Growing Grass after Stump Grinding

There are many reasons why you may need to remove a couple of trees from your garden and once the trees are gone and the stump removal is complete, you will then have a yard with a beautiful lawn where you can barbecue in the summer or your kids can play. Or at least that is the idea, but often the reality is that the area where the stump has been removed remains nothing more than an offensive hole filled with wood chips in the middle of your otherwise perfect lawn. The reason for this is that while stump grinding is a quick and efficient way to get rid of troublesome tree stumps, it can have a negative effect on the soil. This has a strong impact on whether or not you will be able to grow grass on the area where the stump grinding took place.

​The sawdust that remains after a stump has been removed robs the soil of nitrogen and this can prevent grass from growing in the area. If you have ground up a particularly large stump or numerous stumps on your property, the large amount of sawdust in the soil may take years to decompose on its own before allowing the soil to return to normal nitrogen levels, but fortunately, there are ways to overcome this problem and speed up the process. Continue reading to learn how you can get your lawn looking beautiful again.
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Grass requires plenty of nitrogen to grow well and remain healthy. If there is not enough nitrogen in the soil, the grass will turn yellow and remain short and stunted, allowing weeds to take over, and there may even be patches where the grass won’t grow at all. Adding a nitrogen-rich fertilizer to the area before you plant your grass can help restore the health of the soil and prepare the ground for planting.

Generally, the area where a stump has been removed is relatively small and won’t require too much fertilizer. Using a combination of quick release and slow release nitrogen gives the grass a good initial boost and also ensures a healthy supply of nitrogen over a long period, allowing the grass to become well established. If you are in a hurry for your grass to grow, and you want a lush lawn in a matter of months you need to make the effort to remove as much sawdust as possible from the soil before you plant grass seeds. If the sawdust remains in the soil, it can take up to a year to restore the nitrogen balance sufficiently to grow healthy grass. Once you have removed the sawdust, use good quality topsoil to fill the indentation.
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To get great looking grass to grow as quickly as possible, you need to take time to sow the seeds properly. After you have removed as much sawdust as possible and any debris and larger pieces of wood, turn over the topsoil with a shovel, apply a slow-release grass fertilizer before sprinkling your grass seed liberally over the area. The next step is to rake the ground to cover the seeds with ¼ inch of topsoil and finally water the area. You need to continue watering the ground every morning and evening until the seeds begin to sprout.

Finally, after 60 days, when the grass is getting nice and thick, apply the first dose of high-nitrogen fertilizer and continue to apply it monthly. This will maintain the nitrogen levels in the ground and also help speed up the decomposition of the stump wood. When the grass is well established, deeply water it once or twice a week and apply more fertilizer if the grass begins to turn a yellowish colour.
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Stump grinding, carried out by a professional company like Martin’s Tree Service, remains one of the best methods of removing offensive stumps from your garden and with our help and advice, you will be able to restore your grass in no time at all.