Whether you’re talking about a beautiful commercial lawn or the one in your own back yard, using compost is a smart way to naturally fertilize and keep waste out of the landfill. While you’ve probably used compost in your flower beds or garden, have you ever thought about using it on your lawn? Here are some tips for a chemical-free, lush, green, composted lawn.
While it might seem weird to spread a layer of dirt over your lawn, it’s actually a great way to get important nutrients right in your soil. Many people prefer “top dressing” their lawns (top dressing is a fancy term for composting) because it alleviates the need for chemicals. This means it’s safe for your customers and even pets.
Some of the benefits of compost is it won’t burn your yard up if you put too much on, like fertilizer will do sometimes. It also works faster than using a commercial product to make your lawn look and feel better. When you’re ready to start, look for a fine-textured compost mix. This can be from your own compost pile or purchased from a garden store. You want to be able to rake it out cleanly without leaving lumps on the lawn.
Spread it around with a shovel to make sure the whole lawn has some. You’ll then switch to a rake to spread it over the lawn until it’s about ¼ inch thick. You only need a thin layer of compost; too much might smother your lawn. If you’ve done a good job raking your lawn, there won’t be much left on top to see.
Now it’s time for the easy part. Water your lawn for 20 minutes and continue to water as need for a week. It will take between 7-10 days for the compost to break down all the way and release all the good stuff into your lawn. After a week, you can resume your normal yard maintenance. If you try top dressing your lawn, we’d love to hear what you think about the outcome.
And, of course, if you need help with top dressing a commercial lawn, we’re here to help. Give us a call or visit us online for more details on how we can make your lawn look gorgeous.
