Hello,
our lawn is a bit uneven. How can we level it? Is it possible to do this by hand, or do we need the landscapers to come back a second time?
A little background: The landscapers helped distribute the soil mounds that were created during construction and leveled the flat site. I have to say, it was pretty much perfectly flat. We then seeded the lawn (removed weeds, tilled the soil with a motor tiller, smoothed it with a rake, seeded the lawn, and rolled it). Now, after about 1.5 weeks, the soil is a bit uneven in some areas. I’m not exactly sure how this happened. Most likely, the soil settled more in certain spots after being loosened. Is this normal? I should mention that it rained heavily and frequently: on the first day we watered a bit (although it probably wasn’t even necessary since it rained that night), and since then, it has rained every day, so we stopped watering. The uneven spots were very visible because of the large puddles. The grass is definitely growing quickly.
I wanted to upload a picture, but the file is too large (just a photo from the iPhone). The “craters” aren’t very deep (roughly estimated: a few centimeters (inches)), but quite wide (about 2–3 meters (6–10 feet) or so). Do the landscapers need to come back with a small loader and equipment? I have to say, professional landscapers have already worked on it. Or can we fill the holes with soil? Perhaps use a long board as a straight edge to smooth it out? Do you have any ideas? Can this be done by ourselves? How?
Our soil is sandy, loose, and quite absorbent (yet puddles formed because we had a real downpour).
I would appreciate your input and advice.
Best regards
our lawn is a bit uneven. How can we level it? Is it possible to do this by hand, or do we need the landscapers to come back a second time?
A little background: The landscapers helped distribute the soil mounds that were created during construction and leveled the flat site. I have to say, it was pretty much perfectly flat. We then seeded the lawn (removed weeds, tilled the soil with a motor tiller, smoothed it with a rake, seeded the lawn, and rolled it). Now, after about 1.5 weeks, the soil is a bit uneven in some areas. I’m not exactly sure how this happened. Most likely, the soil settled more in certain spots after being loosened. Is this normal? I should mention that it rained heavily and frequently: on the first day we watered a bit (although it probably wasn’t even necessary since it rained that night), and since then, it has rained every day, so we stopped watering. The uneven spots were very visible because of the large puddles. The grass is definitely growing quickly.
I wanted to upload a picture, but the file is too large (just a photo from the iPhone). The “craters” aren’t very deep (roughly estimated: a few centimeters (inches)), but quite wide (about 2–3 meters (6–10 feet) or so). Do the landscapers need to come back with a small loader and equipment? I have to say, professional landscapers have already worked on it. Or can we fill the holes with soil? Perhaps use a long board as a straight edge to smooth it out? Do you have any ideas? Can this be done by ourselves? How?
Our soil is sandy, loose, and quite absorbent (yet puddles formed because we had a real downpour).
I would appreciate your input and advice.
Best regards
Thank you for your answers.
If this is normal and happens occasionally, it doesn’t really make sense to hire a landscape contractor. So there’s no need for large machinery like bulldozers, wheel loaders, or similar equipment. It’s probably more practical and cost-effective to do it by hand with rakes and such, especially if you have to do it several times.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to approach this? I was thinking of using a long board as a straight edge. What do you think? Any better suggestions?
Best regards
If this is normal and happens occasionally, it doesn’t really make sense to hire a landscape contractor. So there’s no need for large machinery like bulldozers, wheel loaders, or similar equipment. It’s probably more practical and cost-effective to do it by hand with rakes and such, especially if you have to do it several times.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to approach this? I was thinking of using a long board as a straight edge. What do you think? Any better suggestions?
Best regards
H
HilfeHilfe31 Jul 2017 10:22Galaxie schrieb:
Thank you for your replies.
If this is normal and occurs occasionally, it probably doesn’t make much sense to hire a landscaping contractor. So no need for large equipment like bulldozers, wheel loaders, or similar. More likely, it’s better to use rakes and similar tools by hand. This will probably be cheaper and more practical, especially if you have to do it several times.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to approach this? I was thinking of using a long board as a straightedge. What do you think? Any better ideas?
Best regardsSounds like your wife is putting pressure on you )
Mine is always complaining too, and I’m constantly leveling things out. Then she complains that there’s soil on the lawn. But without soil, nothing will be even. Lawn care is a tough lesson
B
Bieber081531 Jul 2017 13:12You should wait for a year now (and especially through a winter with frost). The ground will still settle. Later, you can fill in any depressions with a mixture of soil and sand/small gravel, and reseed the grass if needed. Otherwise, the grass will continue to grow through.
By the way, grass also raises the ground slightly over time... This is important to consider at the transition to paths or patios. You might want to keep this in mind when leveling.
Until then, regular mowing is the only important task (fertilizing in autumn may also be helpful).
By the way, grass also raises the ground slightly over time... This is important to consider at the transition to paths or patios. You might want to keep this in mind when leveling.
Until then, regular mowing is the only important task (fertilizing in autumn may also be helpful).
K
Knallkörper31 Jul 2017 13:26Conclusion: After piling and leveling non-native soil, it is advisable to wait for a heavy rainfall, as I mentioned before. Alternatively, watering with a hose can be used to achieve sufficient moisture, which is what we did.
Once the surface is dry again:
1. Rake smooth
2. Sow grass seed
3. Roll the soil
4. Sow grass seed again
5. Roll again
6. Water
Definition of watering: Apply enough water in several sessions so that the soil is moistened to a depth of at least 5 cm (2 inches), preferably 10 cm (4 inches). However, no puddles should form! If the watering is insufficient and only the top 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 inches) is damp, the grass will develop shallow roots and remain weak. The lawn can be watered twice daily during hot weather.
After four weeks, our landscaper asked where we had bought our turf. However, I already had a lot of experience with sowing grass seeds from a season job as a student!
P.S. Mowing: Start no earlier than four weeks after seeding, as thin shoots can be damaged by mowing. Mow at least once a week, twice during the peak growing season. Never cut more than half the height. The lower you mow, the more side shoots the grass produces, making the lawn denser.
Once the surface is dry again:
1. Rake smooth
2. Sow grass seed
3. Roll the soil
4. Sow grass seed again
5. Roll again
6. Water
Definition of watering: Apply enough water in several sessions so that the soil is moistened to a depth of at least 5 cm (2 inches), preferably 10 cm (4 inches). However, no puddles should form! If the watering is insufficient and only the top 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 inches) is damp, the grass will develop shallow roots and remain weak. The lawn can be watered twice daily during hot weather.
After four weeks, our landscaper asked where we had bought our turf. However, I already had a lot of experience with sowing grass seeds from a season job as a student!
P.S. Mowing: Start no earlier than four weeks after seeding, as thin shoots can be damaged by mowing. Mow at least once a week, twice during the peak growing season. Never cut more than half the height. The lower you mow, the more side shoots the grass produces, making the lawn denser.
Knallkörper schrieb:
3. Rolling
...
5. Roll againDo you have your own roller for that? Is there such an attachment available for lawn tractors?Similar topics