Ok I know it was my fault for presuming the builders would properly finish
off the garden and not taking the times to do it myself, but the turf in my
back garden is extremely uneven and bumpy.

Now I'm not after billiard table smooth, but a little flatter would be a
bonus. So what would be the best way of tackling it? Using a tuft cutter,
levelling the soil, then replacing the turf......or simply rolling it (it is
heavy clay underneath)?

"aka Robbie ntlworld.com" peter.laborne@nospam wrote in message
...
Ok I know it was my fault for presuming the builders would properly
finish
off the garden and not taking the times to do it myself, but the
turf in my
back garden is extremely uneven and bumpy.

Now I'm not after billiard table smooth, but a little flatter would
be a
bonus. So what would be the best way of tackling it? Using a tuft
cutter,
levelling the soil, then replacing the turf......or simply rolling
it (it is
heavy clay underneath)?

If the unevenness is not too outrageous, the easy way to cope with it
is to just rake some good soil into the hollows, repeating the process
when the grass has grown strongly through the new surface, until the
lawn is acceptably level

Franz

In message , aka Robbie
writes
Ok I know it was my fault for presuming the builders would properly finish
off the garden and not taking the times to do it myself, but the turf in my
back garden is extremely uneven and bumpy.

Pity. It is a heck of a lot easier to get land level before you grass it
over.

Now I'm not after billiard table smooth, but a little flatter would be a
bonus. So what would be the best way of tackling it? Using a tuft cutter,
levelling the soil, then replacing the turf......

That method looks good on demonstration make over shows but if you ever
try it you will find it is extremely hard to add the right amount of
soil to level a patch *and* have it stay level for more that a couple of
months afterwards. Making the turf lie down flat again after it has been
stretched is pretty difficult too.

or simply rolling it (it is
heavy clay underneath)?

That will just compact the ground and make it more prone to water
logging. It would help with small bumps though.

The laziest way is to selectively top dress the low spots with a mix of
topsoil and sharp sand at every chance you get. Don't add too much at
once or you may kill the grass.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown

In message , aka Robbie
writes
Ok I know it was my fault for presuming the builders would properly finish
off the garden and not taking the times to do it myself, but the turf in my
back garden is extremely uneven and bumpy.

Now I'm not after billiard table smooth, but a little flatter would be a
bonus. So what would be the best way of tackling it? Using a tuft cutter,
levelling the soil, then replacing the turf......or simply rolling it (it is
heavy clay underneath)?


Don't roll it, you'll only make matters worse.
If it's as uneven as you suggest then yes, remove the turf and sort it
out. Hopefully if its not too bad you may get away with just removing
the turf in the hollows, filling up with soil and relaying.
--
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

Hi Robbie

The reason for uneven turf maybe sod worms which cause major damage,
they are out in the dark of night, The best way to manage this would
be a major incecticidal drench and repeat as requred.

Derryl Kllan
Horticulturalist


In message , aka Robbie
writes
Ok I know it was my fault for presuming the builders would properly finish
off the garden and not taking the times to do it myself, but the turf in my
back garden is extremely uneven and bumpy.

Now I'm not after billiard table smooth, but a little flatter would be a
bonus. So what would be the best way of tackling it? Using a tuft cutter,
levelling the soil, then replacing the turf......or simply rolling it (it is
heavy clay underneath)?


Don't roll it, you'll only make matters worse.
If it's as uneven as you suggest then yes, remove the turf and sort it
out. Hopefully if its not too bad you may get away with just removing
the turf in the hollows, filling up with soil and relaying.

"derryl" wrote in message
...
Hi Robbie

The reason for uneven turf maybe sod worms which cause major damage,
they are out in the dark of night, The best way to manage this would
be a major incecticidal drench and repeat as requred.


Pardon my ignorance, but what is a 'sod worm'? Is it a synonym for the
common earthworm lumbricus terrestris, known as a 'lobworm' in England?

"derryl" wrote in message
...
Hi Robbie

The reason for uneven turf maybe sod worms which cause major damage,
they are out in the dark of night, The best way to manage this
would
be a major incecticidal drench and repeat as requred.

What are sod worms?

Franz

Sod worms are giant earthworms. Thei castings are deposited on the
turf to make the lawn very bumpy. they are active at night. When a
heavy rain falls they are found on the side walks drowned..

On Thu, 19 Aug 2004 09:13:11 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"derryl" wrote in message
.. .
Hi Robbie

The reason for uneven turf maybe sod worms which cause major damage,
they are out in the dark of night, The best way to manage this
would
be a major incecticidal drench and repeat as requred.

What are sod worms?

Franz

In article , derryl
writes

Sod worms are giant earthworms. Thei castings are deposited on the
turf to make the lawn very bumpy. they are active at night. When a
heavy rain falls they are found on the side walks drowned..

We don't have giant earthworms in the UK.

BTW - the convention in this group is bottom posting. By top posting,
you mess up the order of the posts within the thread.

On Thu, 19 Aug 2004 09:13:11 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"derryl" wrote in message
. ..
Hi Robbie

The reason for uneven turf maybe sod worms which cause major damage,
they are out in the dark of night, The best way to manage this
would
be a major incecticidal drench and repeat as requred.

What are sod worms?

Franz



--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"derryl" wrote in message
...


On Thu, 19 Aug 2004 09:13:11 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"derryl" wrote in message
.. .
Hi Robbie

The reason for uneven turf maybe sod worms which cause major
damage,
they are out in the dark of night, The best way to manage this
would
be a major incecticidal drench and repeat as requred.

What are sod worms?

Sod worms are giant earthworms. Thei castings are deposited on the
turf to make the lawn very bumpy.

Why not just scrape them flat with the edge of your shoe?

they are active at night. When a
heavy rain falls they are found on the side walks drowned..

They sound to me as if they are just one of the many species of common
or garden earthworms. Their activity constitutes the only digging
activity carried out in my garden. I would not be without them, even
if you offered to pay me for getting rid of them.

Are you perhaps posting from some distant country where such giant
earthworms might actually exist?

Franz