A lawn roller is a tool that every avid gardener should own. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to have one – you can make one yourself. And it’s very simple!
Garden rollers in DIY stores cost from 100 zł upwards. However, you do not have to overpay. You can make the tool yourself – not only will you save money but you will also use the waste in a useful way. The garden roller is useful for every gardener because it levels and aerates the lawn. Find out how to make your own lawn roller inexpensively and ecologically
How does a lawn roller work?
Depending on the type, lawn rollers have different functions. However, their main job is to level the surface of the lawn. Working with a roller allows you to eliminate gaps and bumps, which are caused by voles and moles that drive gardeners crazy. A turf roller is also useful if you have used a ready rolled turf in your garden – rolling will help to stabilize the turf. However, even if you have naturally sown the grass, the roller is useful for levelling the area and then pressing the seeds into the soil so that they are not blown away by the wind and are distributed evenly. Overall, the lawn roller is therefore useful in all lawn care activities that are designed to extend the life of the lawn and create a beautiful visual effect
By levelling the soil, you can also assess where your lawn needs strengthening – e.g. with additional fertilizer, another layer or… aeration
A few words about aeration
Lawn rollers with spikes are used for aerating the lawn. Aeration involves pricking the surface of the lawn and can also be done using other tools, such as a pitchfork, but this is far more laborious and time-consuming work. Aeration allows oxygen and water to penetrate the root system of the grass. Plowing is also useful for fertilising the lawn – the fertiliser will penetrate deeper and more quickly, thus delivering nutrients exactly where they are needed
However, it is important to remember that aeration should only be carried out for the first time two years after sowing the lawn. To avoid damaging the soil, the surface must be moist but not wet. Therefore, you cannot prick the turf immediately after raining or watering it heavily
What is the lawn roller made of?
The garden roller can be made of really any material, as long as it will properly load the soil. There are rollers on the market made of stone, plastic, steel… and even wood
Your own lawn roller, however, is most quickly prepared from concrete mortar and a piece of sheet metal. The sheet should be rolled into the shape of a pipe, and then its edges welded. Turn the structure so prepared to the vertical position, and insert a tube of any diameter – it will be a place for the element of the drawbar. The space between the metal sheet and the central tube should be poured with concrete mortar, preferably fast-setting. After 2 days, when the center of the cylinder has set, you can turn it back to the horizontal position and pour water over it for 7 days until it is safe to use. The final step is to make the drawbar – you put a metal rod through the center tube and then weld it to the steel sections. If you want your roller to be used for aeration as well, you’ll need to forge metal spikes on the surface of the sheet metal.
Main photo: cottonbro/pexels.com
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