Installing a graded/level lawn

[scoutcub]

OK, need some expert advice. Several years ago, I put in my own lawn, using a super garden tractor w/loader and box scraper. I brought in several loads of topsoil, leveled (best I could) and raked up areas (best I could) Seems now that I didn't do such a great job, as there are many undulations in the lawn.....dips, rises....nothing serious but enough to aggravate me on my quality of work.
First question....anything I can do to level the existing lawn out? Use a roller after a good rain?

Second question....what is the best way to make a lawn perfectly graded? I've driven by new construction that has prepped the lawn for grass and they always look perfect. I now own a CUT, so what to use....landscape rake...harley rake...box blade....backblade with bucket....or do I need a small dozer?

 

[Duffster]

That kind of finish grading is highly skilled and may not be possible to simulate

 

[slewisma]

OK, need some expert advice. Several years ago, I put in my own lawn, using a super garden tractor w/loader and box scraper. I brought in several loads of topsoil, leveled (best I could) and raked up areas (best I could) Seems now that I didn't do such a great job, as there are many undulations in the lawn.....dips, rises....nothing serious but enough to aggravate me on my quality of work.
First question....anything I can do to level the existing lawn out? Use a roller after a good rain?

Second question....what is the best way to make a lawn perfectly graded? I've driven by new construction that has prepped the lawn for grass and they always look perfect. I now own a CUT, so what to use....landscape rake...harley rake...box blade....backblade with bucket....or do I need a small dozer?

What's the composition under that grass? It seems dense stuff like clay and large rocks sub-surface would mess up the level of a lawn over time no matter how well it was prepared. On the other hand, if you have sandier or otherwise softer soil, it should stay more level and be more responsive to a roller.

I am not an expert but my former farmland yard with dense, dark dirt and lots of rocks ranging from pebble to boulder in size looks different every spring.

 

[JMER817]

If you want professional results...go rent a harley rake and landpride primary seeder for the weekend. ( I used to install lawns on the side)

 

[scoutcub]

OK, thanks....I'll check into the harley rakes. I figure if someone else can do it, than with time and practice, so can I!
Just not exactly sure what a primary seeder is though.....will have to search that one out. thanks again!

 

[BruceWard]

Have you tried a lawn roller?

My lawn was installed with very little preparation by the builders. It was so bumpy that my lawn mower would get hung up. I had a 15 yard load of topsoil brought in. Then I used a B6200 to make one bucket full lines of topsoil across the yard at intervals. Then I used a rock rake on the B6200 to drag the soil up hill. The rock rake distributed the soil into the low spots and brought the rocks up to the top. My wife followed up by riding a four wheeler with a lawn roller attached to the back while I picked up several buckets of rocks.


The end result is not flat like a parking lot but is smooth and mows well. The bermuda grew back through the new topsoil and I seeded some of the thinner areas. The lawn was strong thick bermuda again by the end of the summer.

I would try the lawn roller on its own first. They rent for about $30 a weekend here or some sod places loan them out.

 

[theboman]

I've seen'm that looks level, may have been levell but a tiny grade away from the house is what you want. Ground water and a house don't really mix.

Our place is starting to level out. Stump holes, on the top of hill to begin with and about 3/4 acre cleared. 12"+ o dirt added to cover the leach fields and our little rolling yard suddenly became a gentle slope that's pretty darn level. There's a few low spots so the Mighty B and I have hauled many a buckets of dirt and leveled pretty well. When I finally gave up and said that's it, I realized I had tiller!

Tilled the yard not over 3" and then took an old pallet with a log on top and dug it around for about an hour. Picked up a wheel barrow or rocks and sitcks in short order and received great reveiws from the boss on how great it looks. There's a couple spots that may be a little low but a couple bags of top soil should work just fine.

We thru down around 50lb of seed, tossed straw and had a few good days of rain (and birds!) and hope to get some more watering in since it's gonna be dry for a few more days.

 

[Onthesauk]

Maybe do what the golf courses do on the greens and use sand. Can't do big dips all at once, but gradually add sand to low spots and use a wide landscape rake to smooth it out. Keep plenty of fertilizer on it, water it in and the grass will grow through. Probably too much work on a large area but does work. Your mileage may vary.

 

[scoutcub]

Hey Onthesauk -

I really like your avatar. It might be the same mountain I'm looking at from my property up race street in Port Angeles?

 

[radioman]

My neighbor orders a truckload of topsoil almost every two years and fills in the dips by hand with wheelbarrow and shovel. Now he has the smoothest lawn on the block. Perhaps this is what you need to do ?

 

[scoutcub]

My neighbor orders a truckload of topsoil almost every two years and fills in the dips by hand with wheelbarrow and shovel. Now he has the smoothest lawn on the block. Perhaps this is what you need to do ?

Hmm...not a bad idea. Can you tell the areas he re-seeded? Does it match right up pretty quickly?

thanks for the ideas gents....

 

[jenkinsph]

That is what I am working on today and tomorrow, filling in the low spots and cutting off the high spots. I am using a 7' heavy duty boxblade behind my 110 tlb. This takes time and patience to get it really smooth but pays dividends when mowing the lawn for years. Hope to finish my new landplane this weekend to put the finishing touches on the yard.




Steve