How to Topdress a Lawn

Get rid of low spots in your yard and fix drainage issues with this simple guide

Co-authored by Grant Wallace

Last Updated: December 22, 2022 References

If you’re thinking your yard needs some help to make it look good, you may want to learn how to topdress a lawn. This simple process, best performed in the fall, can help remove low spots caused by rotting roots and drainage problems. It can also help even the ground if you have problems with tunneling animals such as moles. Even if your lawn has no noticeable problems topdressing it can provide nutrients to healthy grass.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Aerate Your Lawn

1
Assess whether your lawn is due for aeration.^{[1]
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Research source} You should aerate your lawn every 2 to 3 years. This process removes small plugs of soil from the ground and allows new nutrients, soils, air, and water to get to the roots of the existing plants. If your lawn is large, you may want to break it up into smaller segments and do a different one each year.
2
Choose an aerator.^{[2]
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Research source} Rent an aerator if you don’t have one. You can find manual models, as well as models that you can pull behind a riding lawn mower. If you have a small lawn, you can even consider aerators that strap onto your shoes. You just walk around your lawn and poke holes in it with the soles of the aerators.

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3
Run the aerator over your lawn.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Prepare the Topdress Material

1
Assess what type of soil you have.^{[4]
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Research source} The type of soil you have determines how to topdress a lawn because you want to balance out your soil. For example, heavy clay soil should have plenty of sand added to the topdress material to provide additional drainage.
2
Mix the topdressing in your wheelbarrow or some other large container.^{[5]
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Research source} A basic mix is 3 parts sand with 3 parts loam and 1 part peat. Adjust this to allow for your soil type. Work the mixture until it is as lump-free as possible.
3
Use homemade compost only if you know that it has no weed seed in it. Otherwise, you may just be planting more weeds in your yard.^{[6]
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- Buying compost from the stores reduces the risk of getting weed seeds within the compost.
4
Make sure the sand is lime free. Don’t use sea sand for topdressing.^{[7]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Apply the Topdressing

1
Use a shovel or your hands to scatter the topdressing material over the lawn. Don’t worry if it’s not even at this point. Apply approximately 3 to 4 pounds (1.5 to 2 kilograms) of topdressing per square yard/meter. A good rule of thumb is to not have topdressing more than 1-inch thick in any spot.
2
Take the back side of a rake or a topdressing tool called a lute and work the topdressing material into the grass to the soil level.^{[8]
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Research source} There should be no visible remaining top dress when you finish this step.
3
Fill in low spots.^{[9]
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Research source} Remember to leave the tips of the grass exposed to the air. If you put down too much topdress, remove it.
4
Sow new grass seed in bare spots in your lawn after you topdress. The extra nutrients and fresh soil can help it germinate and take root quickly.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Repeat the Process if Necessary

1
Allow the topdress to settle. Wait for a rain shower or sprinkle the lawn to facilitate the process.^{[10]
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2
Add a bit more topdress material, if necessary, to low places. Be careful not to totally cover the grass. Rake the topdress material so it covers the low spots.

Community Q&A

Question

Do I till bare soil before adding topdressing?

Community Answer

You can, if you like. But, if you're then leveling or grading and tamping, then the topdressing would just fine tune the surface uniformity. Otherwise, you'd till with amendments to improve the soil overall all of the way down to the tilling depth.
Question

When can I mow again? Won't the mower with grass bag just suck up the new top dressing material?

Community Answer

After a watering or after a rain. You need to roll or wait for the topdressing to settle down or get compacted.
Question

Do I need to water in top dressing?

Community Answer

No, you can just wait for rain. However, if definite rain isn't in the forecast, then yes you should so nutrients can get in at their maximum potency.