Lawn destroyed during construction

Our house was fully renovated a year ago but unfortunately the front yard was pretty much destroyed in the process. Where do we even begin in restoring the lawn? Never done this before so I don’t know much about establishing grass.

I’m hesitant to use a rototiller because there are surface roots from the maple tree around the yard and I don’t want to injure them, but the soil has eroded and definitely needs to be filled in. Is a rototiller even necessary?

It was recommended we get a soil test that will determine any amendments needed but then what? Some annual crabgrass filled in the whole yard last summer but has since died. It seems that the best time to seed a lawn is late summer/early fall, so I'm not sure if we should wait or not- it wouldn't be great living with the yard the way it is for another summer.

Is it wise to try and seed right now? Or is there anything else we should do right now? A step by step explanation would be helpful. Thanks!

We are in northern New Jersey. The yard slopes downward toward the house (house sits below street level). Not super steep, but a definite slope. First photo is from last spring, second is from last summer when crabgrass grew in. It now is back to basically looking like it did last spring

Consider using a landscape sod company because of the degree of damage and slope. You will ultimately come out ahead. Trying to establish a lawn by prepping and seeding a bare dirt slope is an uphill battle. It could take years. Sodding will give you an almost overnight restoration and should come with guarantees.

There are large hardwood trees behind my garden and rocks underground. My tiller, a mid-size Troy-bilt "pony", bounces or bucks when it hits roots or rock. Gotta hang on for the ride but no problem for the roots. A sod company would probably do a more shallow till on a lawn than I do in the vegetable garden and maybe they would aerate. Then they go over the sod with a drum roller to tamp it in place.

Hi! Not sure if this still applies to sod, but if you decide to DIY, you are right: you'll need to wait until late August-mid September to seed. Baby grass will be less likely to get scorched and will have more temperate weather to germinate in. Come winter, the snow will insulate it and give it a good drink for the springtime thaw. Plus, weeds should be mostly past their prime and won't compete with your grass seedlings as much (as opposed to teying to establish grass in the spring). I don't know about equipment, amendments, etc that we used (I can ask my husband what he used, if you're interested). Water, water, water... If those seeds dry out, it's game over. My husband basically grew our lawns from scratch at our house and the one before it. Both on slopes. As others have said, it's costly in time and money and is a LOT of work. 2 years into our current place and he estimates it will take another year or 2 to really shine. But--second to his family--it's his pride and joy. :)

For some time, we started to make significant changes on the part of the house and the outside, and for that, there were many workers. We also built a carport and for some time, the lawn was not cut because I could not say that the whole yard was full of things for the home. After I finished everything and cleaned the property, everything was small or dirty, in some parts, it was very overgrown...Did you have such problems with the lawn or suffer such interesting phases as mine? Which makes me happy that the house turned out the way I wanted it too XD.

This message was edited Sep 5, 2021 3:57 PM

I think having a professional lay sod is the best way to go. Between starting from scratch, having a slopping yard, seed will just wash away or leave you with patchy, uneven spots.

Getting your soil tested in the first step. Most local extension offices offer soil testing for a small fee. You send in soil samples, and they will send back results, giving you a clear picture of the minerals and nutrients in your lawn, flowerbeds or vegetable garden. Testing typically includes pH levels as well, along with recommendations for amendments.

Professionals can help you amend your soil, select the right sod variety for your region, yard type, and personal preferences (kid/pet friendly, maintenance requirements, look, feel, etc), and install the sod. Starting with mature grass, free from weeds is a great place to begin!

Best of luck!
Cheers!

It isn't good. I'm sorry for what happened. I completely understand you about the lawn. When I hired builders for my garage, this happened to my grass too, so we replaced it with artificial grass. It was hard for me to part with the grass I had been caring for, for several years. At that point, my gardener's heart broke. Too bad the soil didn't want to sprout plants after that. The builders said they didn't pour anything in there. Then I couldn't understand why the soil in that area was arid.

This message was edited Sep 20, 2021 5:04 PM

This message was edited Sep 20, 2021 5:05 PM

Hello, I understand you. My family and I moved to a new house and the lawn was destroyed too. Our friend recommended us read a review of artificial grass on this. So that, I think setting up artificial grass mats on your lawn would be a nice idea for your situation.

Ohh, I am really sorry for you and your lawn. It is really sad. I hope you will solve this problem. Good luck!