Top dressing your lawn – when, how and how much?

Top dressing – also called lawn dressing – is a blend of fine, screened topsoil and washed sand, often with added natural fertiliser. It is spread in a thin layer on top of an existing lawn and worked down between the blades of grass.

The benefits include:

• A more even lawn – small holes and dips are filled.
• Better soil – the sand improves drainage, and the topsoil adds organic matter.
• Denser grass – new grass seed germinates better in a layer of top dressing.
• Less thatch and moss – especially when combined with scarifying.

If you are creating a brand-new lawn, read our guide How to Create a Beautiful Lawn.

The best times are when the grass is growing strongly and can quickly grow up through the layer:

• Spring (April-May): When the soil has warmed up and the grass has started growing.
• Late summer and early autumn (August-September): The soil is warm and there is usually more rain. This is also the best time to overseed.

Avoid top dressing during drought, frost or when the ground is very wet.

1. Mow the grass short: Mow the lawn a little shorter than usual so the top dressing gets down between the blades more easily.
2. Scarify or aerate the lawn: Remove thatch and moss with a scarifier, and aerate a heavy lawn with a garden fork or aerator.
3. Overseed: Sow new grass seed on bare and thin patches – ideally over the whole lawn.
4. Spread the top dressing: Tip the top dressing out in small piles and spread it with a rake or levelling rake in an even, thin layer.
5. Brush it in: Work the top dressing down between the blades with the back of the rake or a broom. The grass tips should be visible.
6. Water thoroughly: Water the lawn and keep it moist for the next couple of weeks so the new seed germinates.

On an existing lawn the layer should be thin – approx. 0.5-1 cm. The grass must be able to grow up through the top dressing. If you put too much on at once, you smother the grass.

If you have larger dips, it is better to fill them in several rounds a few weeks apart than to lay a thick layer all at once.

When creating a new lawn, on the other hand, a 3-5 cm layer of top dressing is used as a seedbed.

With a layer of 0.5-1 cm you need approx. 5-10 litres of top dressing per m². That equals:

• 100 m² lawn: 0.5-1 m³ = 500-1,000 litres
• 200 m² lawn: 1-2 m³ = 1,000-2,000 litres
• 300 m² lawn: 1.5-3 m³ = 1,500-3,000 litres

If you are unsure how large your lawn is, see our guide How to calculate square metres, or use our quantity calculator.

• Top dress is a blend of screened topsoil, washed sand and natural fertiliser that suits most lawns – both for renovation and new lawns.
• Naturally fertilised top dress contains fine screened topsoil, washed sand and natural fertiliser that gives the lawn extra nutrients.
• Extra fine top dress 0-3 mm is particularly fine and developed for lawns with high demands on finish and evenness – e.g. exclusive ornamental lawns and sports areas.

See the full range of top dress and lawn dressing.

If you have a heavy, clay lawn where water stands, it pays to add extra sand. Sand for lawns is a washed sand with a minimum of clay that makes the soil more airy and improves drainage. Aerate the lawn first so the sand can work its way down into the holes, and spread it over several rounds.

To improve the soil more fundamentally, read our guide How to Improve the Soil in Your Garden.

We deliver top dressing and sand in bulk bags directly to your address – read more about delivery.