Backyard Ground Is Lumpy... Thoughts?

ostinoh

Hi -

Every year my backyard gets more and more lumpy and hard to walk on. The ground gets so soak from winter and rain that when I cut the grass or walk on it you can see my foot print. Which I'm sure is where the lumpy part is coming in.

Any thoughts on what I can do to fix that issue without going broke? I also tell my wife if I could just get a steam roller and roll out the bumps.

Regards,
David

Grampa Bud

Actually you are on the right track. Go to one of your local rental centers and rent a small self powered roller. They should have both the walk behind kind and the ride on kind. They should be able to deliver and pick it up afterwards too if you don't have a trailer or a vehicle to tow a trailer. You should be able to get a 500-1000 lb. roller and do your whole lawn twice. Once North-South and once East-.West

sippinjoes

Lumpy is likely from frost heaving. Lawn rollers are great, but make sure the ground is soft, but not soaked or you'll just make trenches with a lawn roller. After rolling, next season or so you may need to use a plug aerator if your lawn compacts a lot. If you don't have too many trees (roots/obstacles) it should be a pretty simple to smooth the lawn.

ostinoh

Thank you both for the fast responses. I will try what was suggested this weekend.

sdsester

This is the approach. Personally I would aerate once a season as a matter of course though.

ostinoh

Does aerating my lawn help with drainage as well?

Grampa Bud

It could if you have soils in your area with high compaction rates (more clay type soils). Aeration is meant to loosen the soil around grass roots so that they can breathe easier and get more water and nutrients to them faster. Then the grass will be greener and thicker and you can cut it more often and the oil companies will be exuberent with glee because you will need more gas for your mower.

DangerMouse

My lumps always seem to come from moles/voles.... Po)

DM

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sdsester

As mentioned it is mainly to provide channels for fertilizer, water and air to get to grass roots and is a necessity with clay soils. In the turgrass industry we did it once per year when we could.

Aeration will do nothing for major drainage issues and overall grade problems. You will probably have to pull the sod up and level those out with quality topsoil and ammendments.