Hardscaping, or creating features of landscape architecture such as patios or retaining walls, can be a great way to add beauty and functionality to your outdoor space. Whether you’re installing a driveway or a new drainage system, hardscaping projects can increase the value of your home as well as improve its integrity. However, one common concern that homeowners have is how their lawn will fare during and after the hardscaping project. Digging, grading, and other activities can take a toll on the grass, leaving bare patches and uneven areas. If you’ve spent countless hours cultivating a lush lawn, that can be a tough pill to swallow. Greenway of Nashville has performed hardscape installation near you for over 15 years and takes steps to minimize these effects. Their expert contractors know just how to minimize the effects to your lawn and may even leave your yard better than it started. We’ll discuss how long it takes for grass to regrow after a hardscaping project and what steps Greenway takes to minimize disruption to your lawn during installation.

How Does Grass Grow After Damage?

Before we dive into the timeline of grass regrowth, it’s important to understand the growing process. Grass has a unique ability to recover quickly from damage thanks to its growth pattern. Unlike other plants, lawns grow from the bottom up, whereas most plants grow from the more distant parts. This growth pattern allows grass to regenerate even if the top portion of the plant is damaged or removed. It is the same reason that grass is able to regrow so easily when you mow your lawn. The lateral spreading of grass from one area to another will depend on the species, as there are quite a few types of grass. Since Nashville is in a transition zone, it is home to a mixture of cool-season and warm-season grass types. Growth patterns and times may vary because of that, but if you know which kind of lawn you have, it will give you more accurate information on what timeline to expect.

No matter what type of grass you have, when it is removed or disrupted during a hardscape installation, it is important it be given time to regrow before resuming normal lawn care practices. While it renews itself, the grass is more fragile and more susceptible to disease or stress. It will require extra care during this phase to ensure it comes back lush and beautiful. This should be taken into account when selecting a time of year to move forward with a project—you want it to be a season that sets the grass regrowth up for success, and also not be a time when that area will need to be used for a while.

How Long Does It Take for Grass to Fully Grow Back?

The timeline for grass regrowth after a hardscaping project can vary based on several factors, including the type of grass, the extent of damage, and the time of year. In general, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months for grass to fully recover. Let’s break down the process of regrowth. During the first couple weeks after the project, existing grass can be in a state of shock, causing it to appear brown or yellow. It will be important to avoid walking across the grass, mowing the area, underwatering and even overwatering it. If new grass is planted, the ground may need to be aerated to help the seeds settle in. Around weeks three and four, you should begin to see new growth sprouting from the base of the grass. This is a sign that the grass is beginning to recover. It may still be patchy or uneven at this point and will need continued gentle care with minimal stress. By the fifth week, the grass is becoming strong, and your lawn is well on its way to recovery. New growth is visible throughout the previous off-color area, and the bare patches are beginning to fill in. This is the phase when normal activities such as watering and mowing can resume as long as the grass is tall enough, but it should be done carefully to protect the new growth. Through the next couple of months, the grass should be recovered in full. Your lawn will be thick and healthy, looking good as new—and maybe even better than before!

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How to Minimize Damage During a Hardscaping Project

At Greenway, we understand how important your lawn and curbside appeal are. We take great care to minimize landscape damage during projects so your grass can resume its beauty as quickly as possible. Choosing the right equipment for a project helps avoid excess soil compaction and disruption of the grass, and we thoroughly plan to minimize areas of the yard that will be affected by the project. We also utilize protective mechanisms such as tarps and barriers to minimize the impact that materials will have on your lawn. Debris and other material are cleaned up regularly to avoid compression of the grass. By assessing the area and the needed steps, we avoid traffic and stress to sections of the lawn that would be wasteful. If there is a concrete area nearby that can be used such as a driveway, we aim to set equipment there so that the grass is spared from prolonged compression. There could be a need for adding additional grass seed to areas to help with regrowth, making it important to obtain the same species of grass seed to match what already is there. Thorough evaluation as part of our initial meeting with you helps determine exactly what is needed to achieve your goal and allows us to develop a plan that avoids unnecessary digging or grading. Growing grass after construction should always be a part of the planning process, and considerations should be made for expediting it to return your home to its usual state.

There’s no way to completely avoid disrupting the yard during a major project. When drainage systems require digging or retaining walls require concrete mixers, there is bound to be some stress to the lawn. Greenway of Nashville plans for the protection and restoration of your landscape as part of the entire project and doesn’t leave it as an afterthought. We are committed to returning your home to a state even better than it started and getting your grass green as quickly as possible. With proper care and attention, you will not only improve the functionality of your landscape but minimize the period of time where there’s even evidence enhancements took place.

Greenway of Nashville are the top-notch hardscape installers near you. Years of experience, thorough planning, and caring for your home as we would our own are the pillars we stand by. Contact us through our website or by calling us at (615)-238-4574 to get started on your next landscape project.

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