Having an uneven lawn filled with deep bumps cannot only make it look unappealing but can make mowing a disaster. These bumps can form due to water retention issues, shade, insect damage, poor maintenance practices, and the freezing and thawing conditions of the Winter and Spring.

Regardless of the reason your lawn is bumpy, there are two do-it-yourself methods for getting an even grade. Before attempting either method you need to ensure your soil is moist. If your soil is dry, hard, and powdery it won't level the same. If your soil is soaking wet it won't level the same either. Take the time and water your lawn several days before starting your leveling project to ensure you have moist soil.

Method 1: Rake And Add Top Soil
For this method, you will need top soil, which you can get at your local hardware or gardening center. Be sure you get a high-quality top soil, as lower qualities don't tend to pack down as well. The second thing you will need for this is a steel rake for leveling. We recommend getting one that is 3 foot wide, over the standard 18 inch wide rakes. This helps save you time during the process as you can level more land at once.

Start by filling in all the holes with topsoil. You want to use the rake to provide the soil with a level surface. After you leveled off the hole you want to spray a small amount of water on the soil and let is sit for an hour or two. This time will allow the soil to better situate in the ground. For those who don't want to wait for the soil to naturally situate in the ground, they can use a tamper and stomp on the ground. Tampers are available at some gardening stores. However, they're not necessary to level the yard.

Once the topsoil has sat for a while, it's time to go back and top off the hole. Again use your rake to level the surface to make it even with the rest of the lawn. Let the topsoil sit for a week before adding grass seed.

Method 2: Rake, Sand, and Compost
Instead of using the topsoil you can opt for using a mixture of sand and compost. Some individuals prefer compost over the top soil as it's more nutrient rich. This allows for new grass to grow back quicker and healthier than with just topsoil alone. Sand is a widely popular mixture when it comes to filling in a bumpy yard because it provides an ideal consistency to ensure the other materials stay in place.

You want to mix together one part compost for two parts sand. Fill in all the low spots in your yard with the mixture and use your feet to compact the mixture into the ground. Keep compacting and adding more of the mixture until the hole is filled to the top. Use your rake to level out the ground.

Once all the holes are filled, you want to lightly water each one to ensure the mixture sits correctly. Give it a week before you add grass seed. When you do distribute your grass seed into these holes be sure to cover them up with a small amount of topsoil. This will ensure no animals get to your seeds and that water gets retained for the seeds to grow.

No matter which method you pick, be sure to do your repairs in the Spring. This will ensure your lawn retains adequate moisture to allow new grass to grow in the spots you filled. We hope that with out tips, your yard will become smooth and appealing to the eye!

We've all been there. You pull the starter rope and your mower won't start. You get it started only for it to die out halfway through mowing. Sometimes it may even start smoking, putting a real wrench in your lawn mowing routine. Instead of relying on a repair shop or waiting for a friend to make their way to your house, it's a good idea to have some general knowledge about how to fix simple problems. We're going to take a look at the 3 most common lawn mower problems people experience and discuss possible solutions.

#1- My Lawn Mower Won't Start
This is probably the most common issue that people experience. Although it may seem obvious, the first thing you want to do is check to see if it's out of gas. When the mower won't start it's best to begin your checklist with the simplest of problems and work your way up through the more difficult reasons. If your lawn mower isn't starting for the first mowing of the year, it may be due to old gas that was left in the mower. If you didn't drain the gas out of the mower before storing it for winter, now is a good time to get rid of that stale gas and put some new in.

If the gas is fine it's time to check the spark plug. The cap that goes over the spark plug may just be disconnected. Make sure it's secure. Clean off any loose, dirty debris and reconnect the spark plug. Check to see if the air filter is dirty. If so it may be time to replace it.

Lastly, if all the previously mentioned things checked out, the problem of your mower not starting may be a restriction in the flow of gas. By tapping on the carburetor you may be able to knock any debris blocking the flow loose. If that doesn't work it's time to change the fuel filter.

#2- My Mower Quit In The Middle Of My Lawn
This situation is a pain. Your mower stops halfway through your lawn and there's no choice but to fix it that day to finish up. If the engine slowly stalls out it's most likely out of fuel. Just as above, this should be your first step in the list of possible reasons why your mower died.

If your motor was changing from a high idle to low idle before it died the grass maybe too tall or the mower may be clogged up. Flip your lawn mower over and see if there is a build-up of grass clippings that is making it too difficult for the blade to spin. If you have the blade set at a very low level or you're grass is taller than what you normally mow, it's likely your mower is just trying to keep up with the extra cutting. Adjust the blade height higher so your mower is doing less cutting.

If your height is okay and there isn't any build-up, it may be components of the motor that is creating the problem. Check for stale gas, a dirty air filter, the engine oil level and clean your spark plug.

#3- Help! My Mower Is Smoking
Although this may come off as overly scaring as you're mowing, smoke can happen for a variety of little reasons that you can correct yourself. If you just topped off your oil or had the mower on its side, it's very likely that some excess oil is just burning off of the mower. The smoking will stop within a few minutes.

Be sure to flip the mower over and check to see if there is a build-up of debris underneath the deck. It's possible the motor is just overheating from trying to spin a restricted blade. Next clean and reconnect the spark plug. If none of these work you should contact a professional.