Top dressing

Thanks Freddy - so Topsoil and Loam is the same thing?

 

I was thinking of doing this too. It says that u should mow the grass aerate and scarify then top dress. You can add more seed on top of the top dressing then rake it so the seeds get covered

 

As I was the one who started this thread, I thought I'd let you know that I intend to give the lawn an autumn feed this weekend, then scarify, aerate and top-dress next weekend.
As I've got a new camera, I may even take pictures of it all.

 

Is there a best time to do this as the lawn will still be growing for a month or so. Would it be better to do this after your final mowing and then leave the lawn to over winter with its top dressing

 

That surely depends to some extent upon the weather, which isn't all that predictable. I'd imagine that the lawn will grow into the topdressing slightly. The topdressing will only be a very thin layer.

The problem is that you're never quite sure if any mowing will be your final one! If the topdressing is just a very thin layer, and raked into the lawn, then after a week it may well be perfectly mowable anyway. If I do it, and get it all wrong, then you have my permission to laugh at my misfortune! :D

 

Interestingly I've never heard of doing this before... so thanks!

 

Hi again Nick. I'm not sure, but I THINK that loam is produced by composting topsoil and turf. Hopefully, if this isn't correct, someone will say so Cheers...freddy.

 

Is that 80 Loam, 10 Peat and 10 Sand ?

Yes.

 

I think you're right. I'm sure I've read somewhere that removed turfs (turves?) can be stacked grass side down and allowed to compost to make loam.

 

Ever heard of night fertiliser--its free and works--just remember to dilute it!

 

Can anybody help me estimate how many litres I'll need to cover 150 sqm ?

Thanks, Nick

 

1 bag of each, (ish) mix it together on a poly sheet on the drive then throw it across the lawn roughly with a shovel. Spread acurately with a stiff brush.

 

Hi Paul - when you say a bag of each - how big a bag will cover 150sqm ?

 

Standard garden centre compost sized bags 75 litre or whatever.

Make it two of the loam..... i was thinking in terms of the 40-40-20 i regularly use not the 80-10-10 I sudgested!!!

Beter to under order and buy more than have loads of surplus, also remember top dressing is a Light dressing.

 

After all the talk of this last year I started, I never actually got it done! I intend to do it this year though...