lawn rolling

[porthos]

really "off topic"; but this is a good a place as any to ask. i have a very,very bumpy/rough lawn. been that way forever; but it bothers me more every year. southwest pa. about .8 acre. anyone had luck with rolling there lawn and getting it less bumpy and having it stay that way? i would be pulling with a 22hp cub cadet.

[redneck1]

I roll my lawn once or twice a year , it does help .
The best time to roll the lawn is early spring when the ground is still loose from winter frost heave . Get the heaviest roller you can deal with .

[lightman]

I'm not sure how effective it would be to roll it. I would probably disc or till it and drag something around on it. Around and around and around with a box blade would do wonders for making it flat. When I bought the lot that my house is built on the lot was uneven but it had a nice stand of Bermuda grass on it. I disc it several times, waited a few weeks and disc it several more times. The Bermuda came back, even after all of that discing!

[Moleman-]

We have lots of moles in our area that like to come investigate our yard. Spraying for grubs helps make our yard less attractive, but we still get some coming into the yard every year since we're surrounded by woods or field on 3 sides. After they leave the yard is bumpy where ever they've been plus the extra bumpyness from the freeze/thaw cycles. The best time to roll is in the spring after a rain when the dirt is still soft but not muddy. Doesn't make it golf course smooth, but it does noticeably help.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

To properly solve your problem, you need to find the cause.

For instance, my Lawn/garden has a lot of night crawlers...large night crawlers. They make my lawn bumpy. It isn't that noticeable until we get a dry spell, which isn't that often in my area. I just live it, as I prefer not to use poisons....and I like Night Crawlers...it's handy and easy to dig them in a quiet corner of the garden, if I need bait for a fishing trip.

[mold maker]

I thought sure this was going to be instructions on decorating with toilet paper. You know, there is a proper way to throw a roll so it unwinds and hangs on every branch, or at least thats what I'm told. Not that I have any experience.

[Thundarstick]

I thought it was about the TP treatment from the thread starter as well. I was so disappointed!;)

I've read that using a plug aerator a few times a year will eventually level out a rough yard.

I had a neighbor whose trees where rolled with cash register receipt paper, some of it was still in the trees when the leaves fell the next autumn!:x

[bangerjim]

I have been very successful rolling (on) the lawn, especially with my friends Jack Daniels, Jose Cuervo, and others! :drinks:

[country gent]

Most home rollers don't weigh enough to do the best job. But there is a limit to what a garden tractror lawn mower can pull also. A guy I worked with had a small industrial roller ( self propelled and ran slow). It did a good job and he got a lot of business in the spring. Ideally you want the roller to weigh in at close to 1000 lbs and pull it as slow as possible. His had 2 rollers probably 2ft in dia and 3 ft long. These were filled full with old motor oil. There were also hang on weights on the sides of the frame. A comfortable walk was faster than this units high speeds. Another plus would be a roller that's heavy and had a vibration unit to it.

[bedbugbilly]

I'm not having to cut grass anymore since we moved into a small condo last year . . . but . . . I mowed about three acres the house we moved from for 40 some years - at times - I had about 10 acres to mow every week with my mother's house and a couple of other lawns. I had lots of "mole runs" and bumpiness and I would start every spring, after a god rain, by rolling the lawn. I sometimes did it without the mower going and sometimes I rolled while mowing. I had a 48" roller and a John Deere large enough to do it. It didn't iron out every bump but it did help. If we had a wet spring, I'd roll it 3 or 4 times. It helped. By the time July rolled around or when the rain stopped, it wasn't worth the effort. If a regular "hoe owner" style roller doesn't do the trick, see if you can find someone with an industrial size roller - maybe a local golf course or landscaper - that has a heavy wide roller that could hit it a couple of times - all depends on your lawn though and what they have to go around. Short of doing it with a roller and getting it to work - it may be time to disc it and get it smoothed out and replanted so you don't chatter your teeth every time you mow.

[porthos]

thanks for all of the info. from what you guys said; it would be a never ending battle to get a level lawn. i did get a estimate from a local lawn care service. it included discing , scraping, top soil and seeding. the price was $8,000.00. so, at this time i'll be cutting a bumpy lawn.

[Thin Man]

To all of you who have used toilet paper to roll a yard, there is another way to get the job done. Wait until a heavy rain has passed and the ground is soaked, then wait until the wee hours of the morning. Quietly back your car, truck, 4WD, etc close to your target's front door. Floor the gas and drop the clutch, leave trenches from the porch to the street, and get out of sight before you can be recognized. Be careful that you do NOT dig into the yard and get trapped on-site, bad things can occur quickly when that happens. I first "heard" about this tactic back in high school, and that's all I will admit, seems there is no statute of limitations for pay-backs on these pranks.

[Biggin]

You can do donuts on larger lawns, or so I have been told!!:)