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How To Level A Sloping Garden?

Last Updated on July 18, 2024

Small hills and bumps on a lawn does not look attractive, but you can live with that. On the other hand, steep slopes can interfere with almost all gardening activities. It’s the reason why we are here to discuss all the steps of levelling a sloping garden. Check the process and see if you can do that job or you will hire a professional to do it.

Why Level A Sloping Garden?

Unfortunately, you cannot do many activities in your garden if there is a slope. The situation worsens if it’s very steep. You cannot sit comfortably or relax in the grass because the chairs will be unsteady as well. Moreover, the incline will not allow your kids or pets to enjoy leisure time. So, what to do with a sloping garden?

Garden leveling maximizes the usable area in your lawn giving you a large workplace. Slopes lead to soil erosion and flooding. On the contrary, leveling a garden results in easy drainage. Plus, a flat lawn is very easy to mow. Above all, it absorbs more water and hence the grasses or plants will never starve.

 

What Tools do You Need to Level a Slope?

How to Level a Garden Slope?

Get Planning Permission

Check with the local authorities whether levelling a sloping garden in your area needs permission. The council will also let you know if there are any cables or pipes so that you don’t damage them unintentionally.

Measure The Rise and Run of the Slope

Take two stakes, place them at the bottom and top of the slope. Tie a string between them. The height of the string at the bottom is called rise and the length of the string is called run.

Make sure the string is completely stretched to meet both the stakes. Plus, it should be parallel to the ground, which you can check using a spirit level. After knowing the rise, you will understand the required height of the retaining wall. Plus, you will also know the amount of soil needed.

Water the Ground

Watering the surface is necessary so that you can easily dig it. Do it 24 hours before you start working. Do not supply excess water because the wet soil will be tough to tackle.

Build a Retaining Wall

A wall supports the newly created land on your lawn. Plus, it will also prevent any collapses that are common after heavy rainfall. Use strong materials to construct the wall. You can try concrete blocks, house bricks, natural stones, gabions and even reclaimed railway sleepers to build the wall. Do not make a wall more than 70 cm tall. Otherwise, the pressure of soil and moisture might make it very unstable.

Fill the Area Behind the Retaining Wall with Soil

One the retaining wall is ready; you need to fill soil in the area behind it. It’s important to complete this step carefully because the new soil will be your garden from now onward. Use topsoil if you are raising the lawn. If you are lowering the garden, then use the same oil to fill the area behind the wall.

Make Sure that the New Lawn is Level

Before moving to the next steps, you need to make sure that the new soil is level appropriately. Use the spirit level and measure all over. Remove or add some soil if the new lawn is not at the right level.

Compact the Soil

Once the soil is level, it’s time to use a compactor. The compacting process removes cavities and oxygen from the soil. It also reduces the chances of lumps and bumps appearing in front of you after the rainfall. Plus, this procedure protects the structure of your lawn. Run the soil compactor back and forth over the lawn and it will do the needful.

Establish the Lawn

If you have grasses seeds, then scatter them all over the lawn after reading the instructions. If you are using turfs, then lay them out to cover the entire lawn.

Final talk

We hope that this guide gives you the knowledge about how to level a garden. What do you think after reading all the steps? You will be able to do it or will you hire a professional? If you are going for the former, then make a mindset to spend a lot of time and energy. But, the outcome will be worth all your efforts.