Will Topsoil Help My Lawn?

Topsoil Source

• Genuine topsoil that is created naturally is usually unavailable or cost-prohibitive. A combination of various materials is generally sold as topsoil, and these are equally effective. These materials are referred to as 3-way or 5-way mixes and contain subsoils, sand, manures, sawdust and bio-solids. There are no legal standards for creating these mixes, and they are often prepared in accordance with the client's preference. Good topsoil should be loose in structure, well-drained and rich in organic matter.

Topsoil Requirement

• Using topsoil or any other amendments on existing lawns is referred to as top dressing. The recommended amount of topsoil is about a a quarter-inch-deep layer over the entire lawn. The best time to top-dress a lawn is during fall, recommend Anne Whitman and Suzanne DeJohn in their book "Organic Gardening for Dummies." Use a fertilizer spreader or broadcast by hand. In "Safe and Easy Lawn Care," Barbara Ellis recommends using about three-quarters of a cubic yard of topsoil for every 1,000 square feet of lawn.

Preparation for Topdressing

• Prior to top-dressing with topsoil, aerate the lawn to relieve possible soil compaction. Top-dressing a compacted soil will only create layers of soil where the newly applied material will still remain unavailable to grass roots. Use a gasoline-powered core cultivator for aerating a small lawn. You can also use hand- and foot-operated aerating machines. The purpose of these machines is to break up compacted soil and create small holes to fill with topsoil, helping the new material blend in easily with the old.

Advantages of Topsoil

• Topsoil mixes with the existing soil to increase drainage, tilth and aeration capacity of the ground. The organic material in topsoil encourages the growth of soil microorganisms and earthworms. The actions of these organisms in the soil reduce the buildup of thatch in lawns. If topsoil is not available, other alternatives for top-dressing a lawn include ground seaweed, rotted sawdust, well-rotted manure or finely screened compost, cites Ellis.