Leveling Lawn With Lawn Roller - Does It Work?

Today I show you my attempt at leveling my lawn with a lawn roller. Does it work? I found some improvement with the level of the lawn but nothing extreme. However, they are cheap to rent and it could be a good starting point if you remember that aeration is important to avoid compaction of the lawn over time. Also topdressing is probably the best choice to level things out complete.

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[MrBigblueford]

Lawn rolling - best way to roll lawn with near instant results. Core aerate lawn first. This removes plugs to allow roller to mush hills in lawn down flat. Once done rolling lawn aerate lawn again immideatly to relieve compaction factor from rolling lawn. Once done you have near flat lawn, the remaining core plugs will dissolve and wash into low spots over time and the lawn will be level. Bonus with aeration twice is you get thicker lawn with it also being flat. Down side is you need to reserve a good portion of day to do all this on a property. I've solved many bumpy lawn issues with this technique but it takes time to get it done. I have 3 point aerator and 1, 000 lb roller that I have no choice but to use compact garden tractor with and it still takes time to get done.

[callbackdons]

Step 1: Start with a fantastically level lawn

[alexcampbell]

A quick thought about compaction from a semi-experienced cricket pitch groundsman. When trying to compact a cricket pitch in order to make it more bouncy and the bounce truer, you would not roll when very dry or very wet but the best results would be when the ground has some moisture in it and is pliable.
If the ground is too hard it won’t compress evenly all the way down, you’ll just be compressing the top inch or less.
If the ground is very wet then you get no compression because the ground is full of water.
So, turning this around for the garden lawn where we don’t want compression...
Don’t roll when it is too dry, you will get no results or just damage the grass roots.
Don’t roll when it’s damp because then you’ll get lots of compaction which you don’t want.
You want to water really thoroughly to ensure a substantial density of water going down several inches into the soil and THEN roll. You’ll flatten the surface but won’t compress the soil meaning no compaction or damage to the grass roots.

[jorcin]

Roller trick:.... water the heck out of your lawn before you roll it. It softens up the soil-base and you get better results from the roller!

[WilliamMorfin]

I hope you appreciate your neighbor’s efforts to present a stark contrast to your work. 😏

[gebrazer]

I bought mine to squish down the mole runs. Works like a charm

[DevSwe]

Holy shit, that’s the nicest lawn I think I’ve ever seen. Way to go!!

[dannyd]

I've wanted to try a roller. We live on your typical Iowa farm. Our lawn is bumpy. So bad that it throws me all over when mowing. Wherever I had bumps/uneven places, I put top soil on top of the holes. I then took a heavy 8 foot 4 x 4, drilled holes at each ends, then ran some bungi wire threw the holes and then tied that to my mower. I drug the board of those spots several times, worked like a charm.

[BertCollins]

Nice job and you're right the more water you put on your lawn the less water you put in the roller.

[VisFatur]

If your lawn has low areas that are significantly large and you need to level them, if your lawn has underground tunnels from moles etc, or soil heave due to freeze or similar, then you need to use a lawn roller to compact the tunnels. Unless you seriously overdo it, or keep using the lawn roller, compaction will not be a problem. Experience has taught me that.

[Alex-usvw]

You need to roll either first thing in spring after the snow melt, or after a few days of heavy rain. If the soil is dry or damp there’s no point rolling.

When filling it also tip it onto its side, you can fit atleast another 50-60lbs of water when it’s totally full.

[mmacejko]

Bought one when I lived at my old house to take care of ruts from old neighbors not being able to back down driveway without running over my lawn. Worked great first thing in spring when ground was very soft. Definitely had to aerate in fall after though. 👍🏼

[deanjagger]

Do it when it after it rains, not sure on how much water to put in the roller. Here in Canada it cost's $40.00 to rent for 4 hrs. That's the lowest price. To buy one it's $140, and then you got it for life. Better deal to have it.

[rickrodrigues]

Looks like your neighbor has an auto wrecking business & loves dandelions...lot's a pride there mon!

[JR-jqdd]

It will be most effective if you use it as soon as the ground has thawed. Also if you roll when putting in a new lawn, it will show where the low spots will be after the ground settles. Fill in until level and repeat. Rake to loosen before seeding.

[tomrum]

I have a lawn service roll my lawn with a small size self propelled riding asphalt roller each spring after after I am sure there will be no more frosts and after a prolong rainy period. The lawn cannot be spongy wet but should "soft" to a depth of about 2". It doesn't necessarily "level" the lawn. It is meant to keep the roots of the grass in good contact with the soil and SMOOTH out any bumps that have been cause by freezing and thawing. Mowing my lawn is like running it over a concrete driveway. My lawn has no bumps at all which makes it appear much nicer and easier to mow. Soil here is clay and very hard.

I core aerate each fall, right around the time of first frost, when soil is relatively soft and apply a winter fertilizer very shortly after the aeration.

[rLgxTbQ]

why am I here, I live in an apartment

[Prosecute-fauci]

Holy shit! Ryan Knorr? I have watched your guitar videos thousands of times... And here you are, with a lawn channel.. Interesting

[waltjames]

I feel for all the work you put into lawn and neighbors that do care for landscaping

[gregodell]

My father was an asphalt paving contractor in N Ohio. Springtime was rolling season. We contracted out our rollers to larger estates to roll their lawns. This was only done in spring when frost was coming out of the ground. Leveling with a roller is to fix structure deep, below the roots. Otherwise, you defeat the purpose and only get the top inch or two mushing the roots. When frost is coming out, you would definitely need a tractor to pull!