I recently had a decent-sized pit dug in my backyard for some utility work, and after backfilling, there's a bit of a mound where the hole was. I'm wondering if it's better to let this bare dirt settle for a while before trying to grow grass, or if I should go ahead and plant grass now and just hope the settling doesn't affect it too much. What do you think?
2 Answers
It's generally best to let the area settle before planting grass. This way, you give it some time to compact and reduce the chance of your grass ending up in a dip later. If you wait, the grass roots will have a more stable base to grow into!
From my experience, dirt does settle quite a bit, especially if it wasn't just filled with stone. I'd suggest seeding it now and seeing how it goes, but keep in mind that you might want to add a bit more fill in a year and reseed again. Just make sure the base has enough material to support the grass. If you can chat with a local landscaper, they might have tailored advice!
Totally get that! If you’re worried about water penetration, maybe give it a light compaction with something like a roller after seeding. Just be gentle so you don’t disrupt your grass too much. Good luck!
Thanks for the tip! They did use some gravel before backfilling, so I hope it compensates for any loss of dirt. I’m a bit concerned about water not soaking through well now that it’s mounded up, but I'm really trying to avoid a depression like my neighbor had! A grassy bump sounds better than an eyesore!