Top Dressing Mixture For Lawns

You can make your.

Top dressing mixture for lawns.

Topdressing can be used to smooth the surface of the lawn. The grass grows greener because the soil is fed with well aged organic matter that enhances soil health. When top dressing a lawn with any material only a very thin layer should be spread evenly over the entire lawn. The good news is that choosing a top dressing mix is very simple.

Where it is necessary to amend soil or where your lawn has compaction issues first use a core aerator then top dress the lawn with sand or a sand organic matter blend a plug aerator removes small plugs of soil and turf so that air water and nutrients can move through the root system. I would recommend watering the area well or top dressing before a nice rain letting the mixture settle for a day or two then go back with your rake and smooth out any little hollows or bumps that may develop. If it s heavy clay choose a sandy loam mix to help improve drainage. Check the soil ph and adjust accordingly if it is out of range.

Before you go out and buy a top dressing mix remove a few cores of turf from your lawn and inspect the soil. Many people also make the mistake of top dressing with sand to try to correct clay soil. It is tedious and labor intensive however. When ordering top dressing first determine the surface area and multiply by the depth of top dressing desired generally 1 8 to inch.

Topdressing is a sand or prepared soil mix applied to the surface of the lawn. If it sandy use a loam mix this will improve moisture retention. A general guide is around 1 5 2 kg 3 4 lb of top dressing mixture per square metre. You then spread the top dressing over the required area using a flat surface such as the back side of a rake or a tool called a lute that is made especially for this purpose.

This figure can be increased for lawns with a more uneven surface. At this point you re technically finished but in my experience a good top dressing mixture does some settling. Use compost topdressing to improve lawns and as a fertilizer application. Open up the thatch layer with a power rake or aerator to create channels for the topdressing material to penetrate the surface.

It needs less water because the top dressing retains soil moisture reduces surface evaporation and keeps the roots cool in the heat of summer. With this layer of soil 3 compost we are addressing the problems of thinning or unhealthy sod and or providing the first application of fertilizer for the year. Any areas where it globs or mounds up should be corrected immediately. Topdress lawns with a thin layer of soil 3 organic humus compost to renovate and improve an existing residential or commercial lawn or sports field turfgrass.

This is actually the worst thing you can do as adding sand to clay soil. Topdressing materials are evenly applied in a thin layer typically inch 6 35 mm or less for a variety of purposes. Here s what top dressing does for your lawn. When tackled as a diy project the process isn t difficult.