Will Your Grass Grow Back After Snow Plow Damage? Here’s the Deal

Snow plows worked hard to keep your sidewalks and driveway clear and passable during the deep freeze, and now that the snow has melted, you can see the damage they’ve done to your lawn. You may have some work ahead of you to ensure complete grass recovery, but at least you get to do this work in pleasant weather instead of in the middle of a blizzard. And Massachusetts landscaper Greg Cuoco figures your chances of success are good.

“Grass is pretty resilient. How healthy and lush it will grow depends on how healthy it was prior to winter, the extent of the snow plow damage, and how much time and trouble you can spare to see to its well-being.” If you’re willing to give your lawn the love it needs, but you need some advice on dealing with damage from mild to severe, our lawn experts are here to help.

Why Snow Plows Tear Up Lawns

It’s pretty simple, really. As the plow blade scrapes along a sidewalk or driveway, it inevitably catches grass that is growing near the edge. This is pretty hard to avoid, since it’s impossible to see the lawn edge under the snow unless you have some kind of demarkation line, like landscape edging, a gravel buffer or a gulley.

Unfortunately, says lawn expert Steven Corcoran, winter conditions often contribute to more extensive damage. “When only a small spot is touched by the snow plow, a larger area ends up being damaged because of how it can all stick together more.”

Will Grass Grow Back?

Because of its resilience, most grass will grow back, but it may need help if the damage is extensive. In cases of severe damage, the grass won’t grow back at all, and you’ll have to reseed or plant new sod.

Grass recovery can be severely inhibited by any de-icing salt that seeps onto the lawn, but turf grass specialist Ryan Walts recommends a few ways to mitigate this problem, and we’ll get to those below.

Minor Surface Scrapes

Some minor damage might not call for any action at all. “Just leave it be until temps warm up to see if it naturally recovers. Grass most often will, especially if the roots are still intact,” says lawn care specialist Chrissie Handley. “If not, overseed to encourage re-growth.”

Deep Ruts and Exposed Soil

You’ll need to bring in topsoil to fill in deep ruts that have developed, and then rake the area level. The grass may grow back naturally after you do this, but if not, it’s time to reseed. Here’s the re-seeding procedure Cuoco recommends:

1. First, remove any debris from the area, then loosen the soil a bit with a rake.
2. Scatter the seed and lightly tamp it down to ensure it contacts the soil.
3. Add starter fertilizer before or just after planting, and water the area more frequently for four to six weeks until the grass is settled.
4. Keep foot (and paw) traffic away from the area to give the grass a chance to grow.

Completely Torn-Out Sod

Basically, you have three options for grass recovery in cases of severe damage, depending on the size and condition of the torn-out area.

• The first is to reattach the turf that was torn out. “Check the root system,” advises Cuoco. “If you can see some whole roots that look like they’re growing, put the sod chunks back in areas where it was uprooted from, pressing slightly to re-attach it.”
• The second is to lay new sod, which is a quick and easy solution for extensive damage, but also an expensive one, says Cuoco.
• The third is to bring in new topsoil and reseed, following the procedure above.

How To Help Grass Recovery

Cuoco recommends top dressing a severely distressed lawn, but before you do that, check the soil pH to determine the best dressing to use. If the pH is low (acidic soil), use compost; peat moss is a good choice for high-pH soil. “Regardless of the material used, apply no more than a half inch of any top dressing material and rake it over the area for an even distribution before watering.” And don’t forget to water regularly and keep pets and kids away.

A lawn exposed to salt and other deicers may need a little extra help. Salt dehydrates the soil, making it harder for roots to draw moisture, and it upsets the nutrient balance. To improve grass recovery, Walts recommends the following:

• Flush the area with water to leach excess salt from the soil.
• Apply gypsum to help break up salt buildup and restore soil health.
• Aerate the lawn to promote deeper root growth and improve drainage.

FAQs

Can compacted soil prevent grass from growing back?

All our experts agree with Handley, who says that compacted soil can prevent healthy grass growth. “You may want to aerate the area to help improve drainage and airflow in March to improve ground conditions before overseeding.”

Who is responsible for lawn damage caused by a city snowplow?

That depends on the city, because municipal rules vary. In some cases, the city may pay for rehabilitation of the plow skips over the curb or street boundary and scrapes the grass, but if the damage is caused by piling snow onto the lawn, that’s usually considered normal winter wear and tear. Check with your public works department if you aren’t sure.

About the Experts

• Greg Cuoco is the CEO of The Difference Landscapes located in Lee, NH.
• Steven Corcoran is the CEO of Lawn Love, a nationally franchised lawn care service.
• Ryan Walts is the training manager and business coach at Lawn Squad, a national lawn treatment franchise.
• Chrissie Handley is a lawn care specialist working for Online Turf based in the UK.

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