Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Level bumps with a garden roller
• Method 2 of 2: Apply a top coat on the lawn
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities
• Level bumps with a garden roller
• Apply a top coat to the lawn

A bumpy lawn can be tricky to mow and you can trip if you don't pay attention to your step. If you have bumps and holes in your lawn, you can easily level and fill them. A garden roller helps to make bumps smaller by compacting the soil. You can also use garden soil to fill in any holes. When you are done you will have a flat and even lawn.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Level bumps with a garden roller

1. Treat your lawn with a garden roller once a year to avoid over-compacting the soil. Rolling a garden roller over your lawn will compress the soil and roots will be less likely to grow if the soil is too compacted. Treat your lawn with a garden roller once a year in the spring to prepare for the remainder of the growing season. EXPERT TIP

   Buy or rent a garden roller from a garden center. A garden roller is a large cylinder that you can pull over your lawn to level out any spots that are too high. Check out garden centers and hardware stores in your area to see what types of garden rollers they have. Ask if you can rent a garden roller for the day so you don't have to buy one.

   • A steel garden roller is heavier and levels your lawn better, but it is more difficult to control.
   • A polyurethane garden roller is lighter and easier to move, but it is less strong and can have holes in it.

   Tip: you can buy a garden roller that you can attach to a ride-on mower if you have a large lawn or you can buy a garden roller that you can pull forward by hand.

   
   
2. Spray your lawn before going over it with the garden roller. Use your garden hose and a nozzle attachment to wet the grass. The water will help loosen the soil so you can roll over it more easily with your garden roller and level the lawn more easily. Water your lawn for 20-30 minutes so it doesn't get too wet.
   • Do not over wet your lawn as it can get muddy.
3. Fill the cylinder of the garden roller with water. A garden roller is hollow for easy transport, but it must be filled with water so that you can compact the soil of your lawn. Place the cylinder on its side so that the filler opening is facing up and fill the garden roller with water using your garden hose. When the cylinder is half full, you can stop so that you can more easily pull the garden roller over your lawn. Otherwise you can fill it completely with water to make it as heavy as possible.
   • You can also put sand in the garden roller if you want.
   • If you cannot find the filling opening of the garden roller, see the owner's manual.
4. Pull the garden roller over your lawn in long strokes. Start on the side of the lawn furthest from your house. Walk slowly across your lawn and pull the garden roller behind you to level the lawn. When you get to the other side of your lawn, turn the garden roller and start a new track that partially overlaps the first one. Continue to walk across your lawn until you have completely treated it with the garden roller.
   • You can also push the garden roller in front of you if you find it easier.
   • Take regular breaks so that you do not get tired and do not get muscle pain.
5. Remove large bumps manually if you can't level them the first time. After using the garden roller, walk across your lawn to see if there are any bumps left. If so, remove them with a shovel as you cannot press them down with a garden roller. Dig away enough soil to level the bumps with the rest of your lawn and press down on the soil by hitting it with the back of the shovel.
   • In the case of bumps that you cannot level with the garden roller, the soil is usually very compact. You have to remove these bumps by hand.
   • You may need to reseed grass where you removed bumps.
6. Aerate your lawn so that it gets air and water. Aerating your lawn allows water and air to get into the compacted soil so that your plants can grow easily. Using a garden fork, poke four inches into the ground and wiggle the garden fork slightly back and forth to loosen the soil. Treat your lawn like this until you have aerated all parts.
   • You can also buy or rent a gas aerator to get the job done faster.

Method 2 of 2: Apply a top coat on the lawn

1. Fill in holes in your lawn in the fall or spring. Choose a few days to apply the top coat in early autumn or spring when the weather is mild. Get started three to four weeks before the intense heat of summer or cold of winter so that the grass has time to grow.
   • You can fill the holes in one go or you can treat a small area of ​​your lawn at a time.
2. Check your lawn for drainage problems and broken drains and pipes. Sometimes a lawn can become bumpy due to drainage problems and damaged drains and pipes. Look for areas where puddles of water accumulate and get a professional to check drains and plumbing if you suspect broken or damaged.
   • If you are not sure where the water pipes run, contact the Land Registry to find them.
   • Do not try to level your lawn if you suspect underlying problems.
3. Crush garden soil in a wheelbarrow. Buy a bag of garden soil containing sand, soil and compost from your local garden center or hardware store and dispose of it in a wheelbarrow. Sift the soil with a rake and grind up any clumps larger than half an inch so that you can spread the soil evenly across your lawn.

   Tip: you can also make your own mixture of equal amounts of river sand, garden soil and peat.

   
   
4. Water your lawn to loosen the soil. Use your garden hose and a nozzle attachment to lightly wet the grass. The water will help lower the soil so you can see how deep the holes you want to fill are. Make the soil under the grass soft to the touch instead of hard and dry.
   • Do not over wet your lawn, as the job will be difficult to do if the lawn is too wet.
5. Remove the sod if the hole is deeper than two to three inches. Deep soil covering grass can cause damage and be bad for the rest of your lawn. Measure how deep the holes are to see if they are deeper than two to three inches. If so, use a shovel to remove the turf so you can apply the top layer.
   • If the hole is less than two inches deep, you can apply the top layer to the grass.
   • Save the sod if possible, as you may be able to re-lay it when you are done filling the holes.
6. Shovel the garden soil into the holes in your lawn. Start with an area of ​​0.2 to 0.3 m and spread out a few scoops of soil from your wheelbarrow. Try to spread the soil evenly over the holes in the area. Push the soil into the holes with the back of your shovel.
   • You can apply a top coat over the entire lawn if you wish, or you can choose to fill in just a few spots.
7. Spread the soil evenly with a garden rake. Alternately use the tines and the flat side on the back to spread the soil. Make sure the soil is level so that all pits are completely filled. Keep applying soil to your entire lawn until you can see the grass through the soil.
   • Make sure the top layer is less than two to three inches thick or the grass underneath can die.
8. Wet the soil and leave the top layer alone for one to two days. When you have finished spreading the soil, wet it so that the soil can sink into the holes. Leave your lawn alone for one to two days and then check again to see if it is still flat.
   • If your lawn is still not level, use more soil to fill the holes again.
9. If necessary, lay sod in bare spots. Look for bare spots in your lawn where you removed the sod. Try to put the old sod in those spots and push back so that the roots easily come into contact with the soil. If the sod doesn't fit, you may need to sow new grass.
   • You can also fill in bare spots with commercial turf if you don't want to sow new grass.
   • Look for grass that is the same type of grass as the rest of your lawn so that it looks even.
10. Check the flatness of your lawn with a wooden plank and spirit level. When you have allowed the soil to rest after applying the top layer, place a long plank of 40 by 90 centimeters on the spot you have leveled. Put a spirit level on the plank to see if the lawn is flat. The air bubble should be centered between the two marks on the bubble level tube. If not, spread more garden soil over your lawn.
    • Make sure the plank covers the entire area you have leveled, otherwise the spirit level may not be a good indicator of flatness.

Tips

• Some gardeners treat your lawn for you once a year with a garden roller. If you don't want to do this yourself, consider hiring a landscaping company.

Warnings

• Do not treat your lawn with a garden roller more than once a year, or the soil may become too compact. That makes it difficult for plants to grow.

Necessities

Level bumps with a garden roller

• Garden roller
• Sand or garden hose
• Shovel
• Garden fork

Apply a top coat to the lawn

• Garden soil
• Wheelbarrow
• Shovel
• Rake
• Garden hose
• Grass seed
• Plank of 40 by 90 centimeters
• Level