Depressing the Elevated Lawn

• 1). Consider how to tackle your lawn, depending on the severity of your lumps. If you just have a few sporadic bumps and lumps here, grab your shovel and dig three holes around each bump or lump.
  
  
• 2). Flip the piece of sod back, while leaving one patch of grass attached like a hinge. Remove any excess dirt underneath, which was causing the sod to elevate.
  
  
• 3). Fill in any seams with the potting soil. If your lawn has a high clay content, be sure to add some organic matter (topsoil with organic matter), recommend experts at the University of Missouri Department of Horticulture, to keep your lawn as smooth as possible.
  
  
• 4). Replace the sod and water thoroughly, tamping down with your foot to replace the piece. This process often works temporarily.
  
  

Long-term Fix to Lumpiness

• 1). Rent a gas-powered lawn aerator for a long-lasting fix to lumpy lawns. This enables your yard to breathe.
  
  
• 2). Set the spoons on the aerator to the deepest setting, so the lawn gets a core aeration.
  
  
• 3). Aerate your lawn twice, ideally in the mornings, when the turf is cool and moist, but not soggy.
  
  
• 4). Start raking the lawn as hard as possible with a metal tine leaf rake. This will scoop up the aeration plugs and also rid of some dead grass that will be replaced with seed.
  
  
• 5). Pour lawn seed into your spreader, once your yard is clear of debris. Cover the yard completely, so the seed reaches all bare soil you just unearthed. Jauron recommends bluegrass for sunny areas and fine leaf fescues for areas with considerable shade. Tall fescue can tolerate shade as well.
  
  Water your lawn as needed. The aeration, combined with new seed, should allow the lawn to grow thick and healthy, while reducing the amount of "lumps" in the yard.