How to Level a Yard? A Practical Guide
An uneven lawn is a problem for many properties. It is not only for aesthetic reasons, but it can also be a safety hazard. It can even be a problem for those who want to sell the property as it usually devalues it. Even though it is an apparent problem, a bumpy lawn can easily be managed by yard leveling. It redistributes soil over the surface to eliminate any unevenness. How to get rid of uneven lawns and what do you need to complete this process? You can find the answers to these questions in today's article.
Table of Contents:
- Benefits of Leveling Your Lawn
- Determine the severity of your lawn’s unevenness
- Easy Steps to a Lawn Leveling Process
- Why Should You Choose a Skid Steer to Level Ground?
Benefits of Leveling Your Lawn
When speaking of leveling yards, we first must establish why it is needed. Therefore, we start our guide by listing a few important benefits of yard leveling.
Better drainage
Proper drainage is important for the home's foundation protection and the prevention of pooling. Too wet a yard can also lead to rooting, pest issues, waterlogged soil, and other problems.
Effortless maintenance
A leveled yard is easier to mow, whereas bumpy surfaces cause uneven cuts and can contribute to your mower's damage. A smooth, even lawn is easier to maintain.
Pleasing appearance
An attractive and well-maintained yard is always a pleasure to the eye. It is a particularly important feature if you aim to sell or rent the property.
Safety
It should probably come as the biggest benefit of having a flat lawn. A safe surface for recreational activities or even walking is a paramount value, especially when you have children or there are also elderly members of your family. After all, safety should always come first!
Healthy grass
Leveling a lawn is a great way to promote grass growth. Thanks to even distribution of water, fertilizer, and sunlight, the grass grows healthier. It also applies to the existing grass.
Erosion prevention
Soil erosion usually occurs on slopes and in dips. Thanks to the lawn leveling the erosion is minimized as a result of the introduction of a stable surface.
Enhanced usability
Thanks to ground leveling, you can use your yard for sports, throwing parties, and many other activities, as a flat surface provides greater functionality.
Determine the severity of your lawn’s unevenness
Another important step to consider before starting ground leveling is determining the level of unevenness. It will help you assess the effort you must make to fix the problem. There are three officially recognized levels of lawn unevenness.
Mild
Mild unevenness is characterized by bumps and small depressions scattered across the surface. The depth of depressions is usually less than 1 inch and the same goes for the higher spots height. To address such unevenness a simple application of topdressing mix should be sufficient.
Moderate
Moderate unevenness is a more noticeable occurrence. The low spots and high spots may reach up to 3 inches in depth and height. It will require more effort to get rid of such bumps. You will need to add or remove soil mix and use rakes to distribute it evenly.
Severe
Severe unevenness of the yard is characterized by high spots and low spots exceeding 3 inches in height or depth. Such a level of unevenness requires substantial regrading or even sod replacement and reseeding. You will need larger equipment such as a skid steer to level lawn efficiently.
Easy Steps to a Lawn Leveling Process
Step 1: Select the Material
There are a few leveling materials that you can use to deal with uneven terrain. These are eg., compost, sand, or topsoil. It is also a good idea to combine these if you have various materials available. For instance, compost and sand will give you nutritious organic material in the soil. A good structure of the whole will be provided by the sand. Topsoil, on the other hand, provides a good substrate for the grass.
Step 2: Organize the Needed Tools
When it comes to the tools you need, you have two options. You either use a skid steer or a tractor with appropriate attachments or the tools for manual leveling. If you choose the latter, get a lawn leveling rake. It is the most effortless and effective option to achieve an ideally flat terrain.
However, do not worry if you only have a shovel and a regular rake. It will also provide a decent result, however you must prepare for more physical labor to achieve it. Apart from the above, you might also need a shovel, a wheelbarrow, or a core aerator tool.
Step 3: Core Aerate the Terrain
One of the most crucial steps in ground leveling is understanding why it is bumpy. There might be various reasons, such as the activity of pets, or pests, improper mowing techniques or weather conditions, and insufficient or poor drainage.
Core aeration helps to remove small plugs from the lawn and opens up the soil profile while removing the compaction.
Core aeration should be performed in spring or fall to ensure the active growth of the grass. Before performing this process, make sure you water the lawn sufficiently a few days before. Soil cores will be easier to remove. Also, remember to get rid of heavy leaves and twigs from the aerated terrain.
Step 4: Apply Biostimulant
Once the soil profile has been opened up, it is advisable to speed up its recovery time by applying biostimulants. Such substances improve soil quality and fertility, and therefore, improve your lawn's health. It consists of various substances, for example, biochar, humate, compost, or reclaimed coffee grounds.
Step 5: Apply Fertilizer
Another method to speed up recovery is to apply fertilizer. To appropriately choose the right fertilizer for your lawn, perform a soil test. Such a test will expose the missing components the soil lacks.
Step 6: Use the Leveling Mix to Fill the Holes
Now, when the soil is appropriately prepared, we can begin the process of actual ground leveling. Fill all depressions with the soil mixture you chose in step no 1. The quickest way to deal with this process is to use the leveling rake.
The application should involve several rounds of spreading the material and compacting it with your feet until it levels with the surrounding bumps. Remember to leave the grass leaves on the surface so that they can catch the sunlight and quickly grow to cover the leveled area.
In the case of a large area, the best way to compact the new soil is to use a bucket attachment of your skid steer. If you wish to overseed the lawn, spread the grass seed and use a rake attachment to rake it in.
Step 7: Water Your Lawn
After you complete the main and the hardest part of the process, finish it with watering the whole lawn. Thanks to that, the material will easily settle. You can choose a watering can, a hose, or a preinstalled irrigation system to complete this step.
Why Should You Choose a Skid Steer to Level Ground?
If you wish to significantly speed up the process of yard leveling, use a skid steer instead of using a garden rake and other equipment requiring manual labor. For leveling the ground, you can use a simple bucket attachment or more precise grading attachments to perform leveling. Skid steer's versatility and maneuverability take the heavy work off your shoulders, which is ideal for all landscaping projects. You should consider three main benefits of using a skid steer:
- Maneuverability: you can easily navigate tight spaces, whereas larger machines will simply delay the process of yard leveling
- Attachment Options: a variety of available attachments allows skid steers to perform different tasks
- Efficiency: the speed of operation allows you to complete your projects in less time.
If you feel like a skid steer is just what you need to help you with your yard leveling, take a look at our collection of skid steer bucket attachments and skid steer land planes, which will be ideal for this task. Our American-made attachments are welded with great precision providing durability, and therefore, a high quality. Get in touch and we will happily advise on the best choice of attachment for your machine and the application.