clay lawn for the past year, just put a few drains in looking forward to trying these methods and eventually seeing results

You just answered all my question about clay soil. I hope to see results in a few months. It is a lot of hard work for over an acre of land....

This was so helpful! Thank you 🙏🏾

Cheese and Rice, I’ve never waited so long for such little content. Less talk. Mucho gracias

Hello Sir and Everyone. Thank you for posting this great video displaying the beautiful results of correcting a lawn that sits on hard clay. I have been aerating, removing the clay cores, top dressing working the compost soil down into the cores, overseeding, applying a starter fertilizer and lightly watering after this specific order and I must say this process certainly does work. I had super heavy sticky clay underneath the lawn. The new home construction has severely compacted the clay soil around here but I have finally seen results since starting this process about 4 years ago of doing the above specific process to the lawn here in the west GTA (Toronto). I first began to see results just after the two year mark. It is very rewarding to see results of the lawn. The ground is no longer hard to the touch and quite easy to insert a screwdriver into the lawn. I aerate in the spring and fall given the amount of heavy clay here. Prior to aerating the water would simply sit/pool on the lawn itself not being able to penetrate into the soil/roots. As soon as I noticed that, I decided to take action. My lawn is also now much more drought resistant remaking green throughout the summer watering once or twice a week if no rain and barely have weed growth. When it rains, the water no longer pools and makes it way down into the lawn. Keep in mind also, trees root system in the lawn also benefit of core aeration. Education is certainly key pertaining to ones lawn keeping it beautiful. I have yet to try the deep core aeration step and the liquid aeration treatment however I just know it will only further improve the soil underneath the lawn. Having said this, the above process I have mentioned has certainly improved my lawn greatly.

Great, great advice here! I did a very similar plan with my front yard last year, and it has totally changed the yard. I wish I'd seen your video because I'd definitely have included the deep core integration! That's a great idea. The way I've explained core aeration + top dressing backfill is that those vertical columns become like expansion joints when the clay expands and contracts with the summer rains. As that clay expands and contracts (and now has somewhere to go), it breaks itself apart, which then fosters (!nd is furthered enhanced by) plants rooting action. It is these two things that truly fix the lawn That said, that speaks to your point about the need for a multiple passes because those vertical columns break up pretty quickly especially early on in the process. Great stuff, man. Great lawn, too. Subscribed!

I totally understand your excitement. I really enjoyed this man. Makes me feel less crazy. But I odly have been doing this without a auger bit part in my new house here I just moved into. But I had a good time relating to you my guy. Bout to watch all your videos lol

This is excellent. Thank you

I have clay soil and I use the auger to dig holes to plant bushes etc. It works like a charm.

You are very inspirational!

I have red clay too. I've been treating the garden bed 3 years now. It's def a long term project, but it's worth it

Paul i watched your vids about core integration, & want to thank you as i been doing this and it works great i took it a step above currently using a 24” deep by 4” spiral and drilling down and then adding organic matter this is the best way to amend your clay soil thanks pal.👍

This looks amazing! Thanks for the tips! We’re putting in landscaping ourselves soon, and I’m trying to gather all the tips for clay soil that I can. What a great, informative video!

Thank you so much for the video. Seems like ot of hard work but will give it a try.

Looks great. I don't live in the south or have Clay soil. My son lives in Valdosta he has sandy garbage soil and no rain.

I planted 150 bulbs in the main front lawn this year. It has heavy brown clay soil. I added lots of amendments as I went, part leftover potting soil, part handfuls of leaves. I hope that helps. I do want to open other narrow holes nearby to fill with potting mix to cut down on the risk of flooding the bulbs.

No way ! I just ordered a tulip planter with this idea in mind. I turned a portion of my grass with a pitch fork because the grass wont grow and it's hard as rock.. I discovered that the grass sits on its mulch layer and never composts because that clay creates a super hard barrier. Those worms go elsewhere to live. So yesterday I used a garden fork to pry it open and added a bit of sand. I ordered a tulip auger cause I thought geeze I need to remove really big plugs and add organic matter. Never thought of grass clippings and compost but of course you want that ! Thank you so much !

I've always liked to see toadstools, dicondra and clover pop up in my yard. When they pop up it means I have good, nutrient rich soil.

Your wifes got a gem! Haha im annoyed by the clay soil in our backyard, but were renting so amending that soil is not worth the work haha. Saving this vid for future use thank you!

Thanks for this!! I live in South Texas and it is horrible for grass. I'm going to cheat a little and till my how yard only 1200sqft add organic compost, sand, and top soil. Then follow this step like I would for a weed and feed program. Appreciate you sharing!!

great advice.

If I clay soil, I would try it. Great video.

Good video thank you

Great video!

Please make more videos on the lawn i need help with my yard

Really good work. I have similar issue but its over my drip field for septic , so can't use the deep auger (unless im really careful to be sure to locate the hoses before drilling so I dont accidently rupture them!)

You should be doing infomercials for lawn improvement. I'm only at 4:30 into it, and I'm going to make some popcorn to munch on while I watch the finale 👍

There is a business opportunity in bad soil. One of my neighbors built a beautiful home, but I was disappointed with how his lawn was handled. His landscaper simply put sod over his red clay. With a lot of work, mostly chemicals, his lawn looks fine. But I couldn't help but wonder how much easier his lawn upkeep would be if that red clay had processed and a layer of good topsoil put down. People in landscaping might consider also doing soil conditioning, particularly for new homes, turning bad soil into good. Their clients would love them.

Great video. Nicely done and packed with practical info and steps. I have a question: "Are you familiar with John & Bob's organic soil amendments and, if so, what is your opinion?" I have been using them for about 18 months, seeing some results, but rather pricey.

Amazing

Problem is, I don’t have two years! I import my compost and pay dearly for it. I’ve gone to individual raised beds framed in so I can control how much compost I use and for adequate drainage. Bordered raised beds seem to help with disease, bad insect migration and erosion. Wood frames also allow for inexpensive cold frame covers and use as needed. Red clay here as well and amend with bio grow, lime pellets, peat, manure and mushroom compost. I use 10-10-10 for my open crops like corn. I monitor my Ph by sending off samples to Virginia Tech for my Ph analysis. I’m trying to maintain 6-6.5

I have clay soil that was hard growing grass. Moved into a subdivision about 3 years ago and found my soil's pH was about an 8. Have spent the last two years lowering it to about a 7.1, hoping to get better uptake of fertilizer at a lower pH. Soil tests have shown my macros and my micros improving over time. Hadn't aerated my lawn in a year and will do so this year. This is slow changes but I'm trying to drive grass growth through root depth and growth help break up the clay along with peat moss as a top dressing help ? Help please. Just ran across your channel.

I have Blackland Prairie clay as a soil type and I have a couple of questions: How far apart do you do the deep core integration holes? How far apart should I do the aeration holes if I'm using a manual core aerator? How thick do you lay the topdressing after aeration? If I want to overseed some microclover over my existing lawn, would it be best to do this after I complete the 5 steps? Thank you, your videos are very informative.

I subscribed im really trying to get grass to grow in our horrible clay dirt here i know I have alot to do as we have really high ph and alkali levels and we havent had grass in years only weeds

That is a damn pretty fire ant nest. They'll make some excellent organic material.

Thank you so much for the detailed steps and information. Very helpful. The only question I have is should/could I add sand to the compost to help balance the clay in my soil? If so, how much should I add?

Sometimes it's just best to start over. Just add 3 inches of mushroom compost and silica sand mix right on top of the existing lawn and level it. Then seed

Lime is very important too.

Milorganite is a good product for building up the soil as well.

Great Advice, definitely considering the 5 step process mentioned in the video. I ve got some questions. Apologize if what I am curious about already has been answered. Q1: when core aerating do you remove the plugs or leave? Q2: deep core aeration, do you remove the clay soil prior to adding top dress. I am assuming the idea is to get a top quality soil into the areas removed form core an deep aeration. Any help answering would be appreciated. Great Concept - over time I feel in following this particular process will help soil composition. I do understand adding 3’ of a good soil and till. However if you already have money tied up in establishing a lawn this is a great alternative. Anyways Cheers,

Can you please use the drill bit to drill as deep as possible and show us what the soil looks like 20 inches deep?

Use a spike aerator every time you mow for two seasons and seed the barren spots. You'll have a lush yard *even* in red clay. I know, because followed that process at my old house on a clay mound.

Great video! Are you raking or sweeping the cores off the lawn before you mow? So is it core aerate-sweep-mow-compost?

How far apart are you drilling the deep core holes? And what are you doing with the hard clay that comes out of the holes?

That’s great and all… I believe what you’re saying. But what are you treating that side of your yard with??

There was a gardener decades ago who recommended spraying dish soap on your lawn to condition it. Never tried it.

I got distracted by the little dog! lol

New here. Last year a rotor tiller to try and level/regrow grass but seems to just be all dirt and hard dirt. I recently threw down clover and nothing seems to be growing. Do you suggest these same methods?

lol my soil is so hard the drill just ate up the augar bit.

How often can you drill holes? I mean, if you have a large yard, it would need some work if you want to do it at once, right? Can I do drilling of some spot one weekend, another spot another weekend and go in that way through all the season from early spring to late autumn?

I can’t locate your resources page. How do I find it? I have about 1/3+ acre lawn that is clay. Drives me crazy. I’ve done some core aeration (4” auger) as deep as I can go, maybe 12” and filled with mulch. It’s been about a year with no results that I can tell. I e also done some core aeration. Thoughts? Love your videos. Thank you!

like many, I just stumbled across your vid here. Should I rake up those aeration cores before mulch mowing or should I just mow over the yard cores and all? I'm in southern MS close enough to the gulf for part of my yard to be sandy and the bulk of it to still be clay. That is going to be a real challenge for me.

Wow! What difference in your yard. I’m certain I’ve never seen a black ant hill before. That core aeration machine is too heavy for me to handle, is there any possible alternative?

Love your videos sir and the philosophy behind it: long time process, grind, consistency...👍 Got a question : after the core aeration do you discard the bits of clay soil ? What do you do with them ? And for a good over seeding ( after the 5 steps of course) what would be a good tactic? Thanks a lot Patrick.

The concept is correct. But it would take less time initially to just break up the ground with a tractor and chissle empliment. Then plant buck wheat. After that 50 days plant grass seed. Mix in a 30% white clover seed.

'Not because of the fire ants ... They're gonna have to die' HAHAHAHAHA

Is it not duplicitous to core area and then to go back over it with a deeper core aerating drill? I thought the idea was to have are go down the holes so the soil could get oxygen....

Thank you for nice and hopeful presentation. I have one question: Assuming you did this process 2-3 separate times; then do you know that the “clay nature” of that area has changed to sort of loamy soil for good? Or is it possible the clay soil in few years creeps back to take over that treated area?

Now, what do you do to get rid of the ants?

After aerating, did you clean up the cores or just leave them? I need to start this process myself. Also have you ever experimented with sand over topsoil or even maybe a mixture?

What spacing would recommend between the larger drilled holes, to get nice even results? 1ft?

Does anyone know at what point would I add grass seed

I’ve got a 9” auger bit. Is that deep enough to amend my clay soil, or should I get a longer one? Just getting started in this process to restore some areas of heavily impacted soil.

Thank you!!! My home is about 2 years old. We recently just bought it. The front is turf and the back is seed on clay solid and I’m excited to try these steps. How thick should the top soil be?

Hey, I just randomly found your videos and really like them. Sorry for the question perhaps I missed it or wasn't paying attention but what state are you located in? I am in EAST TN and have a new construction home, literally moved in March of this year. The grass they threw down was just to get CO basically and heavy spring rains going into this scorching summer has made my yard clay concrete. Hard to get a flat head into the ground. I enjoy the word and seeing the end product. I suppose I should start with your process. Though I am losing all my grass I know I should wait until fall to seed but isn't too early to start mending the soil is it?

Just dump 3" of compost on top of it, till it in and reseed, get it done all at once instead of waiting around for 2 years.

Dirt Doctor/ Howard Garrett says Treat the soil with Dry molasses will take care of the fire ants, and feed the soil microbes. From his library. Treat the site. Apply beneficial nematodes. These are living organisms and must be used before the expiration date on the package. These are best for high viability areas. They will also control other insect pests, or apply dry molasses at 20 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft.

Do you leave the plugs on the surface or do you remove them for the mulch to take their place?

plant Dikon radishes and leave them rot. They will put holes

What if you have sand, in florida?

Are you removing the clay soil plugs and mounds leftover from the drilling?

Do you have a septic drain field here? I wonder if this kind of soil transformation is good or bad for the drain field.

1:50 No offense, but I SO Seriously thought that was a rabbit XD

also fireants till the soil lol

If you live in any of the northern states, don't try to aerate in the winter.

Real quick means wait until 5 minutes into the video to finally learn what i need

Paul, appreciate this here in my Carolina Red Clay region. Can you give us some more on the deep coring with the bulb auger, you suggest a depth but what kind of spacing between holes do you target for your general rule of thumb? You mention top dressing with a compost, and I have access to some decent compost through our county’s waste management, can you discuss when to top dress, what rate of compost per square foot and do you have a suggestion for delivery of that compost, similar to how you discussed the core aeration devices and equipment, how can I mechanically distribute that compost? Thank you sir, very helpful. Death to those fire ants

I am currently working on my new yard....I have a 35hp tractor with a 5ft rotor tiller... my plan is to rotor till the ground....put 2 inches of sand. And 4 inches of compost over the area and rotor till again to mix the soil. Then seed with peat moss seed mix on top.....p.s. I have never done this before and I love in Central British Columbia, Canada. Any advice or objections on this plan of action?

Don't auger bits(deep core integration) and core aeration do essentialy the same thing? Extract soil.

Potting soil is king for filling the plugs

Please look up Dr. Elaine Ingham here on RU-vid. She's a microbiologist soil expert.

Your dog does some primary tillage too, yeah?

I think it may also be the dog...

Is there an organic use for the clay plugs? Are they good for anything?

What part ofthe country are you located?

Grass won’t grow in my clay soil unless there’s a inch or two of good dirt spread first. Gardening is almost impossible.

7:56 😂😂😂

How many waiting for the dog to squat down and take a dump on camera?

Question? If my compacted clay lawn, has a 1/2 in layer of thatch, should I de-thatch it first BEFORE doing Step 1 - the Liquid aeration? Also, if the lawn has bare patches, do you seed after Step 5, which is putting back that top-soil? Thanks so much. You are giving me hope and excitement that I can finally fix my lawn MYSELF. I

Where is the clay you dig out? Making bricks?😄