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by Steven Ooms on 10/05/2010















by Nico Waegebaert on 04/03/2011
Interview with Nico Waegebaert held on 4 March at Otegem I bought my DZC 550 in August 2010, and in the six months following my purchase I was able to overseed at least twenty-five lawns. Thanks to my machine I was able to rejuvenate several dried lawns after the dry post-summer period. Read more With the high costs involved in laying a brand new lawn, overseeding is a good alternative and the option of choice of many lawn owners. I think the principle of overseeding offers good promise. I am familiar with ELIET machines and the DZC 750 went on my wish list as soon as it was launched, but I immediately took the step when the budget-friendlier DZC 550 came to the market. Its benefits? It is a simple, uncomplicated machine. You get a perfect feel for how it works in just a few hours. Its limited width provides you easy access in small corners, and it does a perfect job. The hydrostat is a must – it is crucial for operating at the right speed. I have done 25 hours of work with it and haven’t noticed any wear on the blades. So what they say about the permanently sharp blades is true. I would recommend proper preparation of the soil. For instance: the ground must be quite level – the surface structure has to be reasonably intact. It is much easier when the soil is well-prepared. Also, there’s no use in working a wet lawn: you won’t get good results. The best results are achieved from sowing on a dry lawn. It is also important to choose a good quality seed mix, suitable for overseeding. I use the coated Barendbrug rapid mix and add seed of the type of grass already growing in the lawn. I quickly got the hang of setting the seed flow on the machine. Depending on the soil, I usually set the blades to work at a depth of 15 to 20 mm. It is important that the seed falls approximately 5 mm into the soil. Obviously you cannot control that completely, but you do learn how to check it. You basically need to operate the machine only three to four hours to fully understand how it works and get the most out of it. Tip: Avoid the use of steam to clean the machine! I thought I’d use a steam cleaner to properly clean my machine, only to find out that the felt layer on the inside cover of the seed container sucks up the water from the steam, and it then takes quite a long time for it to dry. If the felt is wet, the seed tends to stick to it, making it hard to sow accurately. Nico Waegebaert Waegebaert Gardens D.Vanhautestraat 46, Vichte














