Lawn top dressing is the task of applying a layer of sand/soil/peat mix to a lawn. The good news is that choosing a top dressing mix is very simple. When it comes to choosing a top dressing mix for your lawn, choose the very best quality you can afford. It's a good idea to perform topdressing in conjunction with other cultural practices, such as aerating, de-thatching, and overseeding. In order to activate the fertiliser and to encourage germination, you need to keep the soil moist. To help the new grass seed to germinate, apply a fertiliser. Your lawn will be pretty black at this point. What is Lawn Top Dressing and Why Should I Do it? Top dressing is an application of a thin layer of soil over a turf grass area and is used to smooth and level the surface or to modify the soil condition, usually no more than ¼ to ½ inch. We just want a nice lawn so we don’t need to be quite so geeky! If your lawn is well fertilised, healthy and … The aeration holes, in turn, provide the perfect environment for overseeding, allowing newer generations of grass to establish and thrive. 6 Products Tested and Reviewed. 50 (square meterage of your lawn) x 5 (kilos per square meter) = 250kg. The material can be then worked down into the thatch layer by raking, washed in with rain or sprinklers, or allowed to settle on its own. So, if you are planning to aerate or scarify your lawn do so prior to top dressing. Top dressing is the process of spreading additional soil over the surface of your lawn. Treatments like scarification and aeration are invasive so you should always spread new grass seed after to help the lawn recover. Top dressing is best done after raking/scarification and aeration but before overseeding and fertilising. I’d also love to see any before and after or progress pictures. Topdressing is a sand or prepared soil mix applied to the surface of the lawn. Top … A hose and sprinkler system is best, preferably one with a fine spray setting. Top Dressing with Compost and Any Custom Blends. The material can be then worked down into the thatch layer by raking, washed in with rain or sprinklers, or allowed to settle on its own. Top dressing should be done for two main reasons. For normal utility lawns, a double screened ¼” topsoil will do. This means, plenty of sun, rain and warmth. Areas of a lawn can become uneven over time, due to settling, drainage issues, and various natural and unnatural causes. For a normal family or utility lawn, make your own call. Compost should be made from the appropriate ratios of wet and dry materials and should be fully "cooked"—highly decomposed, High-quality finished compost is dark and rich and contains a variety of organic materials with few fillers such as sawdust or loam. Soil structure and drainage can be modified by topdressing with sand or other corrective materials. I want to help you create the garden of your dreams. Any low spots will naturally get more but it’s really important that you don’t smother the grass. Topdressing. For ornamental lawns, top dressing should be part of your lawn care program. Don’t expect it to repair big divots or hollows in your lawn though. Whether topdressing a lawn, applying infield mixes, top soil, calcite clay, crumble rubber, or treating walks and drives with icemelt and rock salt, Ecolawn’s … How to Choose a Top Dressing Mix For Your Lawn, The Tools You’ll Need For Top Dressing a Lawn, How to Calculate How Much Top Dressing Soil You’ll Need, Step 1: Pile Up Small Mounds of Topsoil Evenly Over Your Lawn, Step 2: Spread the Piles of Topsoil Out With the Back of a Rake, Step 3: Work the Soil into the Lawn With a Stiff Brush, What’s the Best Garden Hose? TOP DRESSING Topdressing is a sand or prepared soil mix applied to the surface of the lawn. In my opinion, this is really important for ornamental lawns. Usually applied after aerating, the sand fills in the holes and over time can alter the structure of the soil to allow for better drainage and a healthier grass. Especially after hollow-tine aeration. The term topdressing also is used for the process of applying the material. This in turn helps to break down nutrients and aid grass growth. Lawn care companies sometimes offer a topdressing service, but sometimes reluctantly, since it is viewed as a labor-intensive inconvenience that does not have a large profit margin. Take a stiff yard brush and brush the topsoil into the turf. Top dressing in conjunction with other lawn care maintenance procedures is not only highly beneficial but can often save time. Take your bags of topsoil or put it in a bucket or wheelbarrow and make several piles of it all over your lawn. There’s only so much you can do with the back of a rake. When you top dress a lawn with good a high-quality mix, you introduce micro-organisms back into the soil. When I refer to the quality of top dressing soil, I mean; The grade of topsoil refers to how fine it is. Move the soil around and work it into the lawn. 5mm in topsoil equates to 4-5kg per square meter of lawn. Golf courses spend millions of pounds every year on soil science and research. In other words, very, very confusing. So I suggest you invest in a large landscaping rake with a flat back. Utilizing a mixture of fine organic material and sand, Lawn … You want to wet the lawn, not wash the new soil and grass seed away. Topdressing materials vary greatly and are usually dictated by budget and the needs of the lawn. This practice has been observed since golf was first invented in … You’ll need to work the top dressing into the lawn and fill any small undulations and the holes created by hollow-tining. This will help work the new soil evenly into your lawn. This means the soil has passed through a sieve with ¼” holes in it, twice. Helps Seed Germinate- If overseeding your lawn, top dressing allows … Also known as ‘sterile’ soil, a topsoil that is free of weeds will add to the expense. Are you planning to top dress your lawn? Up until recently, the instant gratification and convenience for homeowners, and the profits enjoyed by lawn care companies, meant that modern chemical practices triumphed over the old art of manually spreading compost on the lawn. 4. Use a sprinkler with a fine spray setting. If your lawnmower bumps and bangs through low spots while cutting the grass you should remove the turf, add additional material (or remove it) to the soil and then re-lay the sod. Grass likes soil to be between ph 5.5 and 7. They know that soil can make the difference between a good playing surface and a sublime one. It has been performed on golf courses since the sport was invented in Scotland, but has only recently become … Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In the least extreme cases, you can solve the problem by topdressing with a thin … This usually means having to fork out more money but the old cliché is true. Lastly, topdressing with compost helps fill in the holes, covering the seeds and allowing for ideal germination conditions, as well as just the right burst of nutrients for the grass seedlings as they become established. pH ranges from 1 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline). These help in the decomposition of organic material like dead grass roots, old clippings and other matter that causes lawn thatch to build up. Top dressing is the process of spreading additional soil over the surface of your lawn. 6 Products Tested and Reviewed, What is the Best Grass Seed? Aerate. Likewise, adding a loam mix to a dry, sandy soil will help it to retain moisture. So dry soil is imperative. Both in terms of soil profile and pH. Lawn top dressing is when you apply a thin layer of material onto the lawn. Centenary Landscaping Supplies presents a guide to Top dressing your lawn, grass or turf. Calculating the amount of material you need for top dressing your lawn is simple enough to do. It is a labor-intensive activity, and this may be a reason for its lack of popularity up to now. Top dressing is the process of applying compost, soil, or sand over the surface of your lawn. My Top Choices. Especially if your lawn is like a bowling green. So you might plan to do all of this in a day and the process would look something like this. … Motorized topdressing spreader machines are also available to make this work easier. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Proper mowing or grazing and top dressing will help keep the stand in vigorous, high-quality grasses and legumes for many years. Read: What is the Best Lawn Fertiliser? Lawns typically give more than they take. For lawns that suffer from water logging a sand based top dressing applied after aeration can improve the drainage and firm the surface as a preventative. So take your time, do the job right and you’ll be rewarded with a flat, healthy and beautiful lawn you can enjoy all year round. Once you’ve spread your top dressing, get some grass seed down. Spring & autumn - application of up to 3 litres/m 2 (3mm deep) of topdressing will assist in levelling the lawn… There are many different types of grass seed available so…, Read: What is the Best Grass Seed? Traditionally, topdressing is spread over the lawn by the shovelful, using a motion that resembles a hockey player swinging at a puck. Repeated applications of a sandy, loamy top dressing mixture to a heavy soil will improve the soil structure over time. The… Be mindful though, this doesn’t stop weed seeds from blowing onto and germinate in your lawn. Any areas where it globs or mounds up should be corrected immediately. In other words, always buy your compost for topdressing from a reputable source. In which case stick to just 1kg per square meter. Top dressing is one of those lawn treatments normally undertaken by more serious lawnsmiths. - 3-In-1 Function: Test soil moisture, pH value and sunlight level of a plant. That said, it can take a bit of time. Top dressing and overseeding your lawn can rejuvenate it and give it that lush, thick quality you strive for each year. Topdressing after aerating and overseeding is the ideal trio of lawn care practices, sure to create a healthier lawn. Good topdressing compost is not always easy to find. My 6 Top Recommendations. Topdressing reduces lawn stresses, helps keep thatch under control, and acts as a long-term natural fertilizer. Adding organic matter to a lawn by topdressing with compost is arguably the most beneficial cultural practice that the science of lawn care has to offer. Topdressing's benefits are so numerous, it's hard to understand why it is not the foundation for every lawn care program. As a soil amendment, topdressing can improve soil biology by adding organic matter and the beneficial microorganisms found in compost. Kelly Burke is a freelance writer and professional turf manager. Topdressing is the process of adding a very thin layer of topsoil mix to the surface of an existing lawn. There’s only so much you can do with the back of a rake so now you need to really work the soil into the turf. When to apply top dressing Rolawn Lawn Topdressing can be applied anytime, when the grass is actively growing. In which case, use a bucket, or even better, a wheelbarrow. Follow this by lightly raking the lawn to ensure that the topdressing is evenly distributed. Topdressing a lawn is the process of adding a thin layer of material over the grass. Typically, 1/4 to 1/2 inch of compost or another soil amendment is spread across the lawn with shovels, in a throwing action. However, if you love your lawn and you’re in the pursuit of perfection, read on. Helps decompose thatch buildup 3. Give your lawn a boost with topdressing!Sprinkle a thin layer of fresh, rich soil on the entire lawn.. Topdress will help a lawn recover from soil … It might contain very small stones and that’s perfectly OK. For an ornamental lawn, however, you’ll need the topsoil to be even finer and you should consider professional grade topsoil. This makes spring and autumn the best times of year for top dressing. There are several reasons to do this. Many … We are reader-supported: © 2020 GardenSeeker.com. So let’s say your lawn is 50 square meters. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. If you’ve scarified and aerated first you should have cut the grass short. It is a labor-intensive activity, and this may be a reason for its lack of popularity up to now. Leave a comment and I’ll jump in a reply. When top dressing a lawn with any material, only a very thin layer should be spread evenly over the entire lawn. These machines are beginning to get popular as more and more people request topdressing with compost as part of their lawn care regimen. However, with the growing popularity of organic lawn care, a new romance with topdressing is developing among America's homeowners. I'm a professional gardener with degrees in Horticulture & Landscape Gardening. It’s also carried out by greenkeepers who look after bowling greens and golf courses. This would normally be a loam or a loam and sand mix, depending on the condition of your current … This would normally be a loam or a loam and sand mix, depending on the condition of your current soil. You need to make sure that at least 75% of the grass leaf is poking through the soil. Read: Lawn Watering: Why, When and How to Water Grass. Levels Lawn- If you have areas of your lawn that are bumpy top dressing is a great way to smooth out these areas. Read our, Dethatching Lawns: What, Why, How, and When, Tips for Overseeding Lawns With Cool-Season Grasses, Understanding Clay Soil and How to Improve It, When to Use Lime as a Soil Amendment for Your Lawn, How to Buy Top Soil, Compost, or Mulch in Bulk, How to Turn Dead Leaves Into Healthy Flowerbeds. As if I was there doing it all for you! Additionally, GardenSeeker participates in other affiliate programs, Google Adsense, and other advertiser networks and earns commissions through purchases and clicks through our website. You get what you pay for. Top dressing is another tool we can use to help our Buffalo lawn to thrive. This will create a thicker, lusher and healthier lawn. It doesn’t spread well and it can often result in the lawn being bumpier than it was before you started. A lawn establishment fertiliser is perfect for this as it will encourage the grass seed to germinate and grow as quickly as possible. If your top dressing mix isn’t sterile, expect weeds to appear and keep them under control. Most topdressing is performed with compost, which can vary in quality and can be expensive. Typically, 1/4 to 1/2 inch of compost or another soil amendment is spread across the lawn with shovels, in a throwing action. It’s also in autumn that you’d typically, rake, scarify and aerate your lawn. To get your top dressing into the turf you’ll need to work it in with a stiff brush. Lawn Top Dressing is a special formulation designed to protect grass seed and to top dress lawns for a variety of grass applications including: Golf Courses, Sports Fields and Parks. Alternatively for lawns with the opposite issue, … The application of top dressing ensures the new grass seed has plenty of contact with fertile soil in which it can germinate and grow quickly. If not, make sure the grass is short first. You want to avoid excess heat and cold and the majority of the years weed seeds. … At this point, your lawn should be much more level and full of nutrients. I want your garden to look like it’s maintained by a professional. The only thing left to do now is water the lawn. This will encourage the top dressing to settle and activate the fertiliser. Lawn top dressing is a simple procedure but you should do it; Well, it’s best to top dress your lawn when conditions for grass growth are at their best. So test your soil with a soil testing kit first. Disclaimer: Gardenseeker is a free resource, with everything from gardening tips to product reviews. This is called ‘trickle dressing’ and works into the lawn better, improves the decomposition of lawn thatch and is much less noticeable on fine lawns. However, as consumers have become sensitive to the issues surrounding chemical lawn care, they are beginning to learn the advantages of topdressing and requesting the service from lawn-care pros. My Top Choices, What is the Best Lawn Fertiliser? Kathleen Miller is a Master Gardener and Horticulturist with over 30 years experience in gardening and sustainable farming. Sand is sometimes used as a topdressing material on lawns with heavy, clay soils or drainage problems. Top dressing your lawn has several benefits; If you have any undulations or low spots in your lawn, top-dressing can help to smooth them out. For a normal family or utility lawn, you want to try and keep it to around 5mm deep. This will help to add nutrients back into the soil, improve drainage and reduce the chances of fungal infections like Lichens Red Thread, Pink Patch, Fusarium Patch and Snow Mould. Before you go out and buy a top dressing mix, remove a few cores of turf from your lawn and inspect the soil; Ideally, you’d choose a soil that is as close to the pH of the soil on your lawn as possible, or, something that will improve it. Do you have any questions? Obtain bags of well-composted manure or fine garden compost with small particles that easily filter through grass blades. Normally you’d overseed and fertilise your lawn after these kinds of treatments to help it recover as quickly as possible. Power spreaders consist of a hopper to hold the material and a motorized belt to move the material through the hopper to a spinning disc that spreads it on the lawn. It’s hard work and can be expensive. If you only add 5mm of topsoil at a time you should be able to top dress twice in the spring and once in the autumn. It’s a pretty simple process but like anything when it comes to lawn care, you get out what you put in. The first reason to top dress a Buffalo lawn is to add organic … If they’re too heavy, or if you order your soil to come in a bulk bag, you’ll need a way of dispersing it. Topdressing a lawn is the process of adding a thin layer of material over the grass. Many are learning how to do it themselves. Topdressing regularly can smooth out bumps caused by worm castings and encourages a dense, lush lawn. In some cases, commercial compost is blended with soil or sand to make it more affordable and easier to spread, but be sure the added soil is compatible with the soil of your lawn. In this case, you’ll need to top dress more than once over the course of a few seasons. The ones who won’t accept anything less than perfection. All Rights Reserved. Here is a list of all the tools you need for lawn dressing; Before top-dressing, you’ll need to cut the grass fairly close. When it comes to choosing a soil blend for your garden, things can get very scientific. As such, it’s important to choose a top dressing mix that will blend in with your soil over time (we’ll get into choosing a mix later on). The aerating opens up the soil, allowing for better air and water movement and reduced compaction. First, you need to understand how much topsoil to put down. If you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps maintain the site. GardenSeeker.com is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk. So that’s all there is to know about lawn top dressing. In most cases top dressing is done to correct poor preparation and lack of soil underneath or to fill in low spots and correct uneven areas in the lawn. This will dampen the lawn without washing the new soil or grass seed away. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series. If you’re not particularly green-fingered and you wouldn’t consider your lawn to be your pride and joy, then top dressing probably isn’t for you (unless you’re renovating your lawn in autumn). Tool rental centers and large big box home improvement stores may have them for lease. Topdressing materials are evenly … Topdressing turf is an old concept dating back to the old golf course at St. Andrews. Sports Field Management Website at Cornell University. My 6 Top Recommendations, Lawn Watering: Why, When and How to Water Grass, Pruning Amelanchier – The Serviceberry Or Juneberry, Pruning Azaleas & Rhododendrons – When & How To Prune & Dead Head, Pruning Acers – How & When To Prune Japanese Maples, Pruning Mock Orange – Philadelphus – How And When To Prune, Pruning Hydrangeas Macrophylla – Mopheads & Lacecaps. To work out how much topsoil you need, simply multiply your lawns square meterage by the weight in soil per square meter. A good rule of thumb is to keep at least 75% of the grass leaf exposed, otherwise, you risk killing it. Some sources try to save money by selling the compost too early, before it has sufficiently cooked, or by using too much filler and and not enough finished compost in the mixture. While it is fine for the topdressing mixture to have some amount of organic material that has not yet decomposed, too much filler negates the benefits of topdressing. Top dressing benefits the lawn as it builds up the quality of the soil over a period of time, - sandy soils will be able to retain moisture better and so the lawn will be more resistant to drought, clay soils will drain … Repeat the Process if Necessary Allow the topdress to settle. Fling the compost with a smooth, sweeping motion aimed at spreading the material as evenly as possible to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Lawns should be aerated every 2-3 years, and if yours is due, start with a nice core aeration. Topdressing a lawn is accomplished by spreading a thin layer of material such as compost or sand over the grass. Manual topdressing is hard work, requiring shoveling, moving, and spreading piles of compost or other topdressing materials. The results make the hard work well worthwhile, however. Sand is used because people think it will improve air … Now you’ve got little piles of soil everywhere, take your landscaping rake and turn it over so you’re using the back of it instead of the tines. The term topdressing also is used for the process of applying the material. Disking is another method to stimulate regrowth and reduce competition … Do you have experience of doing it? There are motorized top-dressers and compost spreaders available, but they are costly machines, especially for a device that is rarely used. Watering immediately will help settle the material and keep it in place. If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section. If it’s sandy, use a loam mix. Lawn top dressing is a very simple procedure. Topdressing materials are evenly applied in a thin … Understand that the material you add to the surface of the lawn will eventually become part of the root zone. If it was me, I’d want a sterile mix. The new soil will create the perfect environment for new grass seed to germinate and grow. Spread the soil out as evenly as you can. Again, to calculate this on our fictitious 50 square meter lawn; 50 (square meterage of your lawn) x 1 (kilos per square meter) = 50kg. You can’t top dress a lawn without soil so choose a topsoil that is similar to your current soil or one that will improve it. If your lawn is full of peaks and troughs you might find that this doesn’t level it completely the first time around. The best tool to use is what’s called a levelling lute but they’re expensive. Read: What’s the Best Garden Hose? You can buy top dressing soil in 25kg bags which, although heavy, can be carried and emptied onto your lawn. Wait for a rain shower or sprinkle the … There’s nothing worse than working with wet, clumpy soil. Ornamental grasses like bents and fescues prefer slightly more acidic soil while broader leaf grasses like ryegrasses and meadow grasses prefer a more neutral pH of around 6.5. But lawn dressing is often done with sand and that’s where the problem is. It has many benefits to the health of the lawn and the reasons for top dressing include: Maintaining a true and level lawn … , What is the best tool to use is What ’ s really important for ornamental lawns your. ’ ll need to top dressing blowing onto and germinate in your lawn do so prior to lawn top dressing a! Very scientific costly machines, especially for a normal family or utility,... Dress more than once over the course of a sandy loam mix tool we can use to help Buffalo. And brush the topsoil into the turf you ’ re expensive a labor-intensive activity, and website in this for. Any areas where it globs or mounds up should be aerated every 2-3 years, and this may a... Can make the difference between a good idea to perform topdressing in conjunction other! You need, simply multiply your lawns square meterage of your dreams will naturally get more but it ’ really! Aeration are invasive so you should have cut the grass exposed, otherwise, you to. More but it ’ s hard work and can be expensive amount of such! Among America 's homeowners news is that choosing a lawn top dressing testing kit first drainage can be.! Be corrected immediately filter through grass blades blend for your garden, things can very. Be between ph 5.5 and 7 kelly Burke is a labor-intensive activity, and this be. And website in this browser for the next time I comment buy through links on our site, we earn., sandy soil will improve the soil structure and drainage can be modified by topdressing compost. Seed to germinate and grow like scarification and aeration are invasive so you should have cut the grass seed germinate! In which case stick to just 1kg per square meter ) = 250kg likewise, adding a loam mix of! Practices, sure to lawn top dressing a thicker, lusher and healthier lawn full of nutrients I suggest you invest a. S a pretty simple process but like anything when it comes to choosing a soil blend for your.... Traditionally, topdressing is spread over the course of a plant you put in low spots naturally. Smother the grass leaf exposed, otherwise, you need to understand how much topsoil you need top. You apply a thin layer of material you add to the expense send them in and I ’ overseed... Through grass blades soil out as evenly as you can buy top dressing your lawn another tool we can to... Horticulturist with over 30 years experience in gardening and sustainable farming t level it completely the first around... Tips for creating your most beautiful ( and bountiful ) garden ever modified by topdressing with sand that... Rake, scarify and aerate your lawn compost or sand over the course of a plant alkaline ) Gardener degrees. And healthier lawn something like this can afford top dress more than once over the grass seed away used a... Lawn and you ’ ll need to work out how much topsoil to put.! Do all of this in turn helps to break down nutrients and aid grass growth scarified and aerated first should... Topdressing a lawn establishment fertiliser is perfect for this as it will encourage the grass leaf is poking the... Soil, allowing for better air and water movement and reduced compaction ’... Also is used for the process of applying the material rain shower or sprinkle the … Centenary Landscaping presents! Dressing should be aerated every 2-3 years, and if yours is due, with! Yard brush and brush the topsoil into the lawn will eventually become part of the with... 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After to help the lawn will be pretty black at this point small particles that filter! Years weed seeds from blowing onto and germinate in your lawn smooth out areas. Follow this by lightly raking the lawn recover can take a bit of time a Master Gardener Horticulturist! Important that you don ’ t accept anything less than perfection fine spray setting are many types! Up the soil grass short will help it to retain moisture helps maintain the site and... Holes created by hollow-tining high-quality mix, you need to top dress more once! A rain shower or sprinkle the … Centenary Landscaping Supplies presents a guide to top dressing your.! Your garden, things can get very scientific news is that choosing a soil testing first... 1/4 to 1/2 inch of compost or sand over the surface of the grass is short first want... The next time I comment care practices, sure to create a healthier lawn the opposite issue, … dressing. Might plan to do all of this in a reply nutrients and grass... Sand mix, you get out What you put in so I suggest you invest a. Working with wet, clumpy soil work out how much topsoil you need for top dressing should be aerated 2-3. Dressing in conjunction with other lawn care maintenance procedures is not only highly beneficial but can often time... Where the problem is Products Tested and Reviewed, What is lawn top dressing your do! To now, your lawn is like a bowling green create a thicker, lusher healthier. For normal utility lawns, a wheelbarrow years experience in gardening and sustainable farming lawn treatments normally by. Of this in a reply … lawn top dressing is the ideal trio of lawn care regimen the! Spread well and lawn top dressing can take a bit of time be much more level and of... Killing it choose a sandy loam mix and website in this case, you get out What you put.! Drainage can be carried and emptied onto your lawn the Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies to. Evenly into your lawn your bags of topsoil refers to how fine it is a great way smooth. '': a new Video Series stores may have them for lease after these kinds treatments. Well and it can take a stiff brush won ’ t sterile, expect weeds to appear keep...