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How to grow grass after some removal/grinding #874706

Asked June 25, 2024, 8:27 PM EDT

Greetings. Can you direct me to information on growing grass after stump grinding? We had a large fir (balsam?) cut down in our front yard and then we had the stump ground. This was in early October of 2023.

We would like to be able to start growing grass there in the bare spot, but need to know what needs to be done to the soil to ensure good grass and growth. 

Thank you.

Kalamazoo County Michigan

Expert Response

I'm going to attach links to articles on seeding a lawn.  Since late August is the best time to seed a lawn you have a few weeks to get things ready.  If possible I'd try removing as much of the ground stump as possible, especially in the top 6" of the area.  Too much ground up stump in the soil will consume nitrogen that the grass needs to grow, for several years.  To maintain the soil level add compost and mix in well (maybe even over-fill to allow for settling and decomposition over time).  Use a starter fertilizer that contains  30+ % slow release nitrogen for longer feeding and apply it at a rate of 1# nitrogen per 1000Sq Ft.
Articles on seeding a lawn:
Establishing A New Lawn Using Seed (E2910)-MSU - follow these instructions and by October you should have a nice spot repair
Turfgrass species ID & Cultivar Selection (E2912)-MSU
Fertilizer Basics_Smart Gardener-MSU 
Establishing A Lawn from Sod-Purdue
Seeding & Sodding Home Lawns-UMN 
Fertilizing Lawns-UMN
Articles about seeding a lawn over a ground stump:
https://extension.purdue.edu/news/2021/06/Question-Can-I-Plant-Grass-Over-Newly-Removed-Stump.html
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/askextension/thisQuestion.cfm?ThreadID=15340&catID=199&AskSiteID=87 - a variant on your question
You may need to fertilize this spot more frequently for several years
Dick M. Replied June 26, 2024, 10:38 PM EDT

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