Updated/Fact-Chacked on April 11, 2023 by John
Having a garden where you can enjoy the greenery or perhaps plant some of your favorite plants and fruits sounds heavenly. But it can turn from a place of relaxation into a place where you can easily trip and fall if the lawn is uneven. Also, bumpy lawns are unattractive and prevent you from enjoying relaxing walks on the grass. A perfect lawn is something to be proud of.
If you’re wondering how to solve this problem, think no more because you’re a few lines away from your solution. You don’t need to hire a professional gardener because the following steps are easy to understand and follow.
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5 Easy Steps To Level a Lawn:
1. Mow The Lawn
The first step to take in the process of levelling your lawn is to mow it. But make sure that you don’t cut the grass too short, or else the grass blades will become visible. Why should you care? Because if this happens, the grass would be so vulnerable and could easily die.
Mowing is an essential step because it helps you see the lowered and raised areas as you work. Plus, it facilitates applying topsoil to the ground, a step you’ll make later.
2. Examine The Thatch
Now we’re off to the second step, examining the amount of thatch at the grass’s roots. If you don’t know the thatch, it is a thin layer of decayed grass mixed with other organic material. You only need to remove it if it is taller than a quarter to ½-inch because this way, it will be challenging for the grass to get enough air and water.
There are two methods by which you can get this step done. One is by running a thatch rake over the surface of the lawn. The other and most recommended method is running a dethatching machine over it. Using a machine is surely easier, quicker, and more accurate.
3. Add The Mixture
There’s a magical mixture that you should add beneath the hollow areas under the grass. The mixture consists of two parts sand, two parts topsoil, and one part compost. It’s magical because the sand maintains the garden’s level, as it does not compress easily, and the soil and compost give your grass the nutrients it needs to grow healthily.
I use RHS sharp send to create my mixture
If there are parts of the grass deeper than two or three inches, you must completely remove the grass before filling the holes with the mixture. The easiest way to dig up the sod is by putting your shovel outside a low spot, sliding it down two or three inches so it reaches the roots, and then prying the grass with the shovel so you expose the dirt. Now that the hole is obvious fill it with the mixture and then put the grass back in its place.
4. Even Out The Lawn
I know you’re tired, but it is still not time to leave your shovel because once you’re done filling the lowest patches, you must use it to spread the mixture across the lawn. It is best to spread it to a depth of ¼ to ½ inches. If you add the mixture deeper than this, the grass may not get enough air and consequently die.
Apply the rest of the mixture evenly across the grass using a bow rake. Ensure not to cover the grass blades, or it will suffocate due to the lack of light. The safest thing to do is to use a push broom to push the mix into the soil at the grass base and keep the blades revealed so they soak the amount of light they need.
>> How to plant spring bulbs in your lawn
5. Water The Land
Congratulations on finishing all the challenging tasks. Now we’re off to the easy part, as it is time to water the lawn. Watering it right after adding the mixture is important because it helps the dressing mix with the grass and fills all air pockets.
Here Are Some of The Things That Cause Bumpy Lawns:
Uneven lawns can result from natural or human-made causes, as you’ll see in the following list.
- Animal digging
- Natural freezing and thawing
- A changed water flow due to installing new fences or sidewalks
- Pests and insects
- Poor care and irregular maintenance
Why Should You Level Your Lawn
Levelling the lawn reduces the risks of falling and tripping while watering your garden or enjoying your walk. So that is, of course, worth going over the above steps and trying to apply them. It is also essential because it makes your lawn easier to mow. If you mow an uneven lawn, it will result in an uneven mow, and you can see the vicious cycle!
>> Read how to plant a creeping thyme lawn
Important Tips to Consider:
There are specific tips to consider when levelling your yard. Let’s review the most important of these below.
- Do not level your lawn in winter or late fall because it will be challenging as the grass will be frozen. It is best to do this in spring, summer, or early fall.
- Fertilise your lawn yearly to keep it healthy.
- Dethatch and aerate the lawn and always check for insects and unwanted weeds.
- Wear gardening gloves when levelling to protect your hands from getting harmed.
- Make sure you don’t mind throwing the clothes you’re wearing after levelling.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you now believe that levelling out your yard by yourself is not that difficult. Once you understand the above steps and follow them thoroughly, you’ll find that it is a piece of cake.
Remember that you should always know the cause behind your lawn’s bumpiness and eliminate it. Otherwise, you’ll need to level out your lawn frequently, and you’ll be wasting your time.
Mary shares a passion for gardening with her husband John, though she is more focused on growing veg on their allotment at St. Margaret’s Allotments, Durham. Mary also works in the lawn care industry and manages the lawns for the Durham University campus.