Wait for a rain shower or sprinkle the … If you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps maintain the site. Lawn Top Dressings. Get a quote from our turf suppliers Top dressing is for existing lawn improvement - so for re-seeding bare patches and for feeding. Spreading a thin layer of 100% weed free natural organic topdressing across the lawn can help bring the lawn back to life by adding valuable nutrients, organic matter, micro-organisms that fight plant disease, breakdown undesirable thatch, improve heat and drought … 50 (square meterage of your lawn) x 5 (kilos per square meter) = 250kg. Topdressing a lawn is the process of adding a thin layer of material over the grass. This layer is only about a 1/4″ and is meant to amend the soil of your lawn while letting the existing grass grow through the top dressing material. Also ideal for planting new lawns on heavy soils, or where you prefer to bring in a complete growing medium on which to lay your turf. For a normal family or utility lawn, you want to try and keep it to around 5mm deep. Repeat the Process if Necessary Allow the topdress to settle. Top dressing soils are usually blends of finely screen top soil or loam, composts such as cow manure, and coarse sand. Sand is used extensively on golf courses, especially on man-made greens. You can top dress at any time during the year. Turf experts often recommend "topdressing" lawns with a thin layer of compost. If it’s sandy, use a loam mix. Topdressing for soil modification can be detrimental if done improperly. So, what you want and need is a sandy loam or a loam top soil. Remember, if you’ve got heavy clay soil, choose a sandy loam mix. After mowing, lightly rake the yard to expose and loosen the soil so the grass seed can make contact and take root. Adding a fine layer of compost will increase the beneficial microbial activity in your lawn and help the soil retain moisture – keeping your grass green for longer. lawn top dressing mix. shovels Shop product. Spread top dressing over lawn to a depth of ¼ to ½ inch. Insert it into the turf and give it a little wiggle to open up the holes) to give the top dressing somewhere to go into and to relieve some of the compaction of the soil. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You can purchase fine topsoil, either in 20Kg bags or in large one ton bags. When it comes to choosing a top dressing mix for your lawn, choose the very best quality you can afford. granular fertilizer Shop product. Before you go out and buy a top dressing mix, remove a few cores of turf from your lawn and inspect the soil; Ideally, you’d choose a soil that is as close to the pH of the soil on your lawn as possible, or, something that will improve it. Be mindful though, this doesn’t stop weed seeds from blowing onto and germinate in your lawn. Each clump will create a hole in the lawn. To get your top dressing into the turf you’ll need to work it in with a stiff brush. Topdressing also may be used to modify the soil profile, though this takes multiple applications over a number of years. Top Dressing Questions. Visit your local store for the widest range of garden products. In which case stick to just 1kg per square meter. You want to wet the lawn, not wash the new soil and grass seed away. For example, on soils with a high clay content, topdressing containing sand or a combination of organic materials can improve water, air and fertilizer absorption. Understand that the material you add to the surface of the lawn will eventually become part of the root zone. Skip to content . I'm a professional gardener with degrees in Horticulture & Landscape Gardening. ABOUT THE SERVICE. Leave a comment and I’ll jump in a reply. Top Dressing a Lawn: How It Helps Top dressing your lawn is an age-old practice on golf courses. Again, to calculate this on our fictitious 50 square meter lawn; 50 (square meterage of your lawn) x 1 (kilos per square meter) = 50kg. All Rights Reserved. If they’re too heavy, or if you order your soil to come in a bulk bag, you’ll need a way of dispersing it. Top-Dressing to Improve the Soil in Your Lawn Step 1: Aerate. Topdressing with small equipment. This means, plenty of sun, rain and warmth. Specifically formulated to add vital organic matter to your soil allowing your lawn to absorb nutrients more readily. A border around the lawn was kept untreated because that grass will be removed and a fence installed along the front and driveway with a flower border in the back; the untreated area is light green because it didn’t receive any Soil 3 (so no nutrients). Read: What’s the Best Garden Hose? A beautifully vibrant, dense, even lawn is the result. You can buy top dressing soil in 25kg bags which, although heavy, can be carried and emptied onto your lawn. If you plan on overseeding, do this after the topdressing is down. It also can be used on open, windswept turfgrass to help avoid winter desiccation. Certified Organic. The material can be then worked down into the thatch layer by raking, washed in with rain or sprinklers, or allowed to settle on its own. Normally you’d overseed and fertilise your lawn after these kinds of treatments to help it recover as quickly as possible. This will help work the new soil evenly into your lawn. In my opinion, this is really important for ornamental lawns. What is Lawn Top Dressing and Why Should I Do it? Our premium 50/50 Ecodress Topdressing will help maintain & develop a top quality lawn. Available in bulk, or 25 litre bags (bags by special order*). Our lawn mix is the best choice for topdressing, seeding or lawn maintenance. The first reason to top dress a Buffalo lawn is to add organic nutrients to the lawn, and the second reason is to level an uneven Buffalo lawn. Cool season grasses like Kentucky Bluegrass, Fescue & Rye. I want to help you create the garden of your dreams. Grass likes soil to be between ph 5.5 and 7. The object is to get as much top dressing touching the soil as possible. This will create a thicker, lusher and healthier lawn. The… The greatest problem occurs with a fine-textured soil forming a layer on top of a coarse-textured soil. Top dressing with compost helps rejuvenate existing lawns. Whether due to pesky moles, or simply time and the elements, make your lawn look and feel brand new. Lawns should be aerated every 2-3 years, and if yours is due, start with a nice core aeration. You get what you pay for. Find Hortico 25L Lawn Top Dress Mix at Bunnings Warehouse. Lawn top dressing mix adds the structure you need in your lawn for optimal growth. Spread 1cm deep over entire lawn and water in. Any areas where it globs or mounds up should be corrected immediately. It can reduce thatch buildup by encouraging decomposition. Once the topdressing material is determined, that same material must be used throughout the process to ensure the consistency that facilitates water movement and root growth. For a normal family or utility lawn, make your own call. You should spike it first (A fork will do. We sell our various blends of top dressing in one tonne sealed dumpy bags. It takes practice to cover the lawn evenly. It might contain very small stones and that’s perfectly OK. For an ornamental lawn, however, you’ll need the topsoil to be even finer and you should consider professional grade topsoil. Apply to top of lawn and spread to depth of 5-10mm. Top dressing should never be done for any other reason. 6 Products Tested and Reviewed, What is the Best Grass Seed? You top dress the surface of an established lawn with compost or … In some cases, the topdressing mix won’t merge well with the existing lawn soil, resulting in layers. On top of that, compost top-dressing also helps reduce thatch buildup. First, you need to understand how much topsoil to put down. By far the best option for your average home greenskeeper is a top dressing soil blend. In this case, you’ll need to top dress more than once over the course of a few seasons. It's important you prepare correctly and choose the right type of soil for a great-looking lawn. Great for top dressing existing lawn areas or planting of new lawns. Our lawn top dressing is ideal for creating raised areas and for sculpting new gardens. Top dressing benefits the lawn as it builds up the quality of the soil over a period of time, - sandy soils will be able to retain moisture better and so the lawn will be more resistant to drought, clay soils will drain better thus improving root development. 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