Top Dressing - What Is It? Why Do I Need It?
If you have an interest in proper lawn care, top dressing is likely a term that you've heard swirling around. Like many lawn care techniques, you know you need to do it but you don't quite know why. Well you are in luck - in this post we'll be undressing top dressing to uncover a few of the ways it can transform the health of your lawn!
What is it?
In the event that you have no idea what top dressing is - here's what it looks like. Top dressing is the process of applying an even layer of highly nutritional top soil mix to brown or bald patches on the lawn. Top dress soil can be a variety of compositions; but ultimately, it should be a similar makeup to the existing ground. The mixture should be spread between 1/4 - 1/2 an inch thick over the lawn with special attention paid to any patches across the lawn.
Why Top Dress?
Top dressing acts as a natural fertilizer.
By adding the soil mix to the lawn you are improving the soil health by adding nutrients that will help to support a flourishing lawn.
Top dressing can help smooth out an uneven lawn.
Regular top dressing evens out lumps and bumps often caused by worm castings or high levels of precipitations.
Improve drainage
Top dressing also helps to improve the drainage when your lawn deals with heavy rain. The precipitation is able to flow through the looser ground rather than pooling over-top compact soil.
When to Top Dress?
Top dressing is typically recommended for the spring and fall to support a healthy lawn throughout the summer and prepare for the winter months. With all the rain we've had in the Ottawa valley the window of time for top dressing has definitely been extended!
So what are you waiting for? Pick up some soil and get top dressing - and don't forget to water!