How to Amend a Lawn With Sand

Grass lawns often need amendments once the lawn is established. Sometimes extra nutrients are needed or the soil becomes compacted. If this happens, the soil needs to be amended to increase drainage and aeration properties. Sand is commonly added to soil to increase drainage, but if you want to add it to an existing lawn you will need to work it into the soil without damaging the lawn. This is done in the late fall when the sand has time to work into the soil. This job can be done by one person and can greatly improve a compacted lawn over time.

Aerator
Wheelbarrow
Shovel
Metal rake

Instructions

- 1
  Water your lawn thoroughly two days before you start the process. This makes it easier to aerate. Add at least 3 inches of water to the lawn in the evening so it has time to absorb into the soil.
- 2
  Work an aerator over the soil to remove small plugs of soil and open the lawn up. You can rent an aerator from a home supply store. They are available in manual push form or motorized machines. You can also hire a lawn care company to aerate your lawn.
- 3
  Fill a wheelbarrow with sand. Use a sharp sand that doesn't have any additions to it.
- 4
  Shovel several scoops of sand into one corner of the yard and spread the sand over the grass using the back of a flat, metal rake. Work the sand into the aeration holes as much as possible. Spread the sand until it is less than 1/2 inch thick.
- 5
  Continue working the sand until the blades of grass start to pop back up. Move on to the next section and shovel out some more sand. Continue working in this manner until the entire yard has been amended.
- 6
  Water the lawn thoroughly after you have finished working the sand in. This helps work the sand down into the soil.
- 7
  Evaluate the lawn after two days to see if the sand has settled in any spots. Rework any problem areas with a rake.

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