Sometimes it's necessary to topdress established lawns with a mixture of sand and compost to fill in low spots and bumps to make a smooth, level lawn. Leveling turf is a common practice on sports fields to create a safe playing surface, and it can easily be done on home lawns, too.
We've written out our steps below. This videos below show you how to topdress with our Soil³ Level Mix.
Topdress with Level Mix to level warm-season lawns only. Warm-season lawns like Bermudagrass, Zoysiagrass, Centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass grow by runners so they easily recover from having sand/compost spread on top of them.
Tall Fescue lawns are not topdressed with Level Mix; for that type of lawn we recommend topdressing with Soil³ compost to provide nutrients during its prime growing season of fall through early spring (in the Southeast).
Topdress to level a warm-season lawns with Level Mix when they are actively growing, after spring green-up. August is the last month for topdressing because in September, with cooler nights, warm-season lawns start going dormant.
It's not hard to spread Level Mix and you probably already have all the tools that you'll need: lawn mower, shovel, rake, wheelbarrow, and irrigation or a hose with a sprinkler.
We filmed our own video above, but our turfgrass friend Ron Henry also filmed a helpful how-to video about leveling warm season lawns. He shows you how to use a leveling rake, how to use frisbees to protect your sprinklers, and different ways to disperse Level Mix.
1 BigYellowBag (that's 1 cubic yard) of Level Mix will level 500 to 1000 square feet of grass, depending on the condition of the lawn.
Lawns that are in bad shape will require more Level Mix to get the job done. If not all the Level Mix is used in the first topdressing, let the grass rebound and grow through the Level Mix, then spread the remainder to further level your warm-season lawn.
For more details and insights, read Complete Details on Topdressing with Level Mix from Soil³.