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bumpy lawn #774294

Asked October 05, 2021, 2:00 PM EDT

Hi, my son recently bought a house in White Bear Lake, the lawn isn't in great shape but the biggest problem we have is how bumpy the lawn is. My Dad thought it was a nightcrawler problem and we were able to confirm that there are definitely night crawlers in the lawn. Most website say to not try and kill the worms but won't they just keep destroying the lawn? How do we smooth the lawn/soil down so that my son can have a nice smooth lawn? Thanks

Ramsey County Minnesota

Expert Response

Improving the cultural practices of your lawn care may help reduce night crawler activity naturally  Night crawlers feed on the thatch layer which is a layer of partially decomposed grass stems, roots, and stems at the soil surface but below
the green vegetation. Thatch is excessive if it’s greater than ¾ inch deep. Aerating and dethathing is a one way to keep your lawn healthy and reduce the amount of food available for the night crawlers. You might consider vertically mowing your lawn. A vertical mower has high speed vertically rotating blades that slice into the turf to reduce thatch and aerate. It will also help break up and smooth out the bumps. This can be professionally done or you can do it yourself with a mower rented from hardware stores or lawn and garden centers. Once this is done, use topsoil or compost and over seed the area.

https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/1993/4-28-1993/bumps.html

Pat M MN master gardener and TCA Replied October 11, 2021, 5:56 PM EDT

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