So, I have a half acre property, and almost all of it is very uneven lawn with fourty billion different kinds of grass.

How the hell do I level this? Do I have to kill all the grass first?

So, I have a half acre property, and almost all of it is very uneven lawn with fourty billion different kinds of grass.

How the hell do I level this? Do I have to kill all the grass first?

concrete LOL

sorry hun can't help, not a gardener

Concrete cheaper there then it is here? Cuz it's bloody expensive here.

How uneven is it? If it's bacisly just high and low spots and it's as big as you say then your best bet (even though I know you're frugal) is to rent a bobcat for a half a day and push your high spots into your low spots. If you have ever done concrete work then it's just like mucking, only with dirt. As far as the grass is concerned, are you trying to make it uniform? If you are then good luck. Moving the dirt around with the bobcat will help some, but depending on the type of grass it will most likely come back. However, if you do the bobcat thing you will want to spread grass seed and hay on top of the exposed dirt anyway (run off is a bitch....) so you might as well go and buy the grass seed that you want. The other grasses will eventually pop up, but aside from polluting your yard and/or bringing in a bunch of extra dirt there isn't much you can do about it.

Concrete cheaper there then it is here? Cuz it's bloody expensive here.

probably is here too, not something i really do a lot of... my dad paved a lot of our old garden down in cornwall with cheap broken slabs crazy paving style... but that was a small garden... where we are now it's a huge garden but with a load of mature apple and flowering trees planted about the grass, so level and quality doesn't really show up much... i'm guessing that if you want to relay the lawn nice and level for the 12 kids LOL you'll need to get rid of all the crap grass first... i dunno though i'm no expert

Psh. forget the different kinds of grass, that doesn't really bug me. It all mows the same.

The fact that the dirt under the lawn goes up and down totally at random is what bugs me. I got no clue how to fix it other then pushing a plow through and just ripping off the topsoil and grass all in one blow.

And I'm hoping there is a better way, because trying to get a half acre of grass seed started without topsoil (here we just have clay under the topsoil) is going to be a nightmare.

Psh. forget the different kinds of grass, that doesn't really bug me. It all mows the same.

The fact that the dirt under the lawn goes up and down totally at random is what bugs me. I got no clue how to fix it other then pushing a plow through and just ripping off the topsoil and grass all in one blow.

And I'm hoping there is a better way, because trying to get a half acre of grass seed started without topsoil (here we just have clay under the topsoil) is going to be a nightmare.

could try adding more good soil into the dips and leveling it that way maybe... or a heavy roller like they do sports fields

There's not really much you can do other than that. About the topsoil....Where I'm from they have a place at the parks department compound where people can bring in their yard trimmings and leaves and such and the city composts it into usable topsoil. You can then go and buy truck loads of it for pretty cheap with the only down side of having to pick small bits of trash, plastic bags, etc. out of it. It sounds like you have at least some topsoil there so it wouldn't be like you would have to replenish your whole yard. Maybe just the high spots after you take them into the low spots. Then afterward, spread some seed down and lay hay on top to keep the seed from washing/ blowing away.

Oh well :P

I guess thats what we'll have to do!

Thatch it, seed it, roll it, water it.

Ooo, maybe I can rent a giant rototiller and just till the whole yard. that way I wouldn't lose the topsoil. :)

Tilling is also an option.

Napalm works pretty good for removing vegetative cover.

Tilling is KINDOF an option. Because I've gotta find someone renting a big tiller, AND I've got all kinds of bricks and concrete waste buried about an inch deep (previous owner, dont ask) that I gotta pull out.

For not that much more money you can rent a bobcat and save yourself tons of time and your back.....maybe not your kidneys, but definately your back...

Yeah, but with the massive tiller, the soil will be much better and the grass will be happier :)

You guys all fail badly.

The reason there are Sand traps around the putting green is for the Greens keeper to have a supply for holes.

People don't realize that Grass grows well in sandy loamy soil. You just need to keep the Ph correct (as close to 7 as possible)

You can't take a whole load of Sand and throw it in the low spots at once as you'll kill the grass, but if you spread it out, adding at the maximum of an inch at a time, you fill those holes this summer.

If you have a lot of sand you run into the danger of having dry spots, you have water a bit more until the sand turns loamy naturally.

With the amount of construction waste that is seemingly buried in your yard, I really don't think it will make much difference as far as the soil is concerned. Besides tilling a small rocky garden is hard enough as it is, so I would imagine that tilling a 1/2 acre of bricks, concrete, and whatever else, plus the clay would be extremely difficult, bordering impossible...Look at it this way...You rent a big tiller and work for a couple of days and still have a lot of work to do after that or you rent a bobcat for half a day and then maybe have a little clean up and throwing some seed down left to do. 1 day tops of easy work or a couple of days plus of gnarly work.....what's your time with your family worth to you?

You guys all fail badly.

The reason there are Sand traps around the putting green is for the Greens keeper to have a supply for holes.

People don't realize that Grass grows well in sandy loamy soil. You just need to keep the Ph correct (as close to 7 as possible)

You can't take a whole load of Sand and throw it in the low spots at once as you'll kill the grass, but if you spread it out, adding at the maximum of an inch at a time, you fill those holes this summer.

If you have a lot of sand you run into the danger of having dry spots, you have water a bit more until the sand turns loamy naturally.

Sorry buddy, but you fail badly.....

Yes, grass will grow in sand, however, unless you want to become a full time groundskeeper it is not a long term solution. Sand washes away VERY easily and when it does it takes the seed that he has bought with it. So the first big rain comes and washes all of the sand and seed downhill so now he has a nice small patch of really thick grass and sand at the bottom of the slope and a bald spot where it all used to be. Using sand on a highly maintained yard is fine, but for the average homeowner it is not a viable option. Do it right the first time and you don't have to spend more money and time to keep fixing it later......

I got a lot to think about on that now :P

research craigslist in your area for deals, sod, dirt, rentals. deals.

Sorry buddy, but you fail badly.....

Yes, grass will grow in sand, however, unless you want to become a full time groundskeeper it is not a long term solution. Sand washes away VERY easily and when it does it takes the seed that he has bought with it. So the first big rain comes and washes all of the sand and seed downhill so now he has a nice small patch of really thick grass and sand at the bottom of the slope and a bald spot where it all used to be. Using sand on a highly maintained yard is fine, but for the average homeowner it is not a viable option. Do it right the first time and you don't have to spend more money and time to keep fixing it later......
OK you said fail.....:smacktalk:

J/K. You guys are wanting him to blow up the whole yard......and the fact that you mentioned seeding means you have no clue about spreading sand correctly.

There is already grass there....throwing a thin layer of sand will have no effect on the EXISTING grass......thereby where would the erosion come from? The Grass and existing root system will hold it all in place just as it does with the dirt that is there now.

Sure, if you want to scrape the whole yard with a back hoe.....that is faster for leveling but then you have to grow a whole new yard or lay sod

My technique has the guy out there spreading sand once a month this summer while He enjoys NOT looking like a construction site.

We just did this at my house, I will have pics tomorrow. Rent the machine that cuts the grass off the yard(kinda like a small sod machine). Have a couple trucks come in and drop off top soil. Fill in the low spots and grade the yard. Have a company come in a power seed. It starts growing in 2 weeks.

yeah but this has to be done cheap.

dump truck full of black dirt push roller seed repeat as necessary

You can do it for ~ 2k my way if you do the work your self

OK you said fail.....:smacktalk:

J/K. You guys are wanting him to blow up the whole yard......and the fact that you mentioned seeding means you have no clue about spreading sand correctly.

There is already grass there....throwing a thin layer of sand will have no effect on the EXISTING grass......thereby where would the erosion come from? The Grass and existing root system will hold it all in place just as it does with the dirt that is there now.

Sure, if you want to scrape the whole yard with a back hoe.....that is faster for leveling but then you have to grow a whole new yard or lay sod

My technique has the guy out there spreading sand once a month this summer while He enjoys NOT looking like a construction site.


Do I just load the sand into a seed spreader or something? Or do I manually walk around dumping sand into the holes? It wont wash away?

...........Yes it will wash away.....it's sand......But don't listen to me and do it anyway.

...........Yes it will wash away.....it's sand......But don't listen to me and do it anyway.

OH NOES PARADOX

Sand? Dude.... wtf. Get good grass seed for dirt. Fuck sand. In my area, we have this stuff called topsoil, it works really well, and you can find it anywhere.

Didn't you hear? Jham said it would work so it must....right?

I never see grass growing on beaches....aren't beaches filled with sand?

I never see grass growing on beaches....aren't beaches filled with sand?

Psh, you've never seen a sand dune? :P

Or a carrot? :D

No sand dunes around here...sand pits, but there is no grass there either. I live a pretty sheltered life, not much traveling

There are dunes on Mackinack.

That's a long way from here

Not too close to me, either.

But maybe they have grass there.

Its not about the lawn right now, you will have to dig up all the rocks and debris left by the previous home owners first, then flatten everything out with the soil you have dug up, apply fresh topsoil, until even...............good luck with the grass seed, it doesn`t work.

You guys act like you've never seen a golf green in your life.

Every 6 months they spread a thin layer of........sand

This accounts for the REASON that old golf courses alway seem to have raised Golf greens.


but don't listen to me.......golf hasn't been around for centuries like Herschel has.

You don't think it has anything to do with keeping the grass upright better, do you?

Only on TFL will talk of leveling a lawn get so many opinions from so few people and spur such bitter words amongst each other :P

Anyway, most of you are right.

http://www.walterreeves.com/lawns/article.phtml?cat=6&id=582

And that is a good article and also why I suggested multiple thin layers of sand.

Once the sand mixes with the top soil naturally (by clippings and leaves and dust falling on top coupled with rains and watering.) and becomes loamy you can go back and add some more sand over time until you raise the low spots. And by thin layer, I mean 1/4" in low areas until the grass roots raise up to that level.

AGAIN, this is why it will take all summer using my method and AGAIN this is a way to keep your current lawn in growth.

You said you wanted cheap, getting a pile of sand put into the back of your truck (borrowed truck) could in no way be more expensive than any other suggestion.

Gramineae will grow in any type of soil, just so long as it has a ~7 Ph balanced diet to feed on.

Sand Dunes at the beach may not have a balanced Ph since sodium or salt is at one end of the Ph spectrum. Should you add enough of the opposite (either base or Alkali) or for grass either Lime or Nitrogen depending on the surrounding forces.

A Pine tree will drop a lot of Acid in the needles, whether you rake up the needles is not important, the Acid is still there in the top soil. Grass will not grow in that area unless you do something to counter the tree droppings. Spreading Lime in that area will have the grass spreading over there quickly

So....to wrap it up....at least I provided HALF the truth....but I think if you re-read my first post, you see.....and after you read some more in depth explanations...you see I was a bit more than half right....maybe mostly right...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sod#Fertilizer

From Wiki

Lime and grub killer

For best long-term results, it is important to test the pH of the soil and to apply limestone powder (to the installed sod) if the soil is acidic. Most lawn grasses thrive in 6.0-7.0 pH soil.[9] Root-eating insect larvae may infest the newly-installed turf, and if this happens they can kill the lawn in a week or two. Insecticide may be used to prevent this happening.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Adjusting-Soil-pH-for-Optimal-Grass-Growth&id=348475

The pH of your lawn soil is an important factor that affects how your lawn grasses will grow. The pH value is an indicator that tells you whether your soil is acidic or alkaline. A balanced soil pH will ensure that your grasses are growing optimally.

First of all, you need to do a soil test to find out the pH value. You can do this in two ways. The first is to buy a do-it-yourself soil pH test kit at any nursery near you and follow the instructions provided by the kit. The result is not highly reliable but it is enough to give you an approximate pH value.

The other way is to let a soil test lab do the test for you. Obviously this is more expensive than the first option but the result is much more complete and reliable. Moreover, the lab result often contains much more information about your soil and not just the pH value. A good lab report will also advise you the remedial action to take if the test reveal any potential problems with your lawn.

The pH scale range from 1 to 14 with a pH of 1 being most acidic and a pH of 14 being the most alkaline. A neutral pH value is 7.0 but most lawn grass will thrive in slightly acidic soil which has a pH value of 6.5 to 7.0.

If your soil has a pH value under 6.5, it is too acidic and you have to add ground limestone to bring it back into balance. If it is over 7.5, it is alkaline and you have to add soil sulfur.

To find out how much sulfur or limestone you need to add to your soil, obtain a soil chart from any soil laboratory, lawn and gardening centers or cooperative extension offices. The scale is usually based on pounds of material to add per 1,000 square feet. Thus it is imperative that you know the size of your lawn. If you have not done so, measure your lawn's length and width with a measuring tape. Multiply the two figures to get the square footage of your lawn.

Once you know the amount of sulfur or limestone required, use a drop spreader to apply these materials. A drop spreader is not expensive and will help your spread the materials evenly on your lawn. It can also be used to spread fertilizers. So invest in one if you have not done so.

You may have to apply sulfur or limestone on a regular basis in order to keep your soil pH in balance. Sometimes, applying both sulfur and limestone may be necessary. However, do exercise caution when applying sulfur as too much of it can burn your lawn. Break up the sulfur application over a few parts and apply them evenly will ensure that you have a pH balanced lawn for your grasses to thrive.

You've run into the guy that sits outside and watches his grass grow.....and prides himself on having the greenest smoothest grass on the block.

Happiness is a warm mower.........why do you think OOT and I love each other so much?

It was wierd to find out earlier this year that when I am applying Lime to my lawn some people are applying sulfur.

I am in direct competition with my two neighbors for the best lawn on the block, and hard for me to keep up. Both are retired, one whom is outside everyday whether it be raking, watering mowing, etc. The other had an underground sprinkler system installed last year and uses a company to come 4 times a year to fertilize for them.

^^Chemlawn?

actually I think that is who they use, there are 3 different companies here in our town