Turf Grass installation over a large residential site - Ask Extension
Our backyard was substantially torn up for the installation of a new septic drain field. We have been left with a roughly 40 yard by 40 yard area tha...
Knowledgebase
Turf Grass installation over a large residential site #891883
Asked January 24, 2025, 10:28 AM EST
Our backyard was substantially torn up for the installation of a new septic drain field. We have been left with a roughly 40 yard by 40 yard area that is covered with the soil dug up for the drainfield trenches and then roughly spread out and leveled during the installation.
Ideally, we want to restore most of the area to a turfgrass field either using sod or tall fescue seeds. We are looking for advice on the best way to do this given that the area is used by children and 3 dogs and does have a couple of areas that will need leveling due to settling of the ground. We also need to know how to find vendors who do this kind of work. Appreciate any advice you can give us.
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
As per your inclination, tall fescue is among the most tolerant to regular foot traffic (zoysia is also, but is vulnerable to damage when foot traffic occurs during its dormancy). Tall fescue is also generally the most widely recommended turf type in Maryland. We're currently overhauling our lawn care and maintenance web pages to make things more streamlined for common projects (like starting a new lawn), so there is overlap in our current web page content. We're trying to compress topics into fewer pages so you have fewer links to follow. There are a lot of individual lawn pages for now in the group linked above, but they cover all of the applicable scenarios.
In the meantime, you can browse pages on the appropriate topics for this situation, like soil testing and the list of recommended cultivars to look for when buying seed (which will be the best selections for heat tolerance and disease resistance). You can use the Lawn Renovation and Overseeding page (you'd be doing renovation, since you're starting the lawn over) for guidance about the steps to take. Once the soil has thawed, now is a good time to send in soil samples for testing, so you know what improvements to make (if any) regarding applying compost and lime to raise organic matter content and adjust acidity (pH), respectively, to benefit the future grass.
Unfortunately, the best time of year by far to establish new fescue lawns is in early autumn, not spring, though we realize you don't have much choice due to the exposed soil. New lawn seeding in spring is more fraught with weed competition and weather that could freeze seedlings or cause other environmental stress. (Warmer soil in fall allows for faster rooting and establishment while the cooling air temps. minimize stress for the grass.) To reduce the risk of late frost damage, germinating seed could be covered with row cover (laid on grass is not its traditional placement, but it can help moderate temperatures a couple degrees, and hold in humidity for faster germination); the cover is removed once the young grass gets tall enough to start pushing up against the sheet and is ready for its first mowing. Compared to seed, sod would establish a more-or-less instant lawn, bypassing most weed concerns for a year or two, but the trade-off is that it will cost more to install than sowing seed. People and pets need to stay off of a new lawn until it's gotten established enough to be mown at least once or twice, whereas that will be less critical (though still ideal) with sod that is rooting-in.
No lawn is impervious to heavy pet and human foot traffic damage, and no lawn will resist pet urine damage (though how damaging it is depends greatly on various conditions), so periodic repair via patching or yearly autumn overseeding will be needed for the life of the lawn. (Even for healthy lawns, regular overseeding is still recommended to keep the grass lush and vigorous.) Core aeration just prior to autumn overseeding will help to mitigate some of the soil compaction that foot traffic causes.
Starting with as level a site as possible also helps avoid scalping as you mow, which can cut grass on lumpy areas too short, giving weeds an advantage and making the grass more vulnerable to problems.
If you want to hire help, Extension doesn't collect information on lawn care companies or make business recommendations, but the MD Dept. of Agriculture (who regulates the lawn care industry as well as home lawn practices like when and how fertilizer can be applied) has a brochure that might be helpful: how to choose a lawn care service (PDF).
Miri
In the meantime, you can browse pages on the appropriate topics for this situation, like soil testing and the list of recommended cultivars to look for when buying seed (which will be the best selections for heat tolerance and disease resistance). You can use the Lawn Renovation and Overseeding page (you'd be doing renovation, since you're starting the lawn over) for guidance about the steps to take. Once the soil has thawed, now is a good time to send in soil samples for testing, so you know what improvements to make (if any) regarding applying compost and lime to raise organic matter content and adjust acidity (pH), respectively, to benefit the future grass.
Unfortunately, the best time of year by far to establish new fescue lawns is in early autumn, not spring, though we realize you don't have much choice due to the exposed soil. New lawn seeding in spring is more fraught with weed competition and weather that could freeze seedlings or cause other environmental stress. (Warmer soil in fall allows for faster rooting and establishment while the cooling air temps. minimize stress for the grass.) To reduce the risk of late frost damage, germinating seed could be covered with row cover (laid on grass is not its traditional placement, but it can help moderate temperatures a couple degrees, and hold in humidity for faster germination); the cover is removed once the young grass gets tall enough to start pushing up against the sheet and is ready for its first mowing. Compared to seed, sod would establish a more-or-less instant lawn, bypassing most weed concerns for a year or two, but the trade-off is that it will cost more to install than sowing seed. People and pets need to stay off of a new lawn until it's gotten established enough to be mown at least once or twice, whereas that will be less critical (though still ideal) with sod that is rooting-in.
No lawn is impervious to heavy pet and human foot traffic damage, and no lawn will resist pet urine damage (though how damaging it is depends greatly on various conditions), so periodic repair via patching or yearly autumn overseeding will be needed for the life of the lawn. (Even for healthy lawns, regular overseeding is still recommended to keep the grass lush and vigorous.) Core aeration just prior to autumn overseeding will help to mitigate some of the soil compaction that foot traffic causes.
Starting with as level a site as possible also helps avoid scalping as you mow, which can cut grass on lumpy areas too short, giving weeds an advantage and making the grass more vulnerable to problems.
If you want to hire help, Extension doesn't collect information on lawn care companies or make business recommendations, but the MD Dept. of Agriculture (who regulates the lawn care industry as well as home lawn practices like when and how fertilizer can be applied) has a brochure that might be helpful: how to choose a lawn care service (PDF).
Miri
