DIY How To Repair bumpy yard, lawn leveling with sand or soil. COMPLETE GUIDE
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 เม.ย. 2023
- Bumpy lawn!? 6 Easy Steps to Leveling a Yard. My Lawn leveling Quick Guide will help you on your leveling journey.
Raise Height and Re Sod- tinyurl.com/nny9v6n4
Raise Height more than 1.5"- tinyurl.com/59yznb8j
Tips seeding your lawn- tinyurl.com/yc23w434
Products used in todays video
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🛒Sun Joe Scarifier 15 inch model
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🛒Sun Joe Scarifier and dethatcher (REQUIRES 12Gauge Extension Cord)
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🛒 12gauge 100ft extension cord
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🛒 Thatch Rake
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🛒 Levelawn
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The best time to level a lawn is spring and late summer as the grass is growing vigerously. You can level a lawn and fix a bumpy yard anytime the grass is actively growing. Find a time when there are 3 days of no rain.
You'll need a few materials ie. wheel barrow, bow rake, levelawn or landscape rake, flat pan shovel, and a lawn dethatcher like a dethatching rake / sun joe dethatcher / power rake machine.
1. Measure your lawn
- So you know how much product / soil to purchase.
2. Choose the right leveling soil
- sand / top soil must be screened. Inform the company your purpose is to level a lawn. Tell them upfront that you can't use soil that has debris like rocks or gravel. If you get a load with rocks, gravel, wood chips purchase a screen at home depot/lowes to manually filter.
- for smoothing or leveling only, i recommend using 1 ton of sand per 1000 sq ft of lawn area. Sand to be screened 2mm or finer. Commonly called playground sand or leveling sand.
- for amending soil / lawn aerification
- clay soils - sand 2mm or finer
- Sand soils / sandy loam - 50/50 blend topsoil w/sand at 1 ton per 1000 sq ft.
Lawns that are somewhat bumpy and aerating add 1 ton of soil per 1000 sq ft plus 10%
Lawns that are very bumpy, and aerating add 1 ton of soil per 1000 sq ft plus 20%
- Raising the height of an area- Recommend purchasing a soil that best matches what you have. For clay, use top soil. For sand, use sand or sandy loam.
- estimate the height you intend to raise. measure the sq ft of the area. google, top soil calculator. choose the type of soil and input your measurements.
3. Mow the lawn down to 1"
- the purpose of this is to allow the sand to pass through.
4. Remove surface debris
- Use a power rake, sun joe dethather or a manual dethatching rake. I recommend purchasing a sun joe dethatcher. Makes the job much easier.
- optional service - lawn aeration
- minimum two passes, one verticle pass and one horizontal pass. I recommend removing the plugs off the grass afterward.
5. Fertilize the lawn
- Apply 1lbs of Nitrogen per 1000 sq ft. I recommend a fertilizer with the first number on the bag between 17 and 34. The application rates on the fertilizer bag will determine the rate. I prefer using the Propeat 17-0-4 at 5lbs per 1000 sq ft.
- Optional service- soil conditioner. soil conditioners are a combination of calcium and humates. The calcium helps keep the clay / soil open and the humates help slough sediments off the roots which is why they call is a soil conditioner / enhancer.
6. spread the sand / soil to the lawn
- distribute the sand on the lawn. Fill and load a wheel barrow up with sand and take the sand to the furthest point in the yard. Either dump the sand in piles and use your bow rake to distribute the sand or you can throw the sand by using a flat pan shovel (ginja perferred method). Apply between .25" to .5" of sand broadcast on the surface of the lawn. Best to test a small section first to ensure you do not over apply the sand / soil.
If the sand is not dry, which it most likely won't be, wait 24 hours before massaging the sand into the ground. Use a levelawn (ginja preferred) or a landscape rake to massage the sand into the ground. I find it best to use the levelawn or landscape rake 4 different directions, in each area, when using the levelawn. This helps make sure the sand / soil is distributed properly.
- optional service - grass overseed.
- I recommend overseeding at 2-3lbs of grass seed per 1000 sq ft. Top dressing with peat moss highly recommended after seed application. Keep seed damp for 2 to 3 weeks minimum during the germination process. - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I’ve been watching videos about leveling all week and I have to stay, this has been the best one yet by leaps and bounds!
Thank you 🙏🏽
Wow, thank you! I appreciate the feedback.
Everything you need in a short and concise video. How much sand/loam, what product for what you’re doing, what you need for tools. Boom.
Can’t wait to throw my back out actually doing the work!
Great video!
😂😂😂😂😂👍
Love this feedback! Exactly what I was going for! Thanks for letting me know. Slay that Lawn!
FYI I typed everything out in the description of the video as well
Great video. I just started a landscaping business and its my second year. I don’t want to miss out on these spring lawn repair jobs.
That is awesome! You'll do great. Slay those Lawns Jake!
Wow, this is the mother of all lawn leveling how to's! Awesome :)
Wow, thank you!
Man, you broke that down perfectly. Thanks. I just got a yard older cupple, which is needing my help with level their backyard
love the feedback! Thanks!
Great video production. Can't wait to see your yard this June with the new grass hitting full stride.
You and me both!
You are so good at this stuff. My lawn is terribly bumpy in spots so I need to do something like this. Soon.
Rad! Slay that lawn
Great tips here love the way you break everything down G!
Appreciate it! That’s what I was aiming for.
Got a thumbs up just for that Google maps measuring tip. Kudos!
Happy to help! Thanks for commenting
Great job! And the google maps measuring tool...awesome tip!
Glad it was helpful!
Dude what a great video!
Glad you liked it!
Thanks Brother for the excellent video. We live in the Southeast Tennessee area north of Chattanooga. We recently built a home and getting a consistent, halfway decent lawn in has been nothing less than a nightmare. It's a tad late in the season is tackle this project now but it will certainly come in handy come early spring. Looks like yer somewhere near the beach in Southern Cal; palm trees, sail boats and the snow cap San Bernardino Mountains in the background. Anyway, thanks again...God bless
Thanks! Appreciate the feedback! Hopefully you slay that lawn soon!
Once again great vid and great info, I just started stockpiling all the stuff I need for this falls leveling and overseeding project, and researching bulk topsoil delivery companys near me
Rad! Slay that lawn!
Got to love these videos with no mention of price at all....about $2,500 later you will have a nice lawn. The sand/soil alone for my lawn at 14,000 Sq ft. Is close to $700. That's not counting grass seed, fertilizer, watering 3 tImes a day or any tools a person might not have. More discussion is needed in the lawn community about what these projects actually cost per 1,000 square feet. It's not fun to talk about but people need to known what they are getting themselves into.
Not sure why the soil you’re finding is soo expensive. Keep in mind this is a quick guide. I do agree understanding cost is necessary.
I get the sand $10 per ton plus delivery. Delivery is commonly between $65 and $275 depending on the company. Puts you at $500 maximum for soil. Fertilizer 2 bags will cover your max cost $70 for nitrogen. Lawn aeration rental max $120 or you can someone $150. $170 for a sun joe.
Think your estimate might be a tad exaggerated
@@pestandlawnginja my locl USGA sand plus reedsedge peat moss will be about $700, but that's Uber premium dried stuff. @analyzer52,if you're just getting regular sand or screened topsoil, $700 seems high.
And remember, you gotta pay to play.
@@steffen707- it’s true. You can spend a lot if you don’t mind paying a premium
Boo boo brokie
Anytime you start a project at home you better expect it to be expensive.
You are definitely recording this video from Brazil, I see and I can't unsee it LOL...
LOL
I've been putting this off for too long... time to give Geneva Rock a call and get them to dump some sand on the driveway. Thanks for the great content! I need to pick up some Pro-Peat as well. My lawn just never looks all that great, but I think it's in part to a crappy sprinkler system that I need to fix as well. Anyway, thanks for helping us all out!
Happy to help!
Great idea going over it with the 'Joe AFTER you rake out the sand/soil. I'll remember that...
Learned that one after someone dropped off some non screened soil
@@pestandlawnginja #lifelesson
I've said it before,I'll say it again you ARE A GOD.
After ya get it all raked in or using the leveler, how bout watering it in. Got about another month up here, before I see green on the Northside.
👊🏻😁 right on!
You can resume normal watering! The good news is if you aerate and push the sand it the grass loves it. If you listen close enough you can hear the grass thanking you
Goal next year to level the crap out of my lawn. Good info in this one.
Awesome 👏.
Thanks 🙏
Start now. It'll take a year for me to do! haha
@@sstrick500 🤣🤣🤣
OMG!!!! Thank you so much for this video. This is exactly what I will be doing to our lawn and was trying to figure out the right order of steps.
Lots of work ahead with 18K sq ft of lawn 😭🥵, just waiting for the weather to cooperate here.
Love the videos and all the details you give.
Keep slayin'
Thanks again.
Glad it was helpful! 18k is no joke!!! Lawn slayer status!
Ginja, I love your videos. Learn lots. I have some leveling to do with ruts greater than 1” - 2”. I think I should go with a straight screened topsoil since it’s so deep; don’t want to burn up the grass with straight Mason sand that thick and holding in the heat from the sun. I live in the SLC valley. Where do you source your screened topsoil from? Many thanks, and keep up the good work.
Geneva rock at the point of the mountain was the most cost effective choice
We also live in Utah county. Any problems with laying sand over clay?
I have a townhome with roughly about 20 x 20 backyard with grass. It's a small yard, but with too many grading issues. First , there is a natural slope, not huge slope, but enough to flow the rainwater from left side the wall to the right . About 20 years ago, we had our deck built, and built a patio of equal size below the deck. Over the years that one front right corner of the patio sank a bit around the corner post of the deck. On top of all this mess, I have an elongated bunp in the lawn about 5 feet away from edge of the patio, parallel to the patio. The bump is high enough to need dug about 2-3 inch and is about 3 - 4 feet long. The whole structure is so that the rain water flows down from left to right and makes mud at that sunken corner of the patio. I want to sort of regrade the lawn, so that that bump goes away, the level of the lawn is raised, a bit, filling the sunken corner, so that the water flows away from the patio. But I have to be very careful about how much I raise the level, so the patio doesn't need to be raised above the patio door. My initial thought was to shave off that bump, and transfer that soil to fill the sunken corner. If I raise the level of the lawn, it means I will have to raise the patio up a bit, and I can't go above the door base.. I have thought and thought, and made palns in the head, but nothing seems to come to a solution.. Any suggestions? I will appreciate a lot.
Você é top!!
🏆
Appreciate & enjoy your videos! I'm in Utah County as well. Where do you prefer to get your leveling (smoothing) sand from?
Get the washed Mason sand from Geneva
Very good summary. What is the best time of the season to do this?
And how do you grow palm trees in your part of the country? ;-)
😆 well....... i transplanted myself to the coast.
you can do this anytime throughout the growing season. I find the more the grass is growing the better. Spring and late summer time are always best. I put detailed instructions in the description of the video.
Great video! If you need to put down 2-3 inches of sand/compost to get the levels finally right with Bermudagrass, do you put the fertilizer directly on the scalped lawn or on the sand put down?
I prefer to scalp it so the organic matter doesn’t cushion and then later collapse. It can potentially mold under the dirt as well which may or may not cause issues with the newly planted grass
So many great videos! Help! I’m 66 years old. Husbands heart works at 16%. It’s up to me to fix our large lawn. Yes on grubs, weeds, Bermuda grass, bumpy lawn, etc..( we have Kentucky Blue) Purchased the lawn seed you recommended. Have a Sun Joe. Where do I start?! What do I do first? I make jewelry. I’ll send your wife some if you’ll please text me the steps. I have Quinclorlorac, CalMag, Bayer 10:34 Complete Insect killer. Help!!
Let’s start with the insecticide, calmag and fertilizer. You can do all three the same way. Wait a week then do a pull test on the lawn to see if you still have bug activity. Be wise to do a few insect apps a week or two apart if the label allows.
Then a month Down the road we can look at the lawn leveling and slay that lawn
Brasil está de olho em você 🇧🇷
Amo o povo do Brasil!
What time of year do you recommend?
what do you do to fix the lawn after pipe repair? they threw the dirt back in the hole but didnt level it or anything of the sort so now, you roll your ankle walking on it!
Amending the soil…🫡
Definitely great advice…!!
Say calcium, potash, potassium
Granular’s are something that
I decided to add to my regiment..
Good stuff! Slay that Lawn!
Hey @PestandLawnGinja , I am reseeding my lawn and getting a topdressing... is it better to do 2:1 (topsoil/sand mix) or 1:1:1 (topsoil/compost/sand mix)? I am in Chicago burbs. Thanks!
I like the 1 1 1 option. great way to do it in chicago
First Aussie 😁. Ginja, that’s some level headed thinking there mate.🤠
Nice one ☝️😂
Is now the opening of seeding bio blue in Sandy Utah and how late is the window open? Or do we need to wait till we get irrigation systems turned on in 4 weeks? Man I'm seeing the blue snow mold and I have some. This handyman season went from nearly dead to warp speed.
check green cast online and check the soil temps. when they're above 50 its go time. You can always put the seed down now. the seeding window will be short for bluegrass this year. earlier the better in my opinion.
This is great but dirt is always moving, so it would be a never ending battle. If you keep leveling every few years or whatever, your yard will continually rise and it does so naturally as well.
I thought about leveling last year but as stated this is a painful process. My yard started off level but needs help. I have spots too high, too low and everything in between. So I've just been keeping the grass level and well groomed.
Great video though for those that want to tackle this project.
so true. it is a project that needs to be repeated. i will say its addicting. my kids and I love the feeling it gives on the feet. feels like you're walking grass that's grown on a beach.
What do you do after leveling it out. Like a week later? Do I use the leveling rake again? When can I mow, or is the sand just going to blow everywhere bc of my mower? Should I water in the sand for it to go down?
You can live life normally. If you have some areas of concern you can use your dethatcher to help out some bumps if there are any. Great way to manage earth worm mounds as well is to use the scarifier
Hello. You have a lovely beard like a Viking.
👊😀 My man!!!! Sometimes you gotta have a beard like a Viking. You my friend have lovely puncutation
Ginja, all we need now is a cap with horns on , Ginja new look for 2023. You might get some new subscribers from, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. 🤠 The Utah Viking has a nice sound to it. 😬
@@trevormuggeridge4560 😂😂😂 done and done ✅
Ginja! What soil company did you use? I need to do some leveling of my own and live in the same area :)
geneva rock at the point of the mountain or tri-city in pleasant grove
What time of year is best to do this? How can I find someone in the Philadelphia suburbs that will do this?
When the grass is vigorously growing. Commonly early spring or late summer
I live in the SLC valley, where can you order a sand soil mix?
I used Geneva rock in the past. Had good luck. You can also contact your local or closest golf course for a referral
Is the dirt you are using just a clean dirt or that sandy loam? If it is sandy loam, where can you find that at?
screened top soil would be considered clean dirt. I ordered sandy loam when I was raising my front yard and used the pure top soil for raising the back yard level. I found my sandy loam at cooks nursery, but they call it premium top soil. If you call it sandy loam they will say they don't know what you're talking about LOL.
Thanks for the video, if we have cold winters, do we do this treatment before winter in after? And one more question, if we do it each year, wont we put too much sand onto the lawn?
you'll want to prioritize such treatments for leveling a lawn spring and fall when the grass has the potential to grow vigorously. helps push the grass through the sand. you'll use more sand the first and second time you level by comparison to the years to come since you'll be doing less "leveling" and mostly smoothing of the surface. keep in mind golf courses have been doing this for years and years. it changes the soil type and can be very beneficial especially if you have clay type soils.
@@pestandlawnginja Thanks for the quick answer. One question, Can I sow the grass seed right after leveling or I shall wait few days/weeks?
@@hypnotherapysk same day no problem
@@pestandlawnginja and regarding sand for leveling, do you suggest 100% sand or mix like 50% sand and 50% soil?
I have a more serious problem with my yard, is there a way I can show u so u can tell me what I can do to fix it?
social media is best
What is the best time of the year to do this? I live in Wisconsin.
When the grass is vigorously growing in the spring or late summer
overseed on sand with only peat moss? Are you sure that will work?
when done correctly. you can check out my other videos. I've done this method a bakers dozen
2 thumbs up, bruh.
Hey thanks !
My lawn seems like it's been bombed and trampled by heavy infantry. Sometimes, I worry about using my lawnmower and finding a brick I didn't see before. I'm pretty sure when I got here, the lawn hadn't been cared for in *_years_*
I've wanted to fix the lawn to help give me the motivation I need to get enthusiastic about maintaining it since I moved here, but I honestly don't even know where to start.
It's kind of okay in some areas, but then nightmarish in others. I'd consider tilling and resseeding it, but there's an in-ground sprinkler system, and I don't know where the pipes are. Not to mention, I've found bricks here and there before, so I'd be kind of worried about finding more.
I would like to be able to save money by doing it myself, but if this is a project I simply won't be able to do, I want to know before I get myself in over my head.
Can this be done in winter?
its fine when the grass is vigorously growing
Is it alright to scarify instead of aerating?
it won't amend the soil the same but i'll help level for sure!
Do you have to use sand? Can you use compost? I'm not sure I want to go down the rabbit hole with sand!
you don't have to use sand, its just the easiest in my opinion to use as a smoothing agent. i find compost is a bit fluffy at first and then overtime it settles. I'd suggest top soil over compost.
My yard needs leveling and the soil holds water. Subdivision was built swampland 20 years ago. I’ve been told to use river silt. Silt has a little clay in it and will help the drainage. River silt sells for $30 a cubic yard.
What do you do with your plugs
I throw them in the green waste or grind them up with the dethatcher
@PestandLawnGinja is it ok to do the sand top dressing over year old sod. Thanks man learning to slay here lol.
@@blairbuttars3803 not a problem
How much would it cost to have you come to Kansas to do my small yard?
My son is a ginger too. His wife is Mexican and in high school his son was asked if he was a gingican. We got a lot of laughs from that one.
🤣🤣🤣 love it. Hard workers are the best!!!
Looks like you moved to Florida?
I filmed in brasil on this one.
So I have some areas that only need a slight leveling (3) how best to do this in the simplest steps.
You can follow the same steps. Just less amounts. I have a few other videos about spot leveling
Unless you are using a spirit level you are flattening/smooothing,
But close enough grass hopper.
😝
Totally agree master splinter 😄
@@pestandlawnginja
😆
Where can I find a company that will help us raise our backyard so that it doesn't flood in Port Charlotte, Fl. All the companies that I looked into have horrible reviews. We are both in our 70's and will not be able to do the lawn ourselves and are also on a tight budget. Just recently moved to Port charlotte and wish we had known about all the low lying property here before we bought
Hopefully someone comments
I was hoping for an easy magic trick to this! Whew....too much labor for this old man.
Very labor intensive 😅
Get a long ladder and drag it.whole garden is done in 3 passes..vs a mini lute.youll be there all week😅
😆 love it! With enough weight on top it may work!
@@pestandlawnginja it certainly does.a bag of sand or compost does the trickand pull it with a rope..you will throw your lute away.
I see you have a 'compost roller'. The Lawn Whisperer used his to spread the sand around instead of throwing it.Maybe next time.
th-cam.com/video/wTFD5eWoF5A/w-d-xo.html
It’s a good idea. I tried it a few seasons ago and the seed came out so fast and thick I didn’t prefer it
I was waiting for you to get your hands caught in your beard
😂😂😂
Sand not a good choice for clay based soil
Nope! It’s a fantastic choice
what's going on with the audio? are you getting cross talk? Sounds like someone is having a full blown conversation at Olive Garden in the background lol
nvm sounds more like some really bad reverb...
The road and ocean noise were a killer. It was going to be problematic no matter what. I cleaned it as best as I could 😅
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:5)
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:7)
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalms 34:18)
🙏