The new molehills appearing on the lawn are the bane of many garden owners. In this article, we'll tell youhow to remove molehills from your lawnso that the turf quickly regains its perfect appearance and the molehills are no longer visible. Step by step from removing and leveling the soil on mole-mounds, to sowing new grass or supplementing it with fragments of ready-made turf. We will also suggesthow to get rid of the moleso that the problem of molehills on the lawn does not return!
How to remove molehills from the lawn?
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Leveling the ground after molehills
The soil that forms the molehillis the soil dug out of the shallow layer of soil just below the turf. After all, the mole did not bring new soil, but it dug up what was just below the surface of the lawn.
Therefore, the soil forming the molehills is usually not removed, but it is ruffled on the damaged surface. The ground in the place of the molehills should be loosened with a hoe, and then compacted in order to fill the corridor in the ground if possible.
If ourlawn has been badly damaged by molehills , it may be beneficial Turn out to roll the lawn to even out the ground and prevent the surface from collapsing.
When the surface is leveled, we can startfilling the losses in the turf . Depending on the scale of the damage, we sow the mounds with grass or supplement them with ready-made fragments of turf.
Sowing grass in places after molehills
Sowing grass on an existing lawn should be started with choosing the right mixture of seeds, preferably the same as the one that was used to set up the lawn. If we do not have a supply of seeds of our lawn mixture, it is recommended to sow special grass seeds for sowing.
Sow grass seeds, compact and cover with 3-5 mm of a layer of light soil or sand mixed with peat. Tamp the sown places again and water them abundantly. We try not to trample the lawn in the regenerated areas, and we do the first mowing only when the young grass reaches 7-8 cm.Special mixtures for seeding are available for sale, consisting of substrate, grass seeds, fertilizers and cultures fungi that promote plant rooting. Thanks to such products, replenishing the losses in turf is simple and effective.
Covering molehills with pieces of turf
In order toremove damage from molehillsby sowing seeds, however, it takes a long time to see the result. Before the young grass appears, it usually takes a few weeks, and we can achieve satisfactory results only after about 2 months. The difference in the appearance of the new turf in relation to the rest of the lawn is not noticeable until the next growing season. Therefore, the impatient canrepair the molehills by supplementing them with pieces of turf
To do this, remove a 4-5 cm layer of soil, mix the substrate with fertile soil and fertilizer, and place fragments of new turf in its place. Press it gently and water it.
Small losses after single molehillscan be supplemented with turf taken from the edges of our lawn. For larger damages, we arrange the previously purchased grass from the roll, remembering that it should have a thickness similar to that on our lawn.The grass takes root very quickly and even after a few days of laying, we can walk on it safely.
Regardless ofthe way of repairing molehills , there will be regular turf care. A regenerated lawn needs regular watering and fertilization.
How to prevent the appearance of new molehills?
No matter how much we try to remove the molehills from the lawn, the whole effect will be nullified when the mole damages again. Therefore, the lawn must besecured against the appearance of new molehills
Moles have a habit of moving through previously made corridors and digging up the soil in the same places. Therefore, before removing the molehill and raking the soil, it is worthto put a mole repellent into the mole corridor
The most natural and ecological way is to pour elderberry manure into the mole corridor or insert leaves of this plant and fragments of its twigs.If elderberry does not grow in our area, from which we could obtain twigs and leaves, you can use mole granules or mole gel available in gardening stores. The measured dose of the preparation is placed in the hole to the mole's corridor and then it is covered.Of course, such a procedure, although locally discouraging the mole from digging, will not protect the entire lawn or garden. Therefore, it is worthwhile to additionally drive a solar mole repeller into the ground (the device emits sounds that repel moles) or spray the entire lawn with a concentrate for moles and voles. A 250 ml package of this preparation is dissolved in 3.75 liters of water and sprayed onto the lawn with a garden sprayer. Spraying is sufficient for 300 m² of lawn.
The most desperate owners of lawns dotted with molehills can reach for a pyrotechnic trap for moles. Mole-trap Target.
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
