Uneven Lumpy backyard

Mssnglnk

Hey I am kinda new to this, I just bought my first house in Ontario, Canada and have been having nothing but problems with my back yard, but I have been winning the battle against weeds..My back yard is 100M long by 60m, and It is uneven, Slopes right toward my house and has pot holes that range from 8inch deep to 18 inches deep. I have decent grass so if I could get it level I think it would be good..
So I Guess I have 2 Questions..

1. What is the best way to add drainage to my back yard. I have heard of underground drainage as well as Moving soil to build ditches beside th house,

2. What is the best way to smooth out the ground. I am trying not to have to rototiller the whole back yard, but it is an option.
Also if I have to rototiller when would be the best time to replant grass seed and what fertalizers would you recomend?


Thank you for your advice
Troy

harleysilo

Over time small dips and holes can be filled in with riversand and the grass will continue to grow right through it. Thats how people achieve perfectly flat yards. Big holes I would get close to flat with regular dirt, and reseed. If'n you have a highspot I get out the rototiller and knock it down and use that dirt for the big holes.

MrNoMaintenance

I would go with harleysilo’s suggestion. I’ve done that myself and it seems the easiest. Living in Ontario you’re going to get the ground heaving in the winter and as it tends to be mostly clay under the very thin layer of topsoil, that most builders add just before the sod, water seepage into the ground also contributes to the problem. Skunks digging for grubs and other bugs will also add little divots in your lawn --- sometimes to the point where one might need hiking boots to keep their ankle from twisting while cutting the grass!!

Definitely re-grade the property around your house to drain water away, where needed. This is also the easiest option to preventing water seepage into your home. Building shallow ditches could also help to either drain the water completely off your property toward the road or by “sacrificing one small area to save another larger area” sort of thing.

Redirecting rain gutter downspouts may also be a option to keep water (additional water) out of the back yard.

I’ve found that seeding in the fall (October/November in Ontario) gives the best results the following spring. I’m a big advocate for over seeding in the fall and spring. It helps a great deal with controlling weeds, more environmentally friendly and grass seed is cheap!!

rubicon789

Pardon my stupidity... what is Riversand?... I tried to Google it with no luck. B/c I too have a bumpy back yard.

Basic_Homeowner

1. What is the best way to add drainage to my back yard. I have heard of underground drainage as well as Moving soil to build ditches beside th house,

to add drainage, you'll have to dig trenches that have a 1/4 - 1/2 inch per foot pitch, add a 3+ inches of 3/4 inch crushed stone. I use 4" black corragated drain pipe, and put a sleeve of filter material over it so dirt can not clog it (they actually sell it in a sleeve). then bury that with more crushed stone. I put crushed stone all the way to the surface, but have seen others put more filter over the stone, then topsoil and grass....and they leave a swale for surface water flow. I like the all stone method, because it allows the surface water to drain down to the pipe.

Jeekinz

Ditto. What's riversand? Just play sand?

Jeekinz

After some research, I found a fix for lumpy yards.

In a wheel barrow, mix equal parts sand and top soil, fill low areas 1/2" at a time to bring to level. After a couple weeks, you can add another 1/2 inch. Just make sure the lawn is growing through.

ysrchris

I also have about the same problem....how deep do you have to put the 4" pipe to keep from freezing? I'm using mine for down spouts to keep the water from pooling around the corner of my garage. I live in South Dakota if that helps.
Chris

Basic_Homeowner

frost line in CT is 4 feet. i've put them at half that depth with no problems yet. theory being that the 4" pipe (in my situation, at least) does NOT completely fill up with water, like a plumbing pipe.

When using the pipe for downspots (or anything, really), be sure to have the the pipe lead the water out to "daylight" or a dry-well. The water has to have a place to go.

I've often seen people pay to have nice gutters and downspouts installed, only to have the water sit near their foundation. sometimes they can simply put on an extention and a splash gaurd, but if the slope of the land does not lend itself to that solution, they have to direct the downspot water under ground in a pipe and out to another area (be sure that other area is not on someone else's property, they may not like that