I've been watching lawn forums for years and have not seen anyone write in to talk about leveling during dormancy. That's an interesting idea, though. By doing it now you would have all winter to watch the surface and make corrections to any settling that you see. Hopefully Texas Weed, the local bermuda expert, will see this and give you his point of view.

I saw a neighbor do it. Mowed short, leveled with sand.

It looked really patchy when it came out of dormancy. I assume that was because some of the grass was deeper and didn't warm up as fast. Once the temps warmed up, it filled in rapidly and looked fine.

Sure it can be done if you have the equipment. It is really easy, we do it all the time. When I tell you how, you will say duh to yourself?

All you have to do is cut the sod up off the ground like any sod farm would do anytime of the year. Set the sod off to the side, add dirt, level, and lay the sod back down. Done!

Weed, do you really have to lift the soil first? Why not simply scalp it to the ground level?

David maybe I have missed something, but I do not understand your question.

Scalp a Bermuda lawn in the winter?

Weed, if you want to level the soil, I'm thinking that removing and replacing the surface sod is a lot of extra work. Why not scalp the grass to the ground (so you can see the ground), fill the holes with sand, level the sand to the exposed surface, settle the new sand with water and more sand (repeatedly), and wait for the magic of spring and summer to cover your new surface.

Not only is it extra work to remove the sod, but sod removal disconnects the deep roots, which are protected by the heat of the earth, from cold snaps (reading your other posts).

Weed, if you want to level the soil, I'm thinking that removing and replacing the surface sod is a lot of extra work

Well it is a lot of work, I just know it will work, we do it just about everyday.

But to your point as long as the low areas do not cover a large area, your suggestion will work. But I have two concerns:

If the areas are large and deep, you will bury the grass which will smoother it using that method. In the spring it would take some considerable time for the grass underneath if it lives, and the surrounding grass to fill it in.

Lastly would be if you scalp the grass in winter (the whole yard) and the yard is in the transition zone where winter temps get really cold is the possibility of more extensive winter kill. Leaving the grass tall during dormancy adds some insulation.

Personally if you are going to do it that way, which I do suggest. IS just to wait until spring after the grass greens up. and start the leveling project. I mean the grass is just going to sit there dormant anyway and nothing will happen until it warms up. Why run the risk, when patience will be rewarded?

Got it. Thanks.

For bermuda I think we agree that the best time to level is when it is growing vigorously...which means very late spring until nearing the end of summer.

The hotel where I'm living is making the mistake of smothering their bermuda. This hotel just opened in Cotulla, TX. Normally it doesn't get cold enough for bermuda to go dormant there, but two weeks ago it got cold and the grass is brown. The maintenance guy is taking this opportunity to level where the soil settled down from the curbs. I'll probably be there long enough to see the results. I should take pix now and then in March and June. What am I waiting for???

For bermuda I think we agree that the best time to level is when it is growing vigorously

Yes Sir we do.

I just took some pictures of the filled areas at the hotel. One is where a long truck/trailer drove over it. We'll see what happens in the spring/summer.

Can you really smother Bermuda grass though? As an experiment I took some cuttings of Celebration plugs last summer stuck them in a bucket of water probably 9-10" full of water and smashed a bunch of runners in the bucket. Those same runners are still alive and green now some 7 months later and the roots are alive even being under water for several months.

Ok I am not sure what your point is. Submerging roots in a bucket of water is not the same a burying with dirt.

Not the same true but similar in the sense that there is a lack of light and oxygen is the same. I forgot to mention this bucket was covered by heavy shade.

Putting it in water...That's a ridiculous comparison. Of course you can smother Bermuda. Duh. Just go lay a bag of sand on a good spot of Bermuda and then go pick the bag up several months later.

Funny thing is most of my Bermuda went dormant EXCEPT for the spot directly under the outside edge of my pizza boxes I layered to smother out the weeds last year. The Bermuda there is nice and green while the rest of the yard it is straw brown. Odd huh?

Most of the Bermuda throughout the lawn looks like straw.

{{gwi:121585}}

This is the Bermuda growing partly under the cardboard and along the edge. This area is mostly shade anyhow.

{{gwi:121586}}

Under the pizza boxes the Bermuda is thriving.

{{gwi:121587}}

Here is the wonder bucket that these Bermuda sprigs were put in around June/July. I'm surprised the roots didn't rot sitting in water that long. You'd expect them to suffocate with no light or oxygen being submerged in water as this bucket is also in full shade under the awning up against the north side of the house. Never gets direct light on it at all.

{{gwi:121588}}

If you had put that bucket in direct sun the grass would be overflowing with no soil visible. There are lots of plants that will grow in water with no nutrients.

I don't think anyone would say that bermuda is easy to kill. All I'm saying is that it can be smothered by covering it with a deep enough cover.

After a couple years with the sand and mulch on top of the bermuda, we still have no signs of the bermuda trying to sprout in the middle. We have it trying to encroach from the edges, but still nothing in the middle. We're about to put another inch or two of mulch on top. Our only reason for adding more mulch is to freshen up the deterioration in the appearance. We're "topdressing" our mulch with more mulch, so to speak.

Good point Dschall about smothering Bermuda with sand and mulch. The bucket though, there is no soil in there, not sure how the water turned brown over those several months.