I have this depression in my yard that seems to have developed over time due to a gutter downspout draining nearby and causing soil settlement. It is about 2.5 inches deep at the lowest spot and 3 feet by 2 feet in area.



Does the method of cutting out the sod and placing top soil underneath work best for this?

This guy's website says it works well, but to only do it in the spring or summer growing season. Any risk doing this now while we are about to enter the fall? I have bermuda grass if that matters.

https://growitbuildit.com/fix-low-spots-ruts-in-lawn/

under the sod will be better than throwing on top to level and waiting for the grass to grow thru...but without addressing the drainage flow it will just repeating

This is a new home build, so my thought was the soil hadn't settled down fully from the original grading. I thought if I fixed it now the water would just run off. Otherwise, maybe I need to consider covering this part of the yard with river rocks after fixing the depression?

I just dump pea gravel in the low spots. Grass grows up through it and pea gravel drains.

I've fixed this with sandbox sand after new turf install with Bermuda. Be patient and don't try to fix the entire depth of the hole all at once. Maybe fill halfway, wait 2-3 weeks and then finish. Sand won't breakdown like soil, so the fix should be longer lasting.

Edit to add, I would not do this when it is super hot. Sun can heat up the sand and damage the grass.

Anybody have experience with leveling up with bank sand vs using a yard mix?

Bank sand is cheap - about $160 a truck load delivered.
Yard mix has some clay in but still easily spread able. A lot more nutrients. But is quite a bit more at $580 a truck load delivered.

In my mind the yard mix lasts longer and maybe has better soil health????? But the expense of it......

If I use sand will I just have to keep doing it cuz the sand works its way down into the clay soils?

I don't know what's best for doing large areas as needed.

Masonry sand and start with 2 separate applications and go from there. I'd wait until next May/June though as temps are currently dropping and less daylight. You want to sand it going into or during peak growing season to get the quickest fill in

El_duderino said:

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Masonry sand and start with 2 separate applications and go from there. I'd wait until next May/June though as temps are currently dropping and less daylight. You want to sand it going into or during peak growing season to get the quickest fill in

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If I do the method of lifting the sod and putting soil underneath, would now be a good time? I know temps are dropping, but I'm in Texas and we'll probably see temps in the 60s-80s most of the fall.

Bermuda loves sand. I put 8 yards of masonry sand in my new home build yard that had many low spots and spread it out with tools used in a baseball infield. I put out so much the hoa sent us a letter telling us we needed to re-sod. It took a few weeks and the bermuda grew up through the low spots that had 3-4 inches in some cases.
I tell you that because I don't think you need to dig up the sod. If it's so new it's still able to be picked up, maybe you can grab it. But if you put it out in the spring the grass will grow up through it.
As for putting it out now, I don't see any harm in that.

Thunderstruck xx said:

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El_duderino said:

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Masonry sand and start with 2 separate applications and go from there. I'd wait until next May/June though as temps are currently dropping and less daylight. You want to sand it going into or during peak growing season to get the quickest fill in

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If I do the method of lifting the sod and putting soil underneath, would now be a good time? I know temps are dropping, but I'm in Texas and we'll probably see temps in the 60s-80s most of the fall.

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Add an underground drain line for your downspout if possible

You must be bored wanting to dig a hole so bad... kidding!

Mix half compost and sand. Fill it in and spread it out making sure grass blades are showing. Might take a couple of applications over time.

I'd wait until next year since it's about to go dormant.

Top dress with masonry sand or sand/compost mix. Don't bury your blades completely. Get a lawn leveling rake to make your life easier!

Like others have said, wait until late next spring to utilize the maximum growth phase of your grass. Dormancy is right around the corner. You may still have time to do it, but it is a slight risk doing it this late.

swampdog01 said:

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Bermuda loves sand. I put 8 yards of masonry sand in my new home build yard that had many low spots and spread it out with tools used in a baseball infield. I put out so much the hoa sent us a letter telling us we needed to re-sod. It took a few weeks and the bermuda grew up through the low spots that had 3-4 inches in some cases.
I tell you that because I don't think you need to dig up the sod. If it's so new it's still able to be picked up, maybe you can grab it. But if you put it out in the spring the grass will grow up through it.
As for putting it out now, I don't see any harm in that.

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Yet another example of an HOA not knowing their elbow from their arse hole!

duddleysdraw88 said:

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Top dress with masonry sand or sand/compost mix. Don't bury your blades completely. Get a lawn leveling rake to make your life easier!

Like others have said, wait until late next spring to utilize the maximum growth phase of your grass. Dormancy is right around the corner. You may still have time to do it, but it is a slight risk doing it this late.

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Is it really going to go dormant before December though? We tend to have temps up to the 80s until then. I've never seen my grass go dormant here in central Texas until the first freeze of the year which sometimes happens in December and other times not until January.

fulshearAg96 said:

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Thunderstruck xx said:

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El_duderino said:

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Masonry sand and start with 2 separate applications and go from there. I'd wait until next May/June though as temps are currently dropping and less daylight. You want to sand it going into or during peak growing season to get the quickest fill in

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If I do the method of lifting the sod and putting soil underneath, would now be a good time? I know temps are dropping, but I'm in Texas and we'll probably see temps in the 60s-80s most of the fall.

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Add an underground drain line for your downspout if possible

You must be bored wanting to dig a hole so bad... kidding!

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Lol, I really want immediate results to fix the drainage. It's not possible to put a down spout underground because the downspout drains onto a sidewalk, and this low spot is next to that sidewalk in front of my house where all the water drains off the sidewalk.

Filling in the entire 3" depth all at once this late is still a risk. You could end up with a thin or dead spot of sand/compost.

If you want to do some now...... do a partial fill and see how well the grass grows through. Then fill more and let it grow and repeat.

Your grass appears thick right now. If you want it to remain that way, wait. You want to utilize the rapid growth phase for it to re-establish quickly. That is why waiting is recommended by the experts.

Not to derail this thread but what about the same with St. Augustine? Had luck in much smaller areas just adding top soil and leveling but in similar larger areas as OP with a 2-3" depression, will SA fill in or best to lay new sod on top of leveled area?