Maintaining a healthy lawn requires quality soil; however, even the best soil loses nutrients over time.
To keep your grass looking its best, you need to occasionally enrich the soil with additional nutrients. While chemical fertilizers are one option, many out there would prefer to keep their lawns natural.
So how can you organically reintroduce nutrients to your lawn? By topdressing with compost.
What Is Topdressing?
Topdressing simply means to apply a layer of material over your grass. This can be sand, top soil, compost or a combination of materials depending on the needs of your soil.
However, if your aim is to simply reintroduce nutrients to improve soil quality, compost is the way to go. Compost is made of decomposing organic matter like leaves, grass, manure, etc. This natural process creates the perfect environment for the microorganisms that create healthy soil.
Adding a layer of organic compost to your lawn helps reintroduce naturally occurring nutrients as the compost breaks down and filters into the soil.
It is best to wait until the fall to top-dress, as the roots are actively growing and you want the chance to mow three or four more times before extreme heat or cold sets in.
How To Top-Dress Your Lawn
Topdressing is somewhat labor-intensive, though it is pretty simple process that can be completed professionally or on your own. If you choose to top-dress yourself, simply follow these steps:
- Aerate — Lawns should be aerated every couple of years. If you haven’t done so recently, aerating before topdressing creates channels for air, water and compost to enter the soil.
- Mix your topdressing — If you are combining materials for your topdressing, mix them in the appropriate proportions. Otherwise, just fill your wheelbarrow or spreader with compost, and you’ll be ready to go.
- Begin application — Working a few square feet at a time, begin spreading the compost a few shovelfuls at a time. Using the back of a sturdy rake, spread the compost so the grass is covered with 1/8” to 1/2” of material.
- Overseed / water — If you plan to overseed, spread the seeds around on top of your top-dressed lawn. Lightly rake to help cover the seeds and thoroughly water. It is important that you keep the seeds damp for the next 3 weeks as they germinate.
Over the course of fall and winter, the compost topdressing will break down and replenish the soil’s nutrients. This will create a rich growing environment come spring resulting in a fuller, healthier lawn.
Hansen’s Magic Bean is a 100% organic compost blend made from locally-sourced green waste that will help feed your lawn all winter lawn. Purchase today and save 20% during our fall mulch and compost sale!