Question
Hi Floyd -
My husband and I have been trying to improve the state of our lawn the past couple of seasons - our lawn service put down seed just this past fall, and we were excited about the prospect of nicer-looking grass in the spring!  However, we had to have some work done on our front stairs, and the workmen parked a cement truck on our front lawn - it looked like the Oregon Trail went through our yard.  They returned and filled in the ruts with dirt, but now I'm wondering what to do to improve the look of our yard for the spring.  Should we have our lawn service return in early spring to re-seed, or is there anything else you would recommend?

We live in Kansas City, MO.

Thanks in advance for any advice -
Noelle

Answer
Good afternoon Noelle:
I wish I could tell you that all will be well with your lawn but in the area of the ruts it is unlikely you will be pleased with the outcome.
Just filling in the ruts with soil is not the answer. The concrete truck ruts are highly compacted so they should have been opened up with a roto-tiller before soil was used to fill them up. Also the soil level should have been set at a slightly higher level to allow for the soil to settle. Unless the lawn is completely renovated in that area the ruts  will continue to show themselves as a different texture of lawn.
Yes, I would have your lawn service return in the spring to evaluate the situation. Explain to them what happened in the area of the ruts. They may want to take that area and try to rejuvenate it by deep roto-tilling and re-seeding it this fall. The best time to put in grass seed is during August and September so that the new seedlings will not become over stressed during the hot summer months.
I, of course, am not eligible to give you an opinion about the concrete company but I am sure that they would have heard plenty from me. I hope that you expressed yourself to them as I would have.
Do not get discouraged. Even after renovation It may take a few seasons for your yard to recuperate.
Have a good lawn!
Floyd McMahon