Lumpy lawns
How to level your lawn -
Make sure you do not take on this project when the soil is sodden as this will severely compact your soil and make your task more difficult, however you also don’t want the lawn area too dry as this will it equally difficult. I always peg it out first with string which may sound a bit excessive but you are then able to see clearly which part you need to concentrate on. and make sure it is roughly level to begin with as this give you markers to go by when rolling.
If you are either seeding or turfing a new lawn it is a good idea to hire a roller and once you have levelled the lawn go backwards and forwards over the lawn once again. Do take care not to go backwards and forwards over the same lump repeatedly walk in one direction to the end and then back rather like a typewriter, ha that shows my age.
You will find that once you do this you will find dips and bumps you hadn’t realised you had.
To level the soil out add and remove soil as necessary to reach the level required. This is an ideal opportunity to improve your soil to maximise its potential with balancing the soil to encourage good root growth and maintain the water balance with soil analysis.
Once you have established a good sturdy level base for your new lawn you will need to then go over this with a rake to gently loosen the top soil for either the roots of your new turf to penetrate or for your seed to germinate in. This is by far the quickest way to level your lawn.
In an established lawn levelling is something that takes time and enthusiasm. Often grass seeds of rough grass will be blown in or be dropped by passing birds, these unwanted gifts need to be removed as they will never look good and could easily spread. If you have deep troughs and humps it is a good idea to carefully cut the lawn area affected and lift the top layer up. Then level the soil surface and treat with grass feed before firmly replacing the area of grass, water well and try to resist the urge to stamp it down.
If you have mild height discrepancies in your lawn this can be rectified with sharp sand which you can purchase from any DIY stores. You can apply this over the surface of the lawn which requires levelling over a period of weeks brushing it in so it doesn’t smother the grass. It may be a slow process but it is effective. If you have areas which are looking bare this can be an excellent opportunity to improve the appearance too.
What is Thatch?
This is the dead organic matter, leaves and grass cuttings which can if left create a thick layer on top of the soil layer. It makes the ground spongy underfoot which might sound good to walk on but isn’t for the lawn. This layer prevents air and moisture circulation at the soil level which means the grass becomes weakened and the old enemy moss can move in.
What is Scarifying?
This is the act of raking a lawn; it can be done either by hand or mechanically and can be done lightly or deeply. The deeper scarifying is done to remove the thatch which may have settled over winter or if your mower hasn’t been picking up as well as it should at the end of the summer season. It also disturbs a lot of unwanted grasses so they are unable to spread. A light rake over the lawn helps to lift the grass and prior to mowing to give a more level cut. The idea is not to scrape at the soil surface and damage the grass roots it is to remove excess debris at the ground level. If you are scraping up soil you are being too enthusiastic or are going to have to over seed as it will probably need it.
