lawn care - Knowledgebase Question

New London, Co
Avatar for mleematta
Question by mleematta
February 25, 2010
my back yard is so full of ruts and mounds you could sprain your ankle walking. what is underneath that i need to get rid of?


Image
Answer from NGA
February 25, 2010
Soil can compact and/or sink due to foot traffic, underground mole or gopher tunnels or because of old tree roots. You should be able to level out the lawn without doing any excavating. Probably the least expensive solution is to spread top soil over the low spots to help level the yard. You can spread it right over any grass that is growing in these areas. The grass will eventually grow through the topsoil. If you want it to green up sooner you can broadcast grass seeds over the top soil. I've tackled a similar project and it isn't too difficult except for hauling the top soil (I used a wheelbarrow). I used a shovel to drop soil over the low spots, raked it around and then checked the level by dragging a 6' 2"X4" over the lawn. When I was satisfied I had filled in all the holes and ruts, I reseeded, sprinkled a thin layer of peat moss over the reseeded areas to help keep the grass seeds moist. Grass will sprout in 7-10 days if kept from drying out. In 4-6 weeks your lawn should look great. Best wishes with your lawn!

You must be signed in before you can post questions or answers. Click here to join!

« Return to the Garden Knowledgebase Homepage

Member Login:

( No account? Join now! )

Today's site banner is by Baja_Costero and is called "Euphorbia"

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.