Using Topsoil For Lawn

Growing grass recovers from the strain of new soil more effectively than dormant grass.

Using topsoil for lawn. Adding a layer of topsoil to your lawn is called topdressing and it s a technique you can use to improve the look of your grass. When using potting soil it is better to reserve it for container plants rather than for your lawn. Laying a new lawn. Building a raised bed.

It s important you prepare correctly and choose the right type of soil for a great looking lawn. Compost improves the moisture holding capacity of the soil adds nutrients and feeds soil microbes these microbes are key to the complex process that makes food available to grass plants. Typically you disperse seeds with a drop spreader or by hand. A nice thick lawn requires healthy soil as its base but this can be difficult to do once grass is established.

Learn this technique in five easy steps. If you re adding to an existing lawn then use compost. This can leave unsightly globs of sand throughout the lawn while the grass beneath these heavy mounds of sand can literally be choked out. You can add topsoil to an existing lawn and in some cases you should.

A healthy microbe population encourages a dense green lawn. Potting soil contains a combination of peat moss compost vermiculite or perlite and perhaps pasteurized soil. For this reason it is especially important to not top dress clay soil with sand. To fill a garden bed you ll probably want at least 6 inches of depth of topsoil.

Use a sandy topsoil combined with organic matter such as compost or ground pine bark and till it into the existing soil to a depth of 12 inches to create good drainage in the root zone area of plants. It s too potent and expensive to be used as the sole medium for most yard projects. Use roughly 4 10 cubic yard of topsoil for every 1 000 square feet of yard you topdress. The best location for new grass seeds is approximately 1 8 to 1 4 inch below the soil s surface.

A common mistake that many homeowners make when using sand for lawns is applying it too heavily or unevenly. To install a new lawn plan to spread a layer of 3 6 inches of topsoil before sowing seed or laying sod depending on the quality of your existing soil. Incorporating topsoil into an area of lawn or a garden that tends to hold water improves the location s drainage. A soil test can help you determine if your existing soil will support good lawn growth.

Although it won t hurt your lawn it is far more expensive and less beneficial than other soil amendments. Creating a vegetable garden.