I've just top dressed my lawn for winter

Evening all.

A little while ago, I did some research to find out how to top dress a lawn properly. There was surprisingly little info out there. Lots of sites told of the advantages, and the general technique and timing etc. They all said to keep at least two thirds of the grass showing through. BUT, none of them explained how on earth you put something on top of the grass, and get it to go under the grass. I guess nobody really knows except maybe the paid professionals, and maybe they don't want to give up their secrets, so I experimented a bit.

Having made some little mounds of mushroom compost all over the lawn, I then got to it with a rake, gently.

I wasn't having much luck, but then inspiration struck me. I flipped the rake over so the teeth were pointing up, and spread the compost that way. In no time at all, I could see my grass through the compost, and the compost was nicely rubbed in.

I've had a go at top dressing before, but on previous occasions I just slapped it on. The method I figured out tonight has left a nice still grassy lawn, but the compost has gone somewhere so I guess its where I want it to be.

 

Absolutely spot on and sounds like a good job done!

I use a large drag brush which is pretty common practice. Rope behind my neck and under my armpits and go for a little trot around the lawn. Looks bloody stupid (almost as funny as the penguin tread) but gets the job done nicely. A stiff brush can be used to finish off too but it sounds like your upturned rake has had pretty much the exact effect.

 

I'd never heard of a drag brush so I looked it up.

I also saw drag mats, which just looked like a square piece of mesh to me, but cost over £200.

Being a cheapskate, I'm going to have a think about how I might make something similar.

 

Easy to make a drag brush. Remove the handle from a large brush. Screw a metal eye onto the top of either end of the brush. Thread and tie a rope through both eyes at your required length and voila! If it needs weighing down tie a brick or a couple of bricks onto the top of the brush. Really effective, good not only for top dressing but for grooming, taking out wheel marks after really wet cutting and general sprucing up of a lawn.

 

it's also a good time to aerate .... this can be done with a decent garden fork .... punch holes into the lawn and try to go 3-4 inches deep .... and make rows 6 inches apart (hard work but worth the effort and only needs to be done once a year)

then add an autumn/winter lawn fertilizer and water it in

in spring, scarify, add a weed and feed fertilizer to keep the weeds at bay