Top Dressing

Lawn top dressing is the adding of soil or a compost and sand mix to the lawn surface. The process can have many benefits for the lawn from adding nutrients to aid drainage after core aeration to making the lawn more level by removing any small undulations.

A level lawn helps with appearance and the mowing of the lawn as it will help keep the entire grass cut at the same height and this will help a uniformed look.

If you have had drainage problems with you lawn then topdressing with a sandy compost mix can greatly improve drainage and aeration. This is best to be carried out after hollow tining the lawn so the top dress can penetrate into the root zone. This is the same if your lawn is prone to drying out then a more organic mix can be applied to the root zone and this will help water retention.

When to Top Dress

This job can be carried out most times of the year but it normally a autumn job when other gardening tasks are quieten down. You normally top dress after you have carried out aeration or scarification as this allows the dressing to bed in with the root zone. The weather should be dry to allow you to spread the dressing evenly and without mess.

How to Apply

It is important to spread the dressing as even as possible across the whole lawn. This can be done using a shovel or hand scoop. Once the dressing is spread evenly you need to work it in the root zone. Using the back of a rake of a wide brush is ideal for this task.

Over time if repeated when necessary this can greatly enhance the look and health of you lawn.