How to top dress a lawn

When to top dress

Any time of year works, but the lawn grows through the new layer fastest from September to April, when Brisbane lawns are actively growing. Avoid top dressing a lawn that is stressed by drought.

Step by step

1. Mow the lawn a little shorter than usual.
2. Aerate compacted areas with a garden fork or aerator.
3. Tip small piles of top dress across the lawn.
4. Spread it 5–10mm deep with the back of a rake or a levelling rake.
5. Make sure the grass tips are still showing. Deeper hollows need two or three light applications a few weeks apart.
6. Water in well and keep the lawn moist for a week or two.

Which top dress to use

How much to order

At 10mm deep, one cubic metre covers about 100m². At 5mm, it covers about 200m². Compare both products on our top dress range, or read the best turf for Brisbane guide if you are replacing the lawn instead.

When to top dress in Brisbane

Top dress when the grass is actively growing, so it can grow up through the new layer quickly. For the warm-season grasses common in Brisbane, that is usually from spring through to early summer. Avoid winter, when lawns grow slowly and a covering of soil can sit on the leaves for weeks.

Step by step

• Mow the lawn a little lower than usual and rake out dead thatch.
• If the soil is hard, aerate it first with a garden fork or a hired aerator.
• Tip small piles of top dress across the lawn and spread them with a level rake or the back of a rake.
• Work it into low spots and leave the tips of the grass showing.
• Water it in well, and keep it moist for the next week or two.

How thick to spread it

Aim for about 10mm across the lawn. Thicker layers can smother the grass. Deeper hollows are best filled in stages, a centimetre or so at a time, letting the grass grow through between each one.

After top dressing

Hold off mowing until the grass has grown back through the dressing, usually one to two weeks in warm weather. Then return to your normal mowing height. Lawns that are top dressed once a year tend to stay level and thick, and they need less water.