Like everything in life, lawns can be complicated. The process of moving from flat to flawed involves a variety of factors, including:
- Frost
- Different places thaw at different rates because they’re sunny or shady, for example. This process can cause the ground to buckle ever so slightly.
- Feet
- Some places are walked across frequently, others hardly ever, resulting in uneven wear and tear.
- Animals
- Whether it’s the local fox, neighbours’ cats or your pets, their activity affects the grass and the ground it grows in. Even birds pecking for food have a slight impact.
- Rain
- Some exposed places get wetter than sheltered ones. Others drain better because of variations in the soil or the presence of thirsty tree roots. Wet spots get depressed when walked on and are also prone to moss growth.
- Gardening
- Even giving your garden some TLC can be counterproductive. If your mower isn’t well-maintained, it can rip lumps out or create bare spots — an open invitation for weeds.
- Little problems escalating
- A slight depression becomes a puddle, making the area around it wet and soft.
How to level a lawn with small uneven patches
If your grass is mostly fine except for a few places, you can tackle the problem areas one by one. Here’s a simple way of fixing an uneven lawn, sometimes described as “sweeping the dirt under the carpet”:
- Using a sharp-bladed spade, cut through the uneven patch with an H-shaped incision and peel back the turf.
- Fork over the base soil, remove the excess or add new topsoil to raise the level.
- Tamp the soil down firmly and replace the turf.
- Check that the patch of lawn is now level, lift the turf again and adjust if necessary.
- Brush a sandy topdressing into the crevices where you made the incision.
- Tap the turf edges with the back of a rake to bed them.
- Water the patch using a fine-rosed watering can.
Levelling with topdressing
Topdressing is an effective way to level a larger lawn area by spreading a mix of topsoil, compost and fine sand over the grass. The compost adds nutrients to the soil, and the sand promotes good drainage.
Here’s our six-step guide to topdressing:
- Spread a half-inch layer of topdressing mix over the low areas (any more will smother the grass).
- Rake the topdressing to spread it evenly.
- Use a stiff broom to brush the area back and forth, working the topdressing into the earth.
- Water the area gently; too much will wash away the levelling mix.
- Monitor the area to check that the grass is coming through.
- Repeat the process if the grass isn’t level.
Levelling larger sections of lawn
If the dips in your lawn are too deep or extensive for patching up or topdressing, the answer is to fill them with a mix of good soil and sand or compost, then reseed that whole section.