Gardens are a great way to relax and enjoy the outdoors, but they need to be level for them to grow properly. This can be done through different solutions depending on how much time you have and how big your garden is. The following guide will go over how to level both small gardens or large gardens with simple solutions that anyone can do!
To level your garden start by confirming that you have the necessary permissions, measuring the work area, and wetting your lawn. Then it’s time to remove grass and greenery. After building a retaining wall you need to add fill dirt. Last but not least distribute and flatten the dirt and compress the ground.
If you want to learn more about how to level a garden, continue reading this blog post. We got some great tips and tricks that will help you level your garden with ease!
Why would you want to level your garden?
When the ground is not level this will cause problems for your plants and how you grow them. This may lead to having some areas that are more difficult than others, or simply wasting time trying to fix something that should not have been an issue in the first place!
One of the main reasons to level your garden can just be to have more space for plants. Vegetable gardens for example can be complicated to plant on uneven ground or a slope.
A leveled lawn is also awesome for outdoor activities occupying the old and young. From playing soccer to picnics and barbeques, leveling your garden can be a great investment for years to come!
If you live in a rainy area or near the water, a garden on a slope can be a potential casualty for flooding. This could lead to the garden or even the house being destroyed!
Soil erosion is also a problem that can be avoided by leveling your garden. If you have a sloped or uneven ground the water will flow to one side and not evenly across, this would cause erosion of soil which could lead to a loss in nutrients for plants and leave you with a patchy lawn!
Resulting from the last point you can see that a garden which is not level can be a huge problem for the health of your plants. There is a chance that they will not grow how you want them to and bigger plants can also trigger landslides.
How much does it cost to level a garden?
If you don’t want to level your garden yourself or you just don’t have the time to do so, you can always hire a landscaping professional to do it for you. While hiring someone will cost more money, they are skilled at how to level gardens and know how large of an area needs leveling which is important when dealing with bigger areas or if there are any obstacles in the way.
The average size of a lawn in the United States of America is 10871 square feet, which is a big difference from the average of 40 square feet in the United Kingdom.
After some research and calculation, I was able to find out that the average cost of leveling your lawn is between 500$ and 5000$ per 1000 square feet. The differences between both ends may seem big but really depends on the type of ground, obstacles, and the height of the slope.
| Height of slope | Average material cost per 1000 ft² |
| 1 ft | 1100$ |
| 2 ft | 1400$ |
| 3 ft | 1700$ |
| 4 ft | 2000$ |
| 5 ft | 2300$ |
As you can see by hiring a landscaping professional the price will go up pretty quick depending on the size of your garden and the height of the slope. When considering the average size of a garden in the United States and picking a mid to low cost, we are already in the tens of thousands of dollars.
These numbers may seem daunting at first but if you can afford to get a professional landscaper to do the job you will most likely be able to avoid risks of landslides and other misfortunes in the future. Though you will miss out on some experience and activity, you will definitely save time and gray hair here and there.
When doing the work yourself you still need to consider the prices of fill dirt and optional topsoil which is needed if you planning to do landscaping in the future or just want healthy ground.
| Yards | Cubic foot | Fill dirt cost |
| 1 | 27 | 325$ |
| 5 | 135 | 1625$ |
| 10 | 270 | 3250$ |
| 50 | 1350 | 16250$ |
Topsoil will be necessary in most cases because fill dirt does nearly not contain any nutrients which every plant needs to grow. Pricing for topsoil averages between 15$ and 55$ and can vary depending on the area you are living in and the quality you need.
Which tools are needed to level your garden?
A shovel and a wheelbarrow or garden cart will be needed to begin distributing the dirt around.
In addition, you will also need a hose with a sprayer for moistening your soil before leveling it out some more and ultimately adding topsoil and mulch!
You will also need strings or wood planks as guides for getting the perfect result!
Last but not least make sure that you have a roller or tire to help you compress your dirt so it becomes nice and even.
How to level a garden yourself?
If you not looking to spend this much money and like a challenge you can try to level your garden yourself.
The bigger your garden, the more time it will take to level everything but it also depends on how uneven your ground already is. If there are massive hills and slopes we recommend at least getting some help or advice from a professional to prevent any risks.
I have put together the 12 most important work steps for you:
Confirm you have the necessary permissions
This should be the first step you do when planning any big changes to your garden or home. Having the right permissions will prevent you from having to undo your work if something goes wrong.
Before starting with anything make sure that you have all the necessary permissions for leveling a garden, this means contacting your local council and/or homeowner association first!
Measure and mark the work area
After all legal issues are handled you can start by measuring the area which you want to level out. You need to measure the rise and run of your work area.
Two stakes are driven into the earth at the top and bottom of the slope, with a rope connecting them. The term “run” refers to the length of rope between the two stakes, while the difference in height between the bottom of the upper and lower stake is known as the “rise”.
The string should be on ground level at the top stake. At this point, place a spirit level on the line to check that it is level.
You can now take the height of the rise as a minimum height for your retaining wall.
To find out how much fill dirt you need simply start by calculating the area of your rise and run by multiplying them with each other and dividing by two. This will give you the area of your triangle. Multiplying your result by the length of the retainer wall will give you an approximate volume of the area. Depending on the bending direction of the slope the amount could be more or less.
Wet your lawn
Use a hose to wet the whole area down before starting any work. This will allow you to see just how uneven it really is and where all those dips are hiding!
Hillsides can be especially dangerous as they contain hidden pockets of space that could cause landslides when filled with too much soil or rocks.
A bit of wet ground will also come in handy for the next step, but make sure to let it dry for at least one day before going ahead.
Remove grass and greenery
Now the fun part begins, using your shovel remove all grass and greenery from the work area. Since most plants contain moisture it’s important to let them dry for at least 24 hours before continuing with digging or laying down rocks/soil.
Once you removed everything you can use a metal rake to level out any small roots left behind in the soil. The ground should now look like a pile of dirt with no visible grass or other plants left behind! This might seem harsh at first but it is a necessary step to prevent any unwanted grass from growing up again.
The soil should be treated with lime, sulfur, and/or compost before going ahead with leveling the garden. This will help balance out the pH level as well as adding nutrients into your new topsoil!
Build the retaining wall
Now that your soil is dry and the ground, you can start building a wall to hold back all of the dirt from sliding down. Take note though: it’s very important for the height of the wall to be slightly taller than necessary to prevent any overfill issues later on!
Start building your wall by placing rocks at one end of the work area. You can now continue to use dirt, mortar, stones, or bricks to complete your retaining wall. Make sure that it’s built sturdy enough before moving on!
Interesting Fact: The wall should not be higher than two feet since it needs to be able to hold back the dirt!
You will need to leave a small gap on the top of your wall to create a space where excess dirt can be removed. It’s important not to forget this step as it will make things easier when leveling out the garden!
You should also leave two openings at both ends of your retaining wall, these gaps are essential for letting water flow through more easily and prevent the formation of water pockets behind the wall.
Once you are satisfied with the height of your retaining wall it’s time to move on!
Add fill dirt
This is where things get interesting. Start by piling up your fill dirt behind your retaining wall. Once you are satisfied with your fill dirt’s height and the wall has a stable amount of dirt behind it add one layer of fill dirt at both ends, before moving on filling it with more dirt from the middle outwards.
In case you notice any low spots simply add another round of fill dirt and pat it down until you achieve a smooth even surface.
To finish things off, use your metal rake to lightly remove any excess dirt and make sure that the ground is level!
Distribute and flatten dirt
This next step is as simple as it sounds, start by handing out your dirt in small amounts with a wheelbarrow or garden cart. Make sure to start at the top of one side, flattening it evenly before moving towards the other end.
Once you are finished distributing all that dirt around, use your rake to flatten it out until you achieve the desired result.
Repeat this process for both ends of your garden if necessary!
Compress the ground
Now that the hard part is over it’s time for some water! Simply use a hose and sprayer to moisten your dirt until it becomes slightly muddy.
Next up, grab a garden roller or a spare tire and start rolling it across your ground. Make sure to roll slowly, covering the whole area before moving onto another section!
Once you are finished leveling out the garden simply let it dry for at least one day before you continue your project.
Add topsoil
This is where things get a little trickier. You need to add topsoil to create the perfect environment for your plants! To achieve this, you will have to use a shovel and start digging around, adding small amounts of soil at every spot until it’s thick enough.
Once satisfied with your dirt depth it’s time to add a layer of mulch to protect your new topsoil from the sun’s heat and water evaporation.
This step is optional but recommended especially if you have any plants growing already!
Make sure to avoid using wood chips or other types of mulches as they do not break down easily enough over time, causing them to form a barrier that prevents the water from reaching your roots!
Check for drainage
Give your garden a final check-up with the hose before doing the final leveling.
Make sure that there are no water puddles or pools around otherwise plants will not grow well in this environment since they need drainage to thrive properly. Depending on the type of soil it may take several hours for things to drain down so give it some time before you are satisfied with the result.
Make sure the ground is level
Last but not least finish by leveling the last bits out. A good way to do this is by adding small amounts of soil on top while checking the results after each round.
You could also use strings and wood planks to help you achieve the perfect result, just make sure that they are kept in place by adding more dirt on top of them.
Once satisfied with your level lightly use a wheel or roller once again and flatten out the entire garden!
Plant new grass
If everything went well it’s now finally time to plant your garden!
Remember to use the proper type of grass for your region and check if it has any special needs, for example, certain grass types need more water to flourish.
Once you are finished planting make sure that the ground is wet enough before using your garden hose or sprinklers to keep everything watered properly!
As soon the grass starts to grow and become thicker, roll it with a roller once more until you get that perfect result!
Now all that’s left is to go out there and enjoy an amazing new flat backyard designed specifically for and by yourself!
Final thoughts
When you’re done, your garden should have a level surface and be ready to plant. If this sounds like too much work for an average DIYer, consider hiring a professional landscaper who can help with the project from start to finish.
Leveling your garden can be a simple way to give you more space for plants and less time wasted on fixing things that should not have been an issue in the first place. If you want to have a successful garden this year, make sure that the ground is level. You’ll save yourself time and frustration by doing so.
If you want to level your garden, make sure that you have the right tools on hand! A shovel and a wheelbarrow or garden cart will come in handy. Also prepare a hose with a sprayer and some strings.
Patience is key when leveling your garden. It can be a long process but it will pay off in the end! I hope this guide helped and good luck with your project!
