Lawn Restoration
A soil test, two passes of aeration, new seed and a fertilizer blend made for your soil.
When a lawn needs more than a feeding
Lawn Restoration is our most complete service for lawns that need rebuilding, not just maintaining. It combines aeration and overseeding with a soil test and a fertilizer blend made for your soil.
- Thin, tired or patchy lawns
- Lawns on packed new-construction soil
- Lawns that don't respond to regular fertilizing
- Bare spots that keep coming back
- Anyone who wants to know what their soil actually needs
Five steps, in this order
- 01Step 1
Soil sample
We take a soil sample from your lawn and have it tested.
- 02Step 2
Review & custom blend
We review the results and make a custom blend of fertilizers and micronutrients to match what your soil is missing.
- 03
- 04Step 4
Overseed
New seed goes down right after aerating, so it settles into the holes and loosened soil.
- 05Step 5
Apply your custom blend
We finish by applying the custom-blended fertilizer and micronutrients, right where the new grass is starting.
Why we aerate twice
More seed-to-soil contact
Two passes roughly double the holes. Seed only sprouts where it touches soil, so more holes mean more new grass.
More compaction relief
Tired lawns are usually packed down. A second pass opens up more of the soil so roots, water and air can move.
What a soil test looks at
- pH: how acidic or alkaline the soil is, which affects how well grass can use nutrients
- Phosphorus (P): important for root growth, especially for new seedlings
- Potassium (K): helps grass handle stress, drought and cold
- Organic matter: how well the soil holds water and nutrients
- Micronutrients: things like iron, manganese and zinc that affect color and vigor
Exact tests vary by lab.
Why a custom blend beats one-size-fits-all
Every lawn's soil is different. A standard fertilizer assumes an average lawn, so it can add what you don't need and miss what you do.
A soil test shows what's actually short, and a blend made from those results puts your money where it helps the grass.
Lawn Restoration is a fall service
We do it in the fall because it includes overseeding. The soil is still warm for fast germination, nights are cooler, weeds are slowing down, and the new grass has time to root in before winter. The soil test comes first, so plan ahead and ask early.
Helping the new grass take hold
- Water: keep the top of the soil moist for the first 2 to 3 weeks (light watering, 5 to 10 minutes twice a day), then water less often but deeper.
- Mow: not until the new grass is about 3 to 4 inches tall, on the highest setting.
- Hold off on weed control and crabgrass preventer until the new grass is established.
- Mark sprinkler heads, irrigation, invisible dog fence wire and other shallow lines before we come.
Full details are in our overseeding watering and mowing guide.
With the 5-step program
Restoration rebuilds the lawn; the 5-step program keeps it fed and weed-free afterward. If you're on the program, we'll plan its weed control and crabgrass preventer around your new grass.
Lawn Restoration FAQ
How is Lawn Restoration different from aeration + overseeding?
It adds two things: a soil test, so we know what your soil actually needs, and a custom-blended fertilizer and micronutrient mix made for your lawn. We also aerate twice instead of once, so the new seed gets more holes to land in.
Why aerate twice?
Two passes roughly double the number of holes. That means more places for seed to make contact with soil, and more compaction relief, which matters most on tired or packed-down lawns.
Why put the fertilizer down after the seed?
So the custom blend lands right where the new grass is starting. Young seedlings and the existing lawn can both use those nutrients as they grow in, and the aeration holes help it reach the root zone.
When do you do Lawn Restoration?
In the fall, because it includes overseeding. Warm soil helps seed sprout quickly, cooler nights are easier on young grass, and it has time to root in before winter. The soil test comes first, so ask early.
Do I still need the 5-step program?
Restoration rebuilds the lawn; the program keeps it fed and weed-free year after year. They work well together. Let us know you're restoring so we can time the program's weed control around the new grass.
What do I need to do afterward?
Mainly water. New seed needs the top of the soil kept moist for the first few weeks. The full watering, mowing and what-to-skip guide is on our overseeding page.
Towns we serve
Holmen first, then out through the La Crosse County area. Wisconsin lawns only.
Holmen · Onalaska · La Crosse · West Salem · Trempealeau · Galesville · Mindoro · Bangor · Sparta · Westby · Coon Valley · Viroqua · Stoddard
Ask the people who do the work
The owners treat the lawns themselves, from the soil test to the last pass of seed.