We have about 1/2 an acre of lawn, which after last winter has gone so uneven that we are nearly losing the lawnmower at times. We have been told to roll it for 60% improvement, but read that if you have heavy clay, not to roll it. Somebody else says you must scarify, which is a much bigger job; and do you do that as well as rolling it? We are totally confused as to what to do. Also, suppose we have another winter like this one, does that mean we will have the same problem again next year?
This article offers tips for leveling lawns: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/lawn-care/lgen/fill-uneven-lawn-low-spots-how-to-level-a-lawn.htm
Top-dress with clean soil, dragging a long plank or similar across the grass to fill the holes and produce a level surface.
Top dressing favors grass and stifles weeds. A high nitrogen fertilizer helps, eg a few handfuls of dynamic lifter dissolved in a bucket of water, this helps suppress clover and moss.
I moved into a house 3 years ago. My lawn was beautiful, then in the 3rd year it looks terrible with mostly weeds and bare patches.
It is possible that the previous owner (unscrupulously) planted a short life grass, like ryegrass. It grows quickly, looks lovely for about 1-3 years and then dies. It is normally mixed with another kind of grass seed to fill in the lawn while the slower growing, but longer lived grass seed gets established. Unfortunately, for a less than honest home seller, unmixed short life turf seed can give you a cheap, fast, gorgeous lawn while you sell the house and the buyer is left holding the bag when the grass dies off.
The other possibility is that you have a fungus that is killing the lawn. This article outlines the most common kinds of fungus that attck lawns:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/lawn-care/lgen/grass-fungus.htm
Can you turf over pebbles, or would I need to remove them?
I would recommend removing them. Not only would it throw the drainage off, it may cause problems for anyone who needs to dig there in the future.
The mushrooms that are growing in my lawn have a yellow tinge around the underside of the mushroom. Are these mushrooms EDIBLE? I need to know, as I am not willing to try them in case they make the family sick.
I am sorry, but due to the fact that many toxic mushrooms look like non-toxic mushrooms, we do not identify mushrooms. We recommend that you do not eat them unless a local mushroom expert has properly identified them.
We are installing new sod. It is very moist on the bottom, and we are keeping it well watered but some of the pieces seem to be turning brown. It was installed within 48 hours. Will it eventually turn green?
As long as the roots are still alive, it should recover. Here is an article that may help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/lawn-care/lgen/installing-sod-instructions.htm
I have dirt hills in my yard, like ant hills but the dirt is thicker, not fine like in ant hills. What is causing this? Is it grub worms? Help, they are everywhere!!
There are many things it might be. This article may help you identify it:
http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/plant_problems/hgic2364.html
New sod and several patches have turned brown. What can I do with it, if anything? Location southern Ontario, Canada.
This is a sign of under watering. Increase watering. You will also want to perhaps re-roll the sod. It may not be making connections all the way with the ground below.