Some grass is not cut out for high traffic, and that is okay for the homeowner who is rarely home and doesn’t have family playing outside. Some yards welcome traffic regardless of who is home, and they may fall prey to kids walking home from school or taking a shortcut to a nearby park. Lastly, maybe your yard can handle normal traffic, but your last barbecue or yard sale was too much for it. Whatever the reason, there are things you can do to revive your withering lawn and make it the luscious green carpet it once was.
Depending on how your lawn became trampled, you may have some major work ahead of you. Assess whether or not the lawn is dead or dying. This may happen after a longer period of trampling or if the grass was not yet established well. If it is dead, you will have to replant, sod, or plug. If you aren’t sure, cordon the area with caution tape or something to ensure no more traffic ends up coming through, and baby it for a while. In any case, trampled lawns need a break, so stay off!
If it is a light trampling, visible but not deadly, fluff that grass back up! The best thing you can do is avoid further compaction, and the grass should bounce back on its own with regular watering.
If you are certain that your yard is free from hazard, water and fertilize as usual. As long as your grass is not beyond repair, some TLC should be all that is needed to get it back to its glory.
Compaction is your worst enemy for grass, trampling or not. This is because compacted Earth prevents grass from getting oxygen, food, and water. If you’ve had a trampling, and you haven’t aerated recently, it is probably time. High-traffic yards typically need it twice a year.
Cool-season Fescue is one option for planting resilient lawns that can handle a lot of foot traffic. You may not need an entire new lawn after one trampling, but if it is going to be a constant nuisance, it might be time to haul in the "big guns" by planting a new, tough lawn with durable grass. Contact your local extension office to find out what your options are.
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Greenfeet Lawncare Provides Service to the Following Areas.
770-619-2929
North Fulton, East Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth Counties - including Alpharetta, Canton, Cobb, Cumming, Dunwoody, Gwinnett, Johns Creek, Marietta, Milton, Roswell, Sandy Spring
