Lawn Top Dressing
What is Topsoil/Top Dressing?
The two most common situations are:
Adding nutrients to the lawn by applying a very light, sandy blend.
Adding additional high quality topsoil/compost to your lawn will improve soil quality as top dressing contributes nutrients, helps to retain moisture, and promotes root nutrition.
How do I Prepare an Area and Apply Top Dressing?
The best way to prepare a piece of land for top dressing is to aerate or de-thatch the area in order to remove debris, thatch, and garbage. This thick layer of “stuff” can block the absorption of water and fertilizers, preventing nutrients from fully penetrating to the roots of your turf.
In order to prevent the thatch from combining with your top dressing, aerate the lawn before you add any topsoil. Remember, Turf Works of NC offers both aerating and top dressing options.
Spread the topsoil ½ inch to ¾ inch evenly on your lawn. When applying top dressing, spread a thin layer – not covering the grass – equally over the area and make sure that the top dressing is penetrating into the soil, not sitting on top. In addition to aerating and dethatching, proper lawn irrigation services will provide your turf with a steady supply of moisture, a necessary step in nutrient retention.
When is it Best to Spread Topsoil?
To receive the most benefits from your topsoil application, schedule it after an aeration treatment in the fall. While you can top dress in the spring, it could cause a bare growth situation, making it easier for weed seeds to establish. Lawns that don’t abide by a proper watering schedule are more likely to suffer from poor soil conditions. With that being said, these properties are also the properties most likely o benefit from a top dressing soil treatment.
