Habitat destruction and land use change are among the anthropogenic influences affecting many ecosystems. After environmental degradation, restoration and reclamation efforts can be hampered by poor physio-chemical soil characteristics and reduced soil community complexity. To enhance degraded system recovery, soil manipulations may be necessary to alleviate habitat destruction. This review will (1) discuss grassland restoration in terms of ecosystem-level processes, and (2) analyze the efficacy of novel and easily applicable amendments (i.e. compost, biochar, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) to facilitate grassland recovery in severely degraded habitats. We suggest that restoration practitioners emphasize soil ecological knowledge and microbial processes in tandem with native plants when restoring damaged ecosystems. This review is intended to guide practitioners in the promotion of grassland ecosystem sustainability.