You would think that all it takes to level a lawn is to simply figure out the high and low spots and spread out some dirt. Well, this is kind of the right idea, but there is much more to leveling than just a rake and some dirt. There are actually a bunch of lawn leveling mistakes you’ll want to avoid if you are looking for that putting green finish. So, before you start leveling, let’s look at the common mistakes homeowners make when leveling their lawns.
Common Mistakes When Leveling a Lawn (The Short Answer)
Several factors need to be considered when leveling a lawn, such as conditions, materials, tools, leveling methods, and extra processes. Failing to plan your lawn leveling properly could result in a number of different problems. Here are some of the lawn leveling mistakes you’ll want to avoid.
- Using Wet Fill Material
- Only Using Soil
- Not Using the Right Amount of Material
- Using the Wrong Grit Sand
- Wrong Mowing Height
- Using Too Much Leveling Material
- Leveling at the Wrong Time
- Skipping Fertilizing
- Leveling with Rain in the Forecast
- Not Using the Right Tools
Avoid These 10 Lawn Leveling Mistakes At All Costs
Over the years, I have given my lawn a lot of attention, including leveling out the high and low spots in my yard. Unfortunately, during this time, I encountered several lawn leveling mistakes, which not only made working hard but also affected the final leveling results. So, to help you avoid these same mistakes, here are ten things to avoid. Let’s take a look.
Using Wet Fill Material
One of the first mistakes I see people make when trying to level their lawn is to use wet material. You’ll notice that if you open up a bag of compost or topsoil, the content is usually pretty moist and lumpy. So, if you try to level out this wet material, you’ll struggle to get even close to level. So, before you start to spread your leveling material, make sure that you have dried it out and removed the clumps.
Only Using Soil
The next mistake I see is people just using material like topsoil or compost to level their lawns. The problem with this is that materials such as compost are organic materials that will, over time, rot and reduce in volume. So, the initial leveling you achieve will quickly fade, and you’ll soon be back adding more material. One easy way to slow down this process is to add sand to your mixture, as sand will not compost and disappear.
Not Using the Right Amount of Material
Now, this is a tricky one to explain because lots of people have different ideas on what works best. Some people will say just use sand, while some will say use a mix. But if you think about it logically, sand alone won’t provide any nutritional value to grass, but it will improve issues associated with soil compaction.
On the other hand, a mix of sand and dirt will cover all the bases, even though it will disappear quicker than just using sand. Now, I believe it really comes down to what stage you are at with leveling.
For example, if you are just starting out with leveling, then a 50/50 sand and dirt mixture is a good starting point. Then, as you progress over a few seasons, you’ll be able to switch to more sand and less dirt until, eventually, you’ll just want to use sand.
Using the Wrong Grit Sand
So you would think that all-purpose sand would work just fine as it’s all-purpose. Well, this isn’t the case. If anything, this is one type of sand you want to avoid whenever possible. The reason for this is that the individual grains are pretty large, making it harder for them to settle into the ground.
One of the knock-on effects is that the sand can remain loose for a long time and move around your lawn. The result is that your lawn will start to become uneven again as the sand collects in certain areas from causes such as irrigation, rain, and mowing.
Also, when you do mow, the loose sand grains will be sucked up out of the soil and wear down your lawn mower blades pretty quickly. I have found that I get the best results using mason sand from my local home improvement store.
Wrong Mowing Height
Before you begin leveling, you’ll need to make sure that you have mowed your lawn to the lowest possible height that isn’t going to cause any damage to the grass. The reason for this is so that you can reach down to the leveling material with your leveling tool. Usually, you’ll add ¼-½ inch of new material, which needs leveling.
So if you have thick grass, you won’t be able to level out the material, and you’ll probably make the lawn even bumpier. Now, you might think that you could just add more material, but this would be a big mistake.
Using Too Much Leveling Material
If you have a really bumpy lawn, then you might be tempted to use more leveling material to tackle the issue quickly. This is a big mistake when leveling your lawn because you’ll suffocate the grass. If you block out the sunlight and the air from the lawn, then the grass will not be able to carry out the photosynthesis process and will begin to die.
One of the things you need to remember is that lawn leveling can take several seasons, and you’ll not see overnight results. Stick to ¼-½ inch of material per application and give your lawn a chance to adapt to the new dirt/sand.
Leveling at the Wrong Time
When spring rolls in, we all get excited about getting back out in the yard and undertaking those different tasks to get that perfect lawn. Well, when it comes to leveling, you’ll want to be patient. This is because you want the grass to be in its full growing stage so that the lawn grows through the leveling material as quickly as possible.
If the grass is either dormant or just coming back into the growing stage, it will take a long time to grow through the fill material and cause a problem for the lawn. The effects will be just the same as using too much material, and your lawn will potentially suffocate.
Skipping Fertilizing
When I’m planning to add material to the top of my lawn, I always plan to fertilize at least 2 weeks before with a product such as Scott’s Turf Builder. This particular fertilizer is great for top lawn growth and gives the lawn a boost. The big benefit is that with the lawn growing strong and fast, the grass will push through the leveling material. And the last thing you want is to have a slow-growing lawn that has to struggle to push past the new leveling material.
Now, this step isn’t vital as long as your lawn is fully back to growing, but in my experience, it really helps the process along.
Leveling with Rain in the Forecast
I would say that your biggest enemy when it comes to leveling your lawn is rain. If you find yourself part way through leveling and it starts to rain, you are going to have the worst experience ever.
For example, I was part way through getting my material spread out on my lawn, ready for leveling, when the clouds opened and proceeded to soak my lawn completely along with the leveling material. When I headed back outside and tried to spread the material, it was pretty much impossible. The sand was all stuck together and wouldn’t level at all. It took the next several days to dry out before the material became workable.
Meanwhile, my lawn was suffocating and beginning to turn yellow as it was buried under the leveling material. So, definitely check the forecast ahead of time and make sure you have at least a few dry days ahead.
Not Using the Right Tools
The final lawn leveling mistake I want to talk about is not using the right tools for lawn leveling. If you want to achieve the best results, then a good set of tools is vital. Not only will the right tools give you better results, but they will also make working much easier. After all, you end up using several thousand pounds of material over a few days, which takes a significant amount of energy. So, the easier you can make things, the better.
Here’s a list of everything I use when leveling my lawn with both sand and soil materials.
Lawn Leveling Equipment
- Large Wheelbarrow – Transports the leveling material around the lawn.
- Garden Shovel – Loads the leveling material in and out of the wheelbarrow.
- Large Soil Sieve – Removes lumps out of the organic material.
- Large Screening Rake – Roughly levels the leveling material.
- Large Lawn Leveling Rake – Evenly levels the leveling material.
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