Black peat moss for lawn repairing in ready to use substrates.

Lawn top soil. Black peat moss for lawn repairing. Ready to use substrate

Lawn improvement starting from choosing a right growing media available for repairing.

A nice, thick lawn requires healthy soil as its base, but it’s difficult to make changes to the soil once grass has been established. Most gardening recommendations include “working” organic matter into the soil through digging or tilling prior to planting, but this can’t be done once the grass has grown. So what’s a homeowner to do with an established lawn that’s in need of some serious help?

If done properly, the technique of “top-dressing,” or adding a thin layer of soil over your lawn, can improve the soil without killing the existing turf. Top-dressing addresses some common lawn problems, including:

  • Low spots due to rotting tree roots, settling after underground pipe or cable installation, or erosion.
  • Uneven terrain caused by winter freezing and thawing, water runoff, tunneling critters, or general soil settling over time.
  • Compacted soil in high-traffic areas or low-lying places where water pools.
  • Bare spots from variations in soil texture and nutrients, heat, drought, or other environmental damage.
  • Depletion of nutrients due to leaching, neglect, or repeated use of chemical fertilizers.Top-dressing gradually improves soil over time. As organic matter breaks down, it filters through the existing soil to improve texture and overall health. Top-dressing can:
    • Improve drainage and drought-resistance
    • Even out the terrain
    • Reduce the need for supplemental fertilizers
    • Transform your lawn into organic, low-maintenance, healthy turf

      Prepare Your Top-Dressing

      You can make your own top-dressing using a mixture of:

      • Sharp sand (not sea sand which contains lime)
      • Loam or topsoil (a fine crumbly soil that is neither clay nor sandy)
      • Sphagnum peat moss, prefered highly decomposted rich in organic fertilizers and not contain coarse particles (or compost if your soil needs a nutritional punch, but be prepared for sprouting weeds!)

      For average loamy soil, mix these three ingredients equally. For applications on clay soil, reduce or eliminate the loam/topsoil. For sandy soil, reduce the sand. Your ingredients need to be dry and sifted until there are no clumps larger than ¼”.

      Another option is to purchase high-quality top-dressing mixture or bagged lawn soil. Check with your local landscape supply yard – they often have a blended topsoil mixture on hand. While you won’t be able to guarantee the proportions, it’s economical and sold in bulk.

      Benefits of Organic Fertilizers:

      Beneficial to Plants and Soil – The organic matter in the fertilizer feeds microorganisms in the soil, improving the foundation upon which plants grow. Healthy soil is the long term key to lawn and garden success. Without fertile soil, plants cannot thrive.  Enriching the soil with organic matter also improves soil structure which improves the soil’s capacity to hold water and nutrients, releasing them to plant roots as needed.

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