A well-maintained lawn with colourful flowers and a flat green outlook is the desire of many garden owners. With the birds chirping and butterflies flying around shall be a complete picturesque atmosphere.
The fundamental reason for the lawn looking incredible with these exquisite scenes is the even ground structure. Understandably, an uneven yard is irritating. Moreover, the frustration level increases as we walk through the garden and slip on the bumps and dips.
This article shall give you a complete guide with a step-by-step process on how to level the garden.
Table of Contents
- What are the two ways to Level a Garden?
- Step By Step Detailed Process to Level Your Garden
What are the two ways to Level a Garden?
Your garden may become uneven for a variety of reasons. The weather, pets, or even earthworms can all play a role. It is highly recommended that the garden be levelled at least once a year, preferably in the spring.
Two types of processes shall help you level your garden.
1. Garden Patch Up Process
2. Complete Makeover Process
First, we must understand that these processes are garden-specific. Alternatively, if your lawn or garden is smoother and weed-free, you should choose the first option.
However, if you have a bumpy lawn due to medium to large size rocks and too much weed, the first process shall never help you. The second one is the best because you can put massive effort to get the lawn levelled.
Another important consideration in the 1st process is the possibility of weed growth. The formation of bumps due to patches of grass can cause trouble too. The 2nd process gives excellent results, while the first set up the garden well if the unevenness is less.
Step By Step Detailed Process to Level Your Garden
Level the Garden by Patch Up
In this method, you will patch up the uneven areas in your garden. When the unevenness is reduced, it gives your lawn a spectacular appearance.
Step 1 – Inspect the lawn
First, inspect the lawn thoroughly before getting on to the field with all the instruments. Identify the spots where you shall find the bumps and dips. Also, mark the areas where you find the weeds too.
Meticulously perform the inspection as it sets the tone for your garden to be levelled properly.
- Identify
- Hard Lumps
- Dips
- Hard Points on the ground
- Weeds
Step 2 – Remove the Hard Points and Lumps with a spade
Based on your inspection, you should have a good idea of where the hardpoints and lumps are. Dig them out of the ground with a good quality spade. Later in the process, the resulting drop can be patched up. As you dig, please dispose of the lumps and hardpoint materials.
Step 3 – Remove the Weeds
Next, remove the weeds present on the ground. Discard them along with the other things that caused the lump on the ground.
Step 4 – Add Topsoil Generously
Use topsoil to fill the dips. FILL IT FULLY. It can be above the ground, too. Compact the sand by using your feet. Stamp it lightly. To not damage the soil pores, use light pressure.
Stamping technique: As you add the topsoil, stamp it mildly and add more topsoil to it and stamp on it once again. You can find the ground getting levelled evenly. Add loose soil at last so that the levelling is intact.
Step 5 – Rake out the Soil
Finish filling all the dips, then use a soil levelling rake to create a flat surface. By practising, you’ll find the garden levelled. To spread the fine soil particles evenly, use a broad rake. When you find dips, repeat Step 4 and rake out again.
See how the ground is levelled once you’re pleased, progress to the next step.
Step 6 – Seed the Soil
This is the step that shall ensure your garden look incredibly beautiful in the days to come. Use high-quality seeds and apply them to the garden. Use a suitable Lawn spreader to facilitate this step. If the area is small, you can still use your hands to spread the grass the seeds.
Once the seeds are spread across the lawn, use a roller to compact the soil. Ensure that the rolling happens mildly. Proper care will prevent the grass from shooting. Re-roll the yard and distribute the seed property-wide.
If you have spread 50g of grass seeds in a square meter the first time, now add just 30g. Finally, water the lawn thoroughly.
How to level the garden by complete makeover?
Examine the lawn as we previously did. Search for all sorts of rubbish, rocks, lumps, and thorns. We suggest you spray weed killer a week before you can start the process. It makes weed removal simple. Always be sure to remove the debris when you’re excavating.
If your garden has too many rocks and unwanted plants or grass, you can very well remove the top portion of the soil. Say, a 5cm would do.
Step 1 – Churn the Soil
Use a rotavator and churn up the soil in the lawn thoroughly. We suggest you carry out this step when the ground is dry. Churn the earth in such a way that the soil is completely turned up.
Step 2 – Add Soil or Remove the Soil
As the soil is turned up, you can decide whether to add or remove soil to level the ground nicely. To level the ground, we recommend adding topsoil and fertilizer. For very uneven lawns, add topsoil a little more and allow the land to be slightly higher than usual. It will settle down over time.
Step 3 – Level the Garden
There are two ways to level the garden
1. Using String Lines
2. Professional Support to level the ground
Using String Lines: Set up the string lines on the lawn. You can calculate 3X3m. Ensure that the string is just above the level that you want the yard to be levelled.
Then, use a levelling rake to rake out the soil to match the string’s height. Do this to the entire garden area.
Professional Service:
The exact process can be done with the help of professionals who use a Laser level and Laser receiver. These types of equipment are expensive but do the job faster and more accurately.
Step 4 – Add Grass Seeds
The final step is to spread the seeds across the lawn using a lawn spreader. Compact the soil using the roller and add more seeds to the yard as we did in the previous process.
If you care about the environment, levelling the lawn is a fun project to work on. The beauty of your property lies on the firmness of the ground, and it shall look firm only when it is even. Both the steps require equal effort, and the results are excellent.
Finally, a few clinical tips that shall help you in these processes
1. Mow the lawn before you could inspect it
2. Add compost as the fertilizer than a chemical-based one
3. Use loose soil generously
4. You can out turf on the seeded lawn too
5. Use a Push broom to remove the debris like a weed and other light materials