Hi everyone, just new to the gardening scene and need some help with it. I have just moved into a new house and the back garden is in need of some TLC. The lawn is very hilly in some parts and I would like to flatten this down but I don't know where to begin or even how to do it properly. I know if I start it there will probably be an easier way of doing, hence the reason I am here. thanks in advance Mikey
How hilly? If its basically a "smooth" (i.e. not necessarily Level) lawn with some higher / lower bits which only stick up an inch or two then: For the hollows : Top dress - spread some top dressing in the hollows and work it in using the back of the rake. You can only raise the lawn by very shall amounts each time, so the grass can still grow through and doesn't get smothered and die. For the hillocks : with a spade cut an H shape centred on the hillock. Peel back the turf (i.e. the top and bottom parts of the H), remove some soil from underneath, replace the turf. The turf you peel back needs to be 1.5" - 2" thick, so the roots don't die, but there should be no problem removing even quite a lot of soil underneath - well, if you get down to bedrock you've probably gone too far! If its a lot worse than "just a bit bumpy" then maybe: Mow the grass as short as is possible. Cover the whole site with top soil, and spread out level. Re-seed. Some of the old grass will grow through, where the topsoil is thin, and the deeper areas the new seed will be "it". (You probably need to wait until the Autumn to do this, sowing grass during the Summer is high-risk from any prolonged dry spell) Cutting the grass really short makes it easier to spread the top soil and get it level. To prepare / level an area for seeding I put some blocks on the ladder, to weigh it down, and tie a rope around the top / bottom rung and pull on that. Do that in all directions enough times until it is smooth / level. Start with more blocks, finish with fewer (until it just skates along the surface)
Kirsten, thanks for the reply, I think maybe hiilly is a slight exageration, more bumpy but they are not small bumps, rises by at least 6 inches. I want to flatten the bumps down. I'm not worried about the grass just now as the whole garden need attention. I will try what you said and see how a I get on. thanks Mikey
"I want to flatten the bumps down" You might be better off making a X cut, rather than an H - depends a bit what the bump looks like! Also, you can do the same thing on a depression - peal the turf back, put some soil UNDER the turf, and put the turf back again. The bits you peal back may need watering to help them get re-established
