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While you are dethatching your lawn, check for bumps and depressions. These may have been caused by poor grading, uneven settling, or the decomposition of buried tree stumps, logs, or roots. Mark any irregularities with latex spray paint so you can find them easily when you are ready to fill or level them.
To level small bumps, raise the sod with a sharp spade and remove the necessary amount of soil beneath it. Cut out at least a 2-by-2-foot section of sod. If you lift smaller patches of sod, they will likely dry out and die.While the soil base is exposed, mix in some compost and fertilizer. Watersoak the area using a hose and press the sod back into place. Keep the area watered to prevent lawn brownout.
Slight depressions can be smoothed over by topdressing: applying to the surface a combination of topsoil and compost. A wide landscaping rake is the best tool for this job. When handling larger depressions—those more than an inch or two deep and several square feet in area—raise the sod; fill the depression with a mixture of soil, humus, and fertilizer; replace the sod; press it in place; and water well.
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