How to flatten a washboard lawn.

[AxleHub]

Greetings,

I have a 1 acre property with a mature lawn. Ground has considerable clay in it. For 25+ years the flat lawn would heave and shift during freeze and thaw and come back to flat by May.

But last year winter was very deep freeze depths (6 feet plus) and the lawn developed a washboard effect that looks flat but is quite rough to mow.

I'm looking for suggestions how I could flatten the yard . . not golf course perfect . . But smoother than "highway warning strip" effect. I don't want to tear up the lawn (3/4 acre) but using a roller with water in it is likely to have little effect.

Ideas? Insights?

I

 

[Industrial Toys]

Fixing a lawn like that is harder then making a new one.

It kind of depends on what resourses you have at your disposal.

Also, are there stones? That is the never ending problem here. Touch the ground and you have a thousand stones!

 

[CalG]

Wait for three days of rain, then roll it.

 

[Sysop]

Without tearing up the lawn some, it's going to take time. I'd run a plugger/aerator over it. Following day water it. Following day, roll it with the roller you mention above. Next day, start over with the plugger, and keep repeating until you get to an acceptable level of "smooth". Don't follow the same paths each day, and try to cross the "washboard" at a 45 degree angle as much as possible. The plugs from the aerator will settle into the low spots of the washboard with help from the water and mowing as needed. The roller will keep the surface from becoming too lose with all the plugging and also assist the plugs to settle in the low spots. Depending on how bad it is, you may spend all summer working it out only to have it ruined next winter...

I advise running a tiller and rake across it to smooth it out. If you are only tilling down about a 1/2" below the low spots of the washboard, you're not going to destroy so much of the sod root structure that it won't grow back rapidly. I would broadcast some good quality "weed-n-feed" lawn mix like scotts turfbuilder to keep any weeds from trying to start. I'd do a light broadcast both before and after tilling so you have some mixed in and some on the surface. After the tilling, roll it. No need to put straw or anything down since you're relying on the old sod to take back over and there are no seeds for the birds to carry off. Within a week you should start to see some grass reappearing (especially with some good night-time rains). I like to let it get tall enough it produces seeds before cutting. This also has the benefit of covering the seeds with what you cut. This is something that can be done in a day or two and be back to a nice lawn quality in about a month, and is a lot less effort and expense than covering every inch of ground on a daily basis for weeks...

 

[flusher]

Something like this plus a pull behind mower? It should even out the bumpy ride over your washboarded lawn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZCMhW6liow

Good luck.

 

[AxleHub]

Added detail: I don't believe rocks are an issue. The original use of the land was farming and since the 1970s its been residential. For some reason even though it is primarily clay soil . . it grows grass and weeds very well with no fertilizer and only rain. There was no fill added.

My concern is if I use a water filled roller after 2 or 3 days of rains . . won't it also rut wherever the lawn tractor tires go too ?
Equipment wise I have a 25 hp rider and I'm soon taking delivery on a new Massey sub compact tractor. While I won't fertilize . . I planned to weed-b-gone the entire yard with a 3pt sprayer and the new tractor.

I'm certainly listening to the suggestions. I have a spike aerator which I never used on this lawn the last 15 years. I guess I never considered a plugging aerator.

This winter was less cold although it was a pretty deep frost (58 inches) . . but last winter really was deep (72 to 76 inches) and got this washboarding really going in a bigger way.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Get a load of topsoil hauled in and use your FEL on your subcompact to fill in the low spots between your "hills". The grass will grow through and you will have a level lawn.

 

[Deere Dude]

Would it work to leave it and mow in an angled direction? For some reason my lawn is sort of like that but if I mow on an angle it rides fairly nice. I don't have 2 tractor wheels going into the dip at the same time is the tractor might give a little twist going through the dip, but not very noticeable.

If it straightens out around May, I would just leave it.

 

[AxleHub]

Get a load of topsoil hauled in and use your FEL on your subcompact to fill in the low spots between your "hills". The grass will grow through and you will have a level lawn.

I had considered that idea . . and in the area directly around the house I'm already doing some of that where skid steer ruts were made when the roof was redone last year.

But the back and side yards are different. The washboarding is throughout the lawn.

 

[AxleHub]

Would it work to leave it and mow in an angled direction? For some reason my lawn is sort of like that but if I mow on an angle it rides fairly nice. I don't have 2 tractor wheels going into the dip at the same time is the tractor might give a little twist going through the dip, but not very noticeable.

If it straightens out around May, I would just leave it.

Its exactly an idea I tried last year and this spring. I mow straight . . then the next time . . diagonal . . then the next time a reverse diagonal.

I'd also heard of "top dressing" . . but I'm not sure how that might work . . maybe with a chain drag ?????