Water The Entire Lawn
The final step is to generously water the whole yard. A fresh watering will allow the topsoil to sink into the grasss roots and provide it with the nutrients it needs to recover from the leveling project.
The yard is your pride and joy, so when it gets uneven, its a bit of a disappointment. An unlevel yard isnt just unsightly, though, and it can lead to drainage issues and other damages. Luckily, you dont have to let a bumpy yard get you down. With our tips for leveling your yard, it will be even and pristine in no time.
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Tips To Level Your Backyard In 2022
Its an exciting time when you get to the stage of planning to install new turf and this is no doubt the type of process you want to do once and do right.
Its an exciting time when you get to the stage of planning to install new turf and this is no doubt the type of process you want to do once and do right.
Some homeowners choose to level their backyards intermittently for the healthy maintenance of their lawn, but for the purpose of this article, we refer to leveling your backyard with the intention of laying new instant turf.
Whether you have selected Nullarbor Couch turf, Kikuyu grass, Tiftuf Bermuda, Sir Walter Buffalo grass or otherwise, a critical step in achieving an optimal, healthy, long lasting lawn is leveling your backyard successfully.
Here are 10 tips to level your backyard for the best instant grass outcome
Getting Rid Of Lawn Lumps
Subtle lawn lumps can be rectified by topdressing around them. The big bumps that catch on the bottom of your mower call for bigger interventions.
Take a very sharp knife and cut a huge H shape in the lawn. The up and down lines of your H should run either side of the bump, the crossbar needs to be right across the middle of it.
Youve created two flaps, starting in the middle of the bump, peel each flap backwards. Use your knife to sever the grass roots but leave as much soil as possible attached to each turf.
Remove excess soil and check the level. Return the flaps of turf to their original position, and but the edges up together. You may need to trim them to fit. Water well and keep the soil moist until the grass has rooted back in.
To check for rooting, tug on the plants. If the whole sod lifts up, the roots arent quite ready for you to stop watering. If you get a handful of grass, your work is complete.
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Check The Ph Level Of Your Lawn
If you are planning to level your lawn with topsoil or compost, you really should check the pH level of your lawn as any time you add new content into the soil it can change the pH level.
Most grass types prefer a pH level that is close to neutral and most specialist lawn topsoils or composts will be designed with this in mind.
You should check the pH of your soil any time you are going to carry out any major work on it as you really dont want to alter the pH level too much as this could have a severely detrimental effect on the health of your lawn.
By Jennifer Noonan and Teresa Odle and Bob Vila | Updated Nov 22, 2021 7:36 PM
A yard with lumps and bumps is not only unattractive but also a potential safety hazard with ample opportunity to cause trips, falls, and sprained ankles. Many events can cause an uneven yardincluding drainage issues, leaks in pipes lying beneath the surface, and lawn pests like grubs or moles disturbing the root structure of the turfbut none need to derail your landscaping efforts altogether.
Improper grading also can lead to problems with a homes foundation or basement. Before you start working to level your lawns surface, troubleshoot the underlying problem so it doesnt reoccur in the future. Then tackle these steps for how to level a yard to turn your lawn into the smooth, lush, green landscape youve always wanted.
How Youshould Level Your Lawn
Similar to all other jobs in the garden, every home will be different and not every lump and bump will be the same from garden to garden. Some lawns will only need a small amount of work to even out their surface, while others might require a bit more effort! To make things easy, we have outlined our top tips on levelling out smaller bumps and larger ones separately.
Levelling smaller dips in your lawn
Levelling larger dips in your lawn
If you have deeper and more hollow dips in your lawn, these will require a bit more attention to detail. Before you start trying to level off a hollow dip, always make sure that your soil is quite moist, this will make the whole process much easier. Take your shovel and cut through the soil surface to create an X mark. With your square shovel, push it beneath the surface of the soil and begin to lift back each section of the cross. If your lawn is dipped in this area, you will need to add topsoil under the sections that you have peeled back. Always make sure that the new topsoil is pressed down to ensure that it wont dip again. If your lawn is raised, then you will need to remove the soil under the cross-section. Once you have added or removed topsoil, place the original sections back on top and flatten them down. You might need to overseed these sections, so to do that, just follow our steps on how to overseed a lawn.
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How Much Does It Cost To Level A Yard
Hiring a professional landscaping service to level your yard will range in cost depending on the size of the project. If only a small portion of your lawn needs to be leveled, for example, the cost of the landscaping services will likely fall between $500 and $1,000. A whole yard that has major sloping issues could cost as much as $5,000.
Ready To Make Your Lawn Picture
Now that you have read this article, you are armed with all of the knowledge you need to rectify any less-than-perfect patches of your lawn. The result will be a flawless green area that will increase the look of your home.
If, however, you dont quite have the time that needs to be dedicated to the resurrection mission, there are plenty of people who can help! From simple lawn mowing to turf laying, repair and general lawn care maintenance, youll find a host of skilled lawn experts who can help to create the grass of your dreams. You can also get help with lawn fertilisation, aeration, and seeding, so there is no excuse for a shabby lawn!
If, on the other hand, you do have the time to dedicate to your garden, why stop at your lawn? We have a range of other helpful articles that will stir your inner-green thumb. The bonus being they help increase the looks and enjoyment of your home! Read about our courtyard design ideas, backyard improvements and front garden ideas to boost that curb appeal. If you love being out in the garden, there is no shortage of DIY tips and ideas that will significantly change your outdoor aesthetic.
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The Best Time Of Year To Level A Lawn
Regardless of which method you use to level a lawn, it would be best if you did so when the grass is actively growing, so avoid the winter when grass enters a dormancy.
Spring is a good time, as is early autumn.
You can level a lawn in the summer, but you may need to water it regularly afterwards if theres no rain.
How To Level A Lawn Like A Homeowner
If you are a homeowner with a lawn, you already know that uneven areas in the lawn do not look good.
Worse still, they can also be a hazard to children, pets, and anyone who steps in an uneven dip.
Luckily, the process of leveling a lawn is very simple and your reward will be a beautiful lawn free of uneven dips.
This guide will show you how to level a lawn with limited tools and supplies. So you arent left taking out a second mortgage on your home simply to purchase tools and equipment.
Here is how to level your lawn, like a homeowner.
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How To Level Shallow Bumps
Fortunately, if you only have small hollows or a few molehills to deal with, then the process of levelling your lawn is quite simple.
All you need to do is spread a thin layer of top dressing over the grass, using a combination of 75% top soil mix and 25% compost as described above. You can use a lawn spreader to make the process more efficient if you have a large lawn. Work the mixture in with a large garden rake, ensuring to fill in any bumps in the lawn.
To help the top dressing settle, you can give it a light watering to give it some weight and help flatten the grass. Avoid walking on the lawn while its still wet to avoid creating more lumps in the lawn.
Alternatively, if you have small bumps, you could consider using a lawn roller to flatten the ground quickly. However, doing so can cause issues with soil compaction, so you need to be careful top dressing is often the best way to level a slightly uneven lawn.
Why Should You Level A Lawn
An adequately leveled lawn is key to having a happy and healthy lawn. Having a level lawn makes it easier to mow as your lawnmower wont be scalping the tops of the dirt. Also, having uneven dips can cause the mower blades to go too low, making the grass cut very unevenly.
Dips and holes in your lawn can also collect standing water, which can cause rot and other lawn diseases. So there are several reasons why you should keep your yard as level and even as possible.
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Check For Water Or Gas Lines
Before you can start to level your yard you need to make sure that you know where any water pipes or gas lines are running through your lawn. If you dig in the wrong spot, you can damage these fixtures, which can cost thousands of dollars in materials and labor to repair. It’s important to be prepared so that the process of leveling your yard goes as smoothly as possible.
Can You Level A Yard By Yourself
Yes, you can usually level a yard on your own if you have the proper equipment and the sunken areas are not too extensive. Leveling your own lawn is simple, provided you take the steps outlined here. If you find that you have major drainage issues occurring in your yard, you might want to consult with a professional landscaping service. Its professional landscapers can help you troubleshoot problems so you can perform the ideal lawn care solutions.
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What Causes Lawn Bumps
Before trying to fix an uneven lawn, you first need to figure out what is causing the lumps in the first place. Removing the cause is an integral part of finding a long-term solution. The most common reason for bumpy lawns is water and drainage problems. Standing water can pool up and damage the integrity of your grass.
Similarly, if you have a sprinkler system, that can be the culprit too. Sprinkler system pipes can burst and leak, causing lumps to appear on the surface. One way you can diagnose this problem is to check any sprinkler heads and fixtures. Check for low water pressure and make sure that the sprinkler heads are coming up all the way. Also, check to see that the nozzles are not clogged or damaged.
Natural ground movements can also cause a bumpy lawn. Over time, dirt naturally shifts can settle in uneven ways. This is unavoidable and will happen to any lawn, given enough time. Heavy rainfall can accelerate this process, as well as freezing in cold climates.
Lastly, bumps and divots can be caused by burrowing animals such as badgers, gophers, insects, and even domestic animals such as dogs.
What Is Top Soil And How To Use It On Your Lawn
Primarily, topsoil is used for top-dressing lawn areas. This helps to create a more level and smooth area and fills in any holes in the turf.
Written by: Annette Hird
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A beautifully lush green lawn is what almost every homeowner strives for. Not only does it look great and makes your home more appealing but its also a functional area for your kids and pets to play.
However, when your lawn looks a little tired and worn, topdressing with some new topsoil is one of the ways that you can rejuvenate it and bring it back to its former glory.
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How To Find Uneven Spots In Your Lawn
Use a level or a piece of 8-foot lumber with strings attached on each end to find the low and high spots in the lawn.
Pro Tip: As you level the lawn, make sure that water always flows away from your foundation. A slope or grade of at least 1/8 per foot away from your house is best.
How To Level Deep Bumps And Hollows
If you have even larger holes in your grass, you can attempt the method described above, going to each individual hole and filling it in manually.
However, if you have an extremely bumpy lawn, it may be more efficient to remove the lawn entirely, flatten the soil, and then re-turf or spread grass seed on your garden.
With the soil removed, it will be fairly easy to level the ground using a rake, ensuring to stomp on it afterwards to ensure it doesnt sink later on. Then you can re-lay the sod for a perfectly flat lawn.
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Is Rolling Your Lawn A Good Idea
The reason rolling a lawn is a bad idea is because it compacts the soil. … Pores will help the soil maintain the right amounts of water and oxygen, which are crucial for growing a beautiful lawn. If the soil is too compacted, roots can decompose as they become waterlogged when the soil won’t drain.
What Topdressing To Use When Levelling A Lawn
But first things first. What kind of topdressing material should you use to level out your lawn?
Well, there are different mixtures available on the market, of course. What our experience shows, however, is that filling small dips and low spots in your turf with 1:2:2 of compost, topsoil and sand works best. This is a universal topdressing mix that is suited for any type of soil. You can also try using topsoil mixed with sand, or a mixture of compost and sand. Dont be tempted to use sand alone to fill depressions and dips. Sand has no nutrients whatsoever and overseeding the bare patch afterwards wont be a success.
Note that you can add your grass seeds to the topdressing material or disperse them over, once youre done with the levelling.
Check this out!:
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How Do You Level A Ground With A 2×4
Tools To Level A Lawn
If you want to level your lawn, you will need certain tools and equipment.
The basic equipment that you need includes the following:
Ive included links above to products I recommend.
The leveling rake is a great tool and it is used by many different golf courses because it works really well. It can help you spread out leveling materials such as soil and it helps you remove stones and rocks and break up clumps of soil. It will leave you with a very smooth surface and its easier to use than your ordinary yard tools.
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How To Level A Lumpy Lawn
Over time, the soil beneath your lawn will move and settle, leaving you with hills, hollows and undulations. Here are my tips on how to level a lumpy lawn.
To get that perfect bowling-green look, the surface of your lawn must be smooth. Doesnt matter if it slopes slightly to help with drainage, but it must be free from lumps and bumps.
Youll find too, that a lumpy lawn can lead to all sorts of problems with mowing. The hillocks are more likely to be scalped by the mower. Not only will this blunt your blades, it opens up the sward to let in weeds and diseases.
In contrast, dips in the lawn become obvious when the grass within them is slightly longer than the rest of the lawn. Theres a noticeable difference in colour.
Prepare Your Soil Mix
After you’ve mowed and prepped your lawn, the next thing you’ll need to do to level your yard is to prepare your soil mix. You will need to make a mixture out of sand, topsoil, and compost. This kind of mixture will serve as the base of your lawn and does not compact easily. Make sure that you use gloves when making your topsoil mixture.
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