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Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Kyle Chesser

A long-handled steel rake is an essential tool in the leveling process.

Lawns grow and look their best when the ground beneath them is nearly level. While gently rolling undulations work well when you’re dealing with large areas, in the average suburban setting, a flat site is better than one with a pronounced slope.

Going to the effort to level your lawn is not merely an aesthetic decision. Uneven lawn surfaces are just trouble in the making. High spots can dry out because water sheds from them before it can be absorbed. Low spots can puddle and become a breeding ground for fungal disease. Grass roots may have difficulty taking hold, too. And perhaps most importantly, an unlevel lawn needs more water, whereas a flat one requires less irrigation to stay beautiful.

If your land is flat as a table, you’re in luck. All you need to do is make sure your lawn slopes slightly away from your home’s foundation, 1-2 feet of drop per 100 feet if the lawn goes right up to the foundation. The entire area should be raked smooth of dirt clods, twigs and leaves.

Most gardeners, however, have to deal with the lumps and bumps of typical yard terrain. If the bumps are relatively minor, you can level them by simply adding fresh topsoil. But that said, do resist the temptation to rake topsoil from a higher spot to fill in depressions, or you’ll be removing the good soil from the higher raked area and exposing poor subsoil beneath.

If the lumps and bumps in your lawn are significant or the slope is too steep, consider regrading the site. If the area is moderately sized, you can do it yourself: You’ll need a wheelbarrow and shovel, a spirit level, a long-handled steel rake, and a little time and patience.

Checking the level of your lawn can be done in several ways. For smaller areas, buy about a dozen 1- x 2-inch wood stakes and paint a line around each 2-3 inches from their tops. Establish the level for various points on the site and insert the stakes so that their marks are aligned with the future soil surface.

Smaller areas can be leveled using a straight board, a carpenter’s level and four pegs. Insert the pegs into the soil, two at each end of the area to be leveled, rest the board atop them, then adjust the pegs until the board is level. Proceed as before, raking and filling until the area is even.