How to smooth a lawn?

[Pilot]

After getting rid of most of the moles, a few more to go (see my post about mole murdering), it's time to fix my 20 year old lumpy bumpy lawn. Mowing it is like riding the mower across furrows. It's 12,000 sq. ft.

I have a roller, but it's too small.

I have a JD 770 tractor with ag tires, a cultivator, a blade, a disk and a chain harrow. I suspect I don't really have the right equipment.

I suppose I could rip out the lawn and start over, but at 12,000 sq. ft., that would be quite a job and I have a long list for this summer already. Besides, what would I do with the sod I ripped out?

So, what's a good, easy way to smooth out the lawn?

 

[Bird]

I'll be watching this thread because if anyone comes up with an easy way to do it, I know a couple of lawns that need help; one of which is mine.

Incidentally, in was in Northern Tool a few days ago and it was the first time I've seen the rollers in there. They have several sizes.

 

[shortthrow50]

You can start by renting a good size vibratory double ashpalt roller which will run you about 400 bucks for the day. A 15 ton vibratory dirt roller will cost more but an ashpalt roller should do the job for a little cheaper. I would start there. If it is so bad that that doesnt work, your gonna have to regrade the property and thats gonna involve renting a small dozer or track type skidsteer and restabilizing the whole property and at that point, you will have opened up a can of worms.

I do site improvement and development for a living.

 

[Cpjlube]

I do NOT do site improvement but have been involved in lawn smoothing. Once you get past small variations, which can be done w a roller, you may want to live with it. The one that comes to mind is a scenario where there was too much variation in the lawn. In order to smooth it properly you needed to remove the top soil (all of it), then smooth the subsoil and regrade the top soil back. This is something to consider if you have thin top soil. If you just scrape it smooth without watching you may have areas where the top soil is gone. Much harder to get a good lawn.

Chuck

 

[Carl_NH]

Pilot,

12K SF is not that much lawn area so why dont you have the tools? It would seem that your disc would loosen up the soil, then the drag harrow would level it out, then to seed, fertilize then roll it to smooth out?

What is so complicated about this that I am missing?

Carl

 

[Pete Judd]

I mow about 5 ac of lawn, and don't pick up the clippings, and just mow over the mole mounds. I think that the low spots just over time get filled in with the mulch with the grass clippings, and the dirt that gets spread around by mowing over the hills. Yes, my lawn is lumpy bumpy, and won't win awards in "home and garden" But don't need it to be. If it's green, and I can look over it when I do a bbq, that's good for me. I don't use weed killer, or food on it as well. It seems to get better every year. But, can't drink a beer, as it will spill, as I mow, so just do it as early in the day as I can.:thumbsup:

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Spread fine topsoil on the lawn in a thin layer, and water. It will wash into the low spots. Repeat and roll as necessary. If the layer is thin enough, the grass will grow right through it. If it's so thick it kills the grass, just re-seed the bare spots.

 

[RandyBell]

I agree it doesn't have to be as smooth as a putting green, a heavy roller after a good rain when the ground is wet will make it smooth out better.
Good luck

 

[Creamer]

I use my friend's "Lawn Smasher Extraordinaire". It is a 36" diameter 7' long roller that I usually only fill about half full of water but there is additional capacity if needed. It works great on mole mounds and general frost heave.

If a heavy roller is not enough top dressing as has been suggested works well especially since you have a chain harrow to level it and help to get the grass to poke through.

 

[Ken45101]

We have some really rough areas. Rolling hasn't helped to any significant degree. I think the worst of it came from erosion before the grass took hold (it's a sloped area). Besides, rolling is supposed to compact the dirt which is bad for the grass roots.

I've thought about trying to add some fine, loose dirt and then leveling it out with the landscape rake. Your chain harrow may do the job or drag a section of old chain link fence around. Make sure you cut the grass short before you do it.

Ken

 

[MadJack]

Look up a "Harley Rake" [I think]. It's a "one pass bed prep" kind of roto-tiller that tears up the upper 2" or 3", then feathers the top soil to a smooth finish ready to seed then roll. I don't know who makes them but someone in your area must have one.
The one my neighbor has is 6' wide and runs off his 3-pt-hitch. He is a professional landscaper.

Check 'er out here... Order Harley Rakes Online!

 

[paulemar]

12000 sq ft isn't that much, but it is big enough to be quite a job to fix. I've got a field of around 2 acres that was previously used to train a horse in the Spring when everything was still wet and soft. The horse left foot print impressions, some about 4 " deep, all over the place. I've been trying to think of a way to smooth it out a bit more ever since I tried filling the bigger holes with soil. It's still too bumpy when I mow so I am going to drag my core aerator behind the mower every time I mow the field. (Old JD 210 garden tractor and Brinly core aerator) I figure that pulling up plugs of soil for the rest of spring, summer and fall might pull up enough soil to settle in the remaining shallow depressions as I mow and over the winter. However, it is a field even though it is treated as a lawn and may make a mess that would not be suitable in your situation. If I'm lucky maybe it will work, but I haven't been able to come up with anything else short of a complete makeover which isn't worth the trouble.

 

[Garybake]

I have a JD 770 tractor with ag tires, a cultivator, a blade, a disk and a chain harrow. I suspect I don't really have the right equipment.

I suppose I could rip out the lawn and start over, but at 12,000 sq. ft., that would be quite a job and I have a long list for this summer already. Besides, what would I do with the sod I ripped out?

So, what's a good, easy way to smooth out the lawn?

I would tackle half of the job as a reseed and use your chain harrow to fill/smooth soil onto the other half to repair after cutting it short. After reseeding half you can decide if next year you have to repeat with the other half. Or a fraction therof, try a third reseed.