Questions on filling in low spots in lawn

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
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nemesis256
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Questions on filling in low spots in lawn

Post by nemesis256 » April 12th, 2021, 7:52 am

I've done a lot of research on this, but I struggle to find answers I'm happy with.

I want to fill in low spots in my lawn. Not to use a reel mower, but to fill in holes that acorns and leaves tend to get stuck in. Some are deep enough that the existing grass will be covered. I plan on overseeding at the end of August, and I'm OK with dealing with the bare spots until then.

First question is on what to fill the holes with. The easiest would be getting a delivery of topsoil, but I'm concerned with getting weeds, and my yard is relatively weed free. I'm leaning towards buying many bags of soil, peat moss, and/or sand to create a mix. Sub questions:
  • The only decent soil like material I've gotten in the past is from Black Kow Manure. Unfortunately the bags are often wet, so I'll have to dry them somehow to make it easier to mix and spread. I hear that peat moss breaks down over time, which can still leave holes. Is the same true with Black Kow Manure?
  • Should I not bother with peat moss because it breaks down?
  • My soil is pretty sandy, so I suppose it makes sense to add sand to try to match the consistency?

For any bare patches that I leave, should I be concerned about weeds coming through? Should I periodically hit those spots with Tenacity until I'm ready to seed?

When in the season should I do this? I was thinking mid May so that the grass can have an easier time pushing through. Also gives the soil a chance to settle so I can fill in again a couple more times.

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MorpheusPA
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Re: Questions on filling in low spots in lawn

Post by MorpheusPA » April 16th, 2021, 8:46 pm

There's no substitute for a topsoil that's as close a match as possible to your own local soil. It sounds like, in at least one location, you have a few inches of lift to give the soil.

In this case, choose something with as little organic matter as possible. Any OM--manure, peat moss, anything--will decay away, leaving you back where you started. You want soil, not organics--in your case, just a sandy topsoil, apparently. Any good local landscaper should be able to deliver the number of yards of topsoil you'd need (how many, without exact measurements, we wouldn't know).

If your soil's very sandy, try a jar test and see how sandy it is. If necessary, then yes, mix the soil to match your own if you can.

Bare patches can be sprayed with Tenacity, or simply left through late July, then sprayed with Round Up to kill off the inevitable weeds. Use Starter Fertilizer with Mesotrione (Tenacity, basically), to suppress weed growth during reseeding during the mid- to late-August reseeding.

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