Leveling Your Lawn: A Guide to a Healthier, Smoother Yard with Plaisted Companies

As spring and summer roll in, homeowners start focusing on revitalizing their lawns. One of the most common requests we’ve received lately is for lawn leveling—and it’s no surprise why. A smooth, even lawn not only looks beautiful but also improves drainage, boosts turf health, and makes mowing and maintenance a breeze.

At Plaisted Companies, we provide the top-quality materials needed to get the job done right. Here’s everything you need to know about lawn leveling and how we can help.

What Is Lawn Leveling and Why Is It Important?

Lawn leveling is the process of smoothing out uneven areas in your yard caused by settling, poor drainage, foot traffic, or natural wear and tear. If left unattended, these dips and humps can:

• Lead to water pooling, which causes disease and dead spots
• Make mowing difficult and unsafe
• Create tripping hazards
• Diminish curb appeal

By addressing these issues, you’re investing in the long-term health and appearance of your lawn.

When Should You Level Your Lawn?

The best time to level your lawn in Minnesota is late spring through early summer, once the grass is actively growing. This gives the turf time to recover and re-establish itself before extreme summer heat or the winter freeze.

Step-by-Step: How to Level Your Lawn

1. Mow the Lawn Short
   Trim your lawn to a shorter-than-usual height to better reveal the problem areas.
2. Identify Low Spots
   Use a level, string line, or your eye to spot depressions or bumps that need correcting.
3. Topdress with a Leveling Mix
   This is where Plaisted Companies comes in. You’ll need a quality topdressing material that encourages growth while smoothing the surface.
4. Apply and Spread the Mix
   Lightly spread the leveling mix across low spots using a rake or leveling tool.
5. Water and Monitor
   Water the lawn to help the material settle. Reapply as needed over time until the lawn is even.

Materials We Recommend for Lawn Leveling

At Plaisted Companies, we offer custom blended mixes for topdressing that are not only trusted by homeowners, but also some of the premier golf courses in the Midwest!  Our recommendation is a 60-20-20 mix of 60% Mason Sand, 20% pulverized black dirt and 20% Peat.  Here is why each of those elements are important.

1. Mason Sand

Our Mason Sand offers a fine texture and smooth finish, which allows it to blend seamlessly into the turf canopy.  It enables you to fill small dips and offers stability without suffocating the grass blades.  It also has excellent drainage properties, and won’t compact as heavily as other materials.  This allows water to drain through the topdressing layer, preventing puddling and reducing the risk of fungus or root rot.

2. Black Dirt

Our Black Dirt is perfect for rebuilding low areas or reseeding spots where turf is sparse.   Black dirt is rich in organic material, which improves the soil’s ability to retain moisture and nutrients, both of which are essential for root development and grass health.  That organic material also has beneficial microbes with support a health soil food web.  In addition, it helps bind sandy or loose material together while still promoting drainage.

3. Peat

The final component is MN sourced Peat, a component in many premium soil blends, including our record setting garden mix, Total Garden Blend.  Peat is exceptional at moisture retention and can hold up to 20 times it’s weight in water.  This helps keep the topdressing layer consistently moist – a huge advantage when establishing new seed or helping stressed turf recover after leveling.  Peat also has a low pH which balances out the more acidic value of black dir2

DIY or Hire a Pro?

Many homeowners tackle lawn leveling as a DIY weekend project, especially for light topdressing. However, if your lawn has significant grading issues or drainage problems, we recommend working with a landscape contractor.

Need a recommendation? We work with reputable local professionals and can help connect you with the right team.

Let’s Get Your Lawn Looking Its Best

At Plaisted Companies, we’re proud to supply homeowners and professionals with the best landscaping materials in Elk River and across Minnesota. Whether you’re sprucing up a small yard or preparing for a full turf renovation, we have the products, expertise, and delivery capabilities to support your project.

📍 Stop by or call us at 763-411-1100, or browse our materials online: plaistedcompanies.com