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How to Topdress Your Lawn

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Tools and Materials Needed:

  • 1 yard of No. 1 Garden Soil Blend in a Resealable Sack
  • 10 kg bag of Starter Fertilizer
  • 1 kg bag of Sun or Shade Grass Seed
  • Garden and Leaf Rakes
  • Seed & Fertilizer Spreader
  • Core Aerator (recommended if thatch is more than 1/2 inch thick – see step 2 for more information)
  • Lawn Roller (optional)

Steps

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Mow your lawn and remove all the grass clippings. Remember not to mow your lawn to a height of less than 1 ¾”.

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Core aerate your lawn if your thatch is more than 1/2 inch thick, it’s important to core aerate your lawn. Thatch is the top layer of your lawn made up of dead grass, roots, stems, and other debris. Core aeration involves removing soil plugs that are about 3/4 inch wide and 2 1/2 – 3 inches long. This process allows more oxygen, water, and topdressing to reach the grass roots.

You can hire a professional to core aerate your lawn or rent a core aerator from a local hardware store if you’re comfortable doing it yourself. If you are unable to aerate, you can rake the lawn aggressively to loosen up the thatch and organic matter. After aeration, make sure to remove the soil plugs from your lawn.

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Add topdressing soil. Spread the topdressing soil evenly over your lawn to a depth of about 1/4 – 1/3 inch. Using the backside of a garden rake, gently brush the grass to help the topdressing soil reach the soil level beneath the grass.

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Overseed your lawn. Use a hand or push spreader, depending on the size of your lawn, to evenly distribute the grass seed across the area.

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Roll the area using a lawn roller to help improve seed-to-soil contact, promoting better seed germination and preventing birds from eating the seed. (Optional)

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If there is no rain in the forecast, water the area lightly.

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Benefits of Proper Topdressing

  • Improves soil quality
  • Helps retain moisture
  • Provides essential nutrients to grass roots

Topdressing FAQs