Does Yard Compost Grow Good Grass?

Compost Components

• Your yard compost needs to be an even mixture of greens, browns and water. For example, combining dead leaves and kitchen vegetable scraps into your compost pile provides a blend of elements for your grass, including nitrogen. Once your compost has a loose consistency, with no foul odors, it is ready for spreading across your lawn.

Application

• To avoid suffocating your grass, do not spread more than a 1/2-inch compost layer on the lawn. A thicker layer prevents water from moving into the soil and grass blades cannot photosynthesize if they are buried. Aerating your lawn allows you to add more yard compost for better results. Remove soil plugs across your lawn using an aeration tool. Then, spread up to 1 inch of compost over the grass and rake it into the holes. Both your topsoil and roots have access to the added nutrients with this method.

Benefits

• Aside from adding nutrients to your soil, yard compost improves the soil structure while encouraging microorganism activity. Nutrient-rich and loose soil provides a perfect feeding ground for earthworms. These organisms help the soil remain fertile as they move through the layers. If you consistently add compost to the grass, microorganisms continually renew the soil for healthy grass growth. In response to the healthy soil environment, your grass has strength to defend itself against pests, diseases and drought -- weeds cannot get a foothold in the soil because of the dense grass.

Drawbacks

• Improperly prepared compost has the potential to add weed seeds to your lawn, but high temperatures within the compost pile kill off these pesky seeds. Any yard waste added to the pile needs to be free of any chemicals, like pesticides. Organisms cannot break these trimmings down if they are toxic. To increase your compost's nutrient levels, you can also add some manure. Nitrogen-rich manure combines well with yard waste to keep the lawn lush.