Digging moles and voles, driving on machines or lawn mowers - there are many reasons why a meadow can become quite hilly over time. Such hills and hollows make maintenance measures such as fertilization more difficult, which is why straightening can make sense in some cases. We'll tell you how it works.
How can I straighten my meadow?
There are two methods to straighten a meadow: 1. complete leveling and reseeding or 2. make the existing meadow level. Do this in spring and use soil and sand mixture to level out hollows and remove unevenness.
Two types of leveling
First of all: There are two ways you can straighten your lawn. The first method is quite radical and amounts to flattening everything and then reseeding. If this seems too brutal to you (or if you feel sorry for your beautiful meadow), the meadow can also be straightened in its current state. However, it won't work without injuries, but don't worry: your plants will recover quickly and colonize the fresh soil.
The right time for a straightening
It is best to straighten your meadow in spring - around mid-April - during a warm and dry weather period. The soil should be neither wet nor cold - after all, you will have to reseed as part of this work, which requires soil temperatures of around 10 °C. Alternatively, you can carry out the straightening earlier (around March) and then let the soil rest until you plant the new seeds.
Completely level the meadow and reseed it
For complete leveling, mow the meadow as short as possible and dig it up thoroughly. You can also have larger areas plowed. Now crumble the topsoil as finely as possible and distribute the soil as evenly as possible over the entire area - for example using a rake. In some cases, for example because the soil is riddled with numerous mole burrows and is therefore full of holes, you need to bring in additional soil and spread it as evenly as possible. After successful leveling, sow the desired meadow flowers again.
Straighten existing meadow
If the meadow is just a little hilly, you usually don't need to dig it up completely. Mow the vegetation as short as possible and then fill existing hollows with a soil-sand mixture (€6.00 on Amazon). Using a long wooden slat or something similar, level the ground with the fresh soil so that an even surface is created. Loosen the soil a little and sow the resulting gaps with fresh seeds.
Tips & Tricks
In particularly severe cases, it makes sense to work with a roller. The device reliably rolls away unevenness, but also compacts the soil to a greater or lesser extent - depending on the device. After such a measure, you should scarify the meadow.