On Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:40:49 -0700 (PDT), David Johansen
wrote:

On Sep 24, 8:36*am, brooklyn1 wrote:
On Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:18:44 -0700 (PDT), David Johansen





wrote:
On Sep 23, 3:14*pm, brooklyn1 wrote:
On Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:17:10 -0700 (PDT), David Johansen

wrote:
On Sep 22, 6:38*pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
David Johansen wrote:
This summer we laid sod in our backyard and we prepped/flattened the
sod underneath, but we were in a rush to try and finish some things up
before it started raining and I guess we walked on it too much before
it all settled because now the ground is fairly uneven and not as
flat/ level as I would like.

Is there a way to level the ground under the grass now that it's
established?

Thanks,
Dave

I assume you mean you want to smooth the surface making it even, *not make
it level. *Leveling (ie making horizontal) is hardly practical after you
have laid sod.

You could top dress it. *Using a friable loam, rake and drag it over the
grass, cover thinly overall with almost none on the high spots but *filling
up the hollows and cracks. A heavy log of wood pulled by a loop of rope will
give you a smooth surface and in time muscles too! * The grass will grow
through the dressing and form a smooth mat. *This is best done during the
growing season otherwise you can get erosion down the hollows before the
grass grows.

David

You're right and I probably did use the wrong term. I am interested in
making the ground "even" (no hills or valleys), and hopefully with all
of the tips I've gotten so far that will work.

Thanks,
Dave

It would help to advise knowing the size of the area.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

It's a little bigger than 15 feet by 25 feet.
Dave

It's small enough that you can even your lawn yourself with a hand
pushed roller... you can probably rent one but I think it's best to
have your own as you will likely need to roll your lawn a few times
each year: *http://tinyurl.com/ycrrapq

http://www.amazon.com/Agri-Fab-18-In...5-0267/dp/B000...

So would I just soak the ground to soften it up and then roll it? Or
is there anything special I need to do first?
Thanks,
Dave

There's much you can do, wetting to soften the ground will help a lot,
but you can also aerate and add a dressing of rich top soil. Much
depends on how flat you want your patch of lawn and how much effort
you're willing to expend. I wouldn't try to make it flat all in one
fell swoop... instead periodically roll your lawn, especially after a
rain... yiou don't wasnt to walk on your lawn right after a rain
either, let it dry a bit so you don't make muddy ruts. Such a small
patch of ground shouldn't require more than 15 minutes to roll, so do
it often.