How to eliminate Tire Marks in an Yard

Mowing your lawn while it’s wet can cause unsightly tire tracks in your yard. The exact same thing sometimes happens if you mow in the exact same pattern over and over. You can just raise superficial tire marks back into place. Ruts more than 4 inches deep need more aggressive treatment. Although some experts recommend reseeding or replacing sod, that is not essential for the ordinary lawn.

For Sparkling Ruts

Loosen the soil in and about the ruts with a spade fork.

Insert the fork at a 45-degree angle below the edge of the tire mark.

Press gently on the fork’s handle to lift the sod until it’s 1 to 2 inches above the surrounding sod.

Work your way across the entire mark, inserting the fork and gently lifting the sod until it’s 1 to 2 inches higher than the remainder of the yard. The sod will settle over a period of days to mix in with the surrounding area.

For Deep Ruts

Cut the grass at the bottom of the tire mark lengthwise with a garden spade.

Insert a spade fork underneath the sod on each side of the cut, and press gently on the handle to lift the sod.

Fold the sod back on each side of the cut, and use a spade to turn over the dirt from the rut to loosen it.

Add soil to the rut until the area from the tire mark is 1 to 2 inches higher than the surrounding area.

Fold the sod back in place, and water that the area until the soil settles into place.

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