It needs less water because the top dressing retains soil moisture reduces surface evaporation and keeps the roots cool in the heat of summer.
Top dressing mixture for lawns.
You can make your.
Topdressing is a sand or prepared soil mix applied to the surface of the lawn.
If it s heavy clay choose a sandy loam mix to help improve drainage.
This is actually the worst thing you can do as adding sand to clay soil.
I would recommend watering the area well or top dressing before a nice rain letting the mixture settle for a day or two then go back with your rake and smooth out any little hollows or bumps that may develop.
Topdressing can be used to smooth the surface of the lawn.
With this layer of soil 3 compost we are addressing the problems of thinning or unhealthy sod and or providing the first application of fertilizer for the year.
You then spread the top dressing over the required area using a flat surface such as the back side of a rake or a tool called a lute that is made especially for this purpose.
When tackled as a diy project the process isn t difficult.
Topdress lawns with a thin layer of soil 3 organic humus compost to renovate and improve an existing residential or commercial lawn or sports field turfgrass.
Amount to use when top dressing a lawn.
Many people also make the mistake of top dressing with sand to try to correct clay soil.
Here s what top dressing does for your lawn.
At this point you re technically finished but in my experience a good top dressing mixture does some settling.
A general guide is around 1 5 2 kg 3 4 lb of top dressing mixture per square metre.
Any areas where it globs or mounds up should be corrected immediately.
An organic soil such as black dirt or dry sand will prevent water from penetrating too deeply and drowning the grass.
Topdressing materials are evenly applied in a thin layer typically inch 6 35 mm or less for a variety of purposes.
When top dressing a lawn with any material only a very thin layer should be spread evenly over the entire lawn.
It is tedious and labor intensive however.
The good news is that choosing a top dressing mix is very simple.
When ordering top dressing first determine the surface area and multiply by the depth of top dressing desired generally 1 8 to inch.
Open up the thatch layer with a power rake or aerator to create channels for the topdressing material to penetrate the surface.
Before you go out and buy a top dressing mix remove a few cores of turf from your lawn and inspect the soil.
The term topdressing also is used for the process of applying the material.
Where it is necessary to amend soil or where your lawn has compaction issues first use a core aerator then top dress the lawn with sand or a sand organic matter blend a plug aerator removes small plugs of soil and turf so that air water and nutrients can move through the root system.
If it sandy use a loam mix this will improve moisture retention.
This figure can be increased for lawns with a more uneven surface.
