What is Topdressing?
Topdressing is when you add a layer of high quality soil (usually garden soil) to the top layer of your lawn.
Why Topdress?
- It improves soil quality
- It helps retain moisture
- It provides nutrients to the grass roots
Topdressing can be a bit of work, however, the look and feel of a beautiful and healthy lawn are worth the effort.
How to Topdress Your Lawn
You will need:
- Topdressing Kit from Fairgreen:
- 1 yard of No. 1 Garden Soil Blend in a Resealable Sack
- 10 kg bag of Starter Fertilizer
- 1 kg bag of Sun or Shade Grass Seed
- Garden and Leaf Rakes
- Seed & Fertilizer Spreader
- Core Aerator (only if your thatch is more than 1/2 inch thick – see step 2 for more information)
- Lawn Roller (optional)
Step 1:Mow Your Lawn
Remember not to mow your lawn to a height of less than 1 3/4 inches. Remove all the grass clippings.
Step 2:Core aerate your lawn if your thatch is more than 1/2 inch thick
Thatch is the very top layer of your lawn that consists of old and dry grass roots, stems, and other debris. Core aeration process is done by removing soil plugs about 3/4 inch wide and about 2 1/2 – 3 inches long across the lawn. This allows for more oxygen, water, and the topdressing layer to reach the grass root system. You can either hire someone to core aerate your lawn or rent a core aerator from a nearby hardware store if you are comfortable in doing it yourself. After aeration is complete, remove the soil plugs from your lawn.
Step 3:Spread the fertilizer on your lawn
You can follow our guideline on how to fertilize your lawn here.
Step 4:Add topdressing soil
Spread the topdressing soil over your lawn to a depth of about 1/4 – 1/3 of an inch.Using backside of a garden rake, lightly brush the grass to get as much topdressing down to the soil level of your lawn.
Step 5:Overseed your lawn
Use a hand or a push seed spreader depending on your lawn size to ensure even grass seeding.
Step 6:Roll area using lawn roller (optional)
This allows for better seed germination and prevents birds from eating seed.
Step 7:Water the area
Water the area lightly if there is no rain in the forecast.
And you are done!
You should top dress your lawn every 2 – 3 years and overseed it every year to maintain a healthy, full, and thick lawn for years to come.
For more information about topdressing benefits and best practices visit The Lawn Institute website.