I had sod put in last May. After the sod began to establish, I noticed low points throughout my lawn. It was especially noticable when I mowed because I would scalp some areas and others were untouched. I chose to use sand from Home Depot. Yes, I used play sand like many forum users would say not to use. Bottom line- the areas flattened out nicely. I just caution that you attempt any leveling slowly and methodically. Place small piles throughout the low areas and rake them level with a leaf rake. Water really helped in making the sand level. I have Bermuda and it grew through the sand with no problem. If you really want to be a perfectionist, mix in some top soil with the sand, that should serve as a satisfactory blend and feed the lawn at the same time. Now all you will have to worry about hopefully is gophers! On to my question for the group...........Good luck, Low spots!

lynn, You want the root ball moist but the trunk should not be getting soaked at its base. A basin that will hold moisture close to your root ball while your tree is becoming established is a good idea. Like jsvand suggested, plant your tree so that it is above the ground level. Some of the larger roots you see coming from the trunk should also be above the ground level. Your tree will settle and sink on its own and compensating for that is what you want to do. The idea is that when the tree is irrigated or there is a downpour, the water should not gravitate toward the trunk. I kept basins around my trees for several years. The basins reached a few inches beyond the canopies until I knew the roots were reaching far beyond the canopies. Keeping the area within the basins clean and free of grass or weeds was time consuming but necessary. Instead of tramping under the trees, I used a piece of plywood to distribute my weight while kneeling/working under and around the young trees. The plywood also allowed me to use a ladder up close to the tree without makeing gouges in the soil. More than you asked for ... don't worry about the tree getting dug up. Hope you won't be using manure. Welcome to the forum.

Hi All, I just posted three pictures above of the Chinese Fan Palm and the issue I'm having. It is a bit difficult to tell from the pictures, but the white mold/fungus/sap (whatever it is), is in the mulch mainly, about 1-2 inches deep. In Pic #2, look closely at the big chunk of mulch stuck together from the hard white stuff, it's like a big solid piece and I was able to pry it out of the ground. Thanks, let me know what you guys think and what I can do about this. Should I just get a hoe or rake and break it all up or something? Too much water, too little water? I have no clue at this point what this stuff is and what I should do. Also, in Pic #1, you can see the dwarf grass in the lower right corner that is pretty much dead, and the mulch around it is rock hard from this white stuff as well.

it is open on 4 sides you will still have moisture/rain and it will still get wet. If anything the roof structure will make it worse as it will not get the sun to help dry it out.