Question
Hello. A half acre on my property had stumps removed a month ago. It was also "shaped" and smothed out after the stumps were gone. Now I am left with a muddy mess. When you step in it you sink 3 or 4 inches. There are excavator track marks everywhere. Where do I start? I live in Washington State. Thanks for any advice. mark

Answer
Wow. Okay Mark. The first issue is the time of year, which is far too late to seed your lawn. It also sounds like there's some pretty loose soil on top, which will be very prone to erosion over the winter and into the Spring.

First, the soil needs to be rolled in order to pack it down more firmly. This way, you won't sink in so far. It will settle to the firm state eventually anyway. This way, you can get there immediately. The firmer soil is also far more conducive to healthy plant growth.

You can either cover this with sheets of canvas, or other breathable fabric in order to protect it and prevent erosion over the winter, or you can sod it now. The sod will stop a good amount of erosion and should actually do okay as long as it is kept damp. I've actually sodded grass in January during a slightly warm snap before. The sod laid nicely, then froze soon thereafter, and finally took root and grew beautifully when the weather warmed in April.

That's my advice. Sod would be ideal (after rolling). If you can't afford it, then try to take steps to prevent erosion until Spring. Otherwise, it may be your neighbors with a muddy mess in their yard.

Good luck Mark!

-C.J. Brown
www.TheLawnCoach.com