All house and garden owners usually want a straight and level lawn. The following article explains how an existing lawn can be straightened or how a straight area can ideally be created.
Table of Contents
inspect area
First, the area for a new lawn or an existing lawn must be checked for any holes or height differences. Above all, the difference in height from one side to the other is also decisive. To find out the height difference, there is a simple way:
- use a long spirit level, at least 2 m
- stick a wooden stick into the ground at the lowest point
- should be long enough for the calculated height difference
- Attach thread or rope to the pole
- up to the highest point of the surface
- fix in the ground
- alternatively, a second person helps and holds the thread
- Straighten the rope horizontally and parallel
- should correspond to the later level ground
- use a spirit level for this
From this, the difference in height can now be measured and the amount of earth required for the straightening can be determined.
Preparation of new lawn
When a new lawn is planned, the first thing to do is to prepare for the straightening. Since the entire soil is to be renewed and leveled, this is the easier way to straighten the lawn. This is done as follows:
- Loosen up the lawn area as a whole
- use a motor hoe for this
- Work small areas with a hand hoe
- alternatively use a spade
Preparation of existing lawn
If you already have a lawn that just needs to be straightened and patched in a few places, then preparing for this is a little more difficult. However, this can also be done with the following steps:
- determine the height difference here as well
- Cut the lawn short at the raised areas
- only fill in the soil in these places
- only about one to two centimeters high for preparation
- attach
- then fill to the brim
- Add lawn fertilizer
Level the floor surface
Once the preparations have been made, work can begin. Before doing this, calculate the earth in cubic meters and level the level. This should be done according to the following guide:
- put several wooden sticks in the ground
- not only at the edge, also in the middle
- Pull threads to desired height
- Use spirit level to plumb
- Apply soil accordingly
Ideally, the earth should be applied so far that the stretched threads lie directly on top. Only then is the correct height reached. In order to achieve such a really level floor, it is important that the threads are stretched very tightly and cannot sag at any single point.
finishing touches
After the soil has been filled up or removed from the appropriate places, the actual lawn area is straightened. The following should be observed here:
- strip off the entire floor
- Use a straightedge of two to three meters in length
- drag across the floor
- this creates a smooth plane
- fasten the floor with a light roller
- can be filled with water
sow the lawn
After the steps described above and the final leveling of the ground, the new lawn can be sown . With an existing lawn, the seed only needs to be scattered on the patched areas. It is important to choose the same type of lawn as you already have. A newly created soil is sown in total. Then it should be watered well to get a flat and even lawn.
Required tool
Various tools are required to straighten a lawn. Even a well-stocked hobby gardener doesn’t have everything in his shed at home. Ask your garden center which large devices you can rent on a daily basis. You need the following tools to straighten the lawn:
- spade
- Grabegabel
- Harke
- long spirit level
- tiller
- alternatively plow
- light roller
- long rule
- wooden sticks and thread or string
It also makes sense to use a wheelbarrow to move the soil to the right places and to have a connected garden hose ready.
frequently asked Questions
If you have determined the height difference with the help of the rope, the stick and the spirit level, you have to calculate the number of cubic meters here. To do this, multiply the height, width and depth that you measure. Make sure that the difference in height, for example on a slight slope, is not the same over the entire area. Then you should determine the individual parcels individually according to the above calculation and add them up later.
It doesn’t matter whether you want to straighten a larger existing floor area or a new one. It always makes sense to use a plow for this. This not only loosens the soil, but also destroys and fills up any mole tunnels that may be under the soil. Otherwise, the new floor could sag again and further unevenness could occur. You can rent a plow by the day at the local hardware store.
