Phil Nauta
Lawn top dressing is when you apply a thin layer of material onto the lawn. It is often done with sand and that's where the problem is.
Sand is used because people think it will improve air space and water infiltration and drainage. These are important organic gardening goals, but sand does not help achieve them. No matter what your soil is composed of, putting sand on top can cause drainage problems and dry pockets in the soil. And there's more.
If you're lawn top dressing with sand onto your clay soil, it can form a soil that is like concrete. And since sand doesn't have any nutritional benefit or any ability to hold onto nutrients, you are decreasing the fertility of your organic soil.
It is not as bad to use sand on golf course greens because they are already made of sand, but even then, it is not very helpful. Regardless, in a residential lawn, it is harmful.
But there is something else commonly used in organic gardening that you should absolutely use for lawn top dressing and that is 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of good quality, well-screened compost! Well-made compost brings many benefits to the lawn and organic garden, including:
* a broad range of nutrients
* a huge number and diversity of beneficial microorganisms
* reduced thatch due to specific microorganisms
* reduced disease
* improved water-holding capacity
* improved soil structure and reduced compaction
This method of lawn top dressing is what should be done after aerating a lawn. One of my favorite organic gardening tips for if you want to do a really good job, after aerating and before adding the compost, you can add other soil-enhancing products such as mycorrhizal fungi, liquid kelp and any minerals that you need based on a soil test, such as calcitic lime and soft rock phosphate.
Doing all of these things is organic gardening heaven for your lawn.
It is best to do all of this after aerating because the amendments and compost get down into the root zone where they belong. While you shouldn't need to aerate every year once your lawn is healthy, topdressing with compost is always a good idea. You can do it spring or fall or both.
You can rent a "lawn top dressing" machine to do this, but I have never had much luck with it using compost. I just do it with a shovel and rake.
Conclusion
Lawn aeration can provide benefits if done during the fall or early spring by a machine with sharp tines that removes the soil cores. It must be followed by lawn top dressing with good compost and optional other amendments.
Lawn top dressing with sand is detrimental, but a good 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of compost annually provides many benefits.
So if you've been aerating your lawn, I hope you'll now top dress it after, and if you've been top dressing with sand, I hope you'll use compost instead. If you are interested in organic home gardening and would like free access to this popular new resource, "15 Vital Lessons For Becoming A Better Gardener", check it out here: http://www.smilinggardener.com/organic-home-gardening.
Phil Nauta is a SOUL Certified Organic Land Care Professional and holds a Certificate In Organic Landscape Management from Gaia College and a Certificate In Sustainable Building And Design From Yestermorrow in addition to a Permaculture Design Certificate. He has taught for Gaia College and been a director for The Society For Organic Urban Land Care. He had run both an organic landscaping business and an organic fertilizer business before starting Smiling Gardener to teach others what he has learned.
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