There are many reasons your lawns may need topdressing. Maybe extreme weather has caused the ground to expand and contract. Children, equipment, pets, or dogs, may have created uneven spots in your lawn. Maybe your sod was installed improperly. In many cases, topdressing is one solution to your lawn unevenness (and some other problems) that doesn’t involve ripping up your grass and amending the soil.
Topdressing is adding a thin layer of whatever your soil needs to the top of your grass. Yes, you cover your grass with a layer of sand, compost, and/or topsoil depending on what your soil needs. The material should be similar to what you have beneath your grass but with added benefits. The grass grows through the layer applied. What was above the grass eventually becomes what is below the grass.
There are many reasons to topdress your grass, and it is often done to address unevenness that occurs over time. Say you have a dip in your lawn that is causing a trip-and-fall hazard. You can fill it in with layers of topsoil, which the grass can grow through. Other reasons to topdress grass include:
You want the grass to grow through the layer you place on top of it quickly. That means you want to topdress your lawn in its primary growing season. For warm season grasses like bermudagrass or zoysiagrass, this means spring. For cool season grasses like tall fescue, topdressing should be done during the fall.
As stated previously, your topdressing should be similar to your pre-existing soil, so you don’t end up with a weird layer that doesn’t allow for proper drainage. For example, if you are adding sand to rough soil, use sand with larger particles, as fine sand will not mix well. Talk to a lawn care specialist to ensure you are adding the right components, and don’t make the layer too thick, or your grass won’t survive the topdressing.
Steps to topdressing include checking your soil’s pH to address it with the topdressing. Mow and thatch the lawn prior to topdressing to ensure the topdressing can quickly integrate with underlying soil. Scatter the topdressing by tossing/flinging the dirt out of the shovel in order to get an even application. Topdress a couple times and each year for best results.
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Greenfeet Lawncare Provides Service to the Following Areas.
770-619-2929
North Fulton, East Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth Counties - including Alpharetta, Canton, Cobb, Cumming, Dunwoody, Gwinnett, Johns Creek, Marietta, Milton, Roswell, Sandy Springs
