Maintaining an aesthetically pleasing lawn isn’t an easy task! There are more than just growing grass and mowing the area once in a while!
So when it is about preservation, people often ask, what type of sand for lawns will be perfect?
Well, sand is an excellent dressing material for your lawns, and they come with benefits too. And in this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about that!
What Type of Sand Do You Need for Your Lawns?
When your lawn has a bumpy surface, or you need to feel some holes, sand will be the best top dressing material.
To be honest, this practice was inspired by the maintenance of golf courses! And homeowners adopted this technique to keep their house look picture-perfect!
So now the question is, what type of sand is used for top dressing? Let’s discuss that part in the following section!
The Best Sand for Top Dressing Your Lawn
If you are expecting an incredible outcome, you can take just any sand and throw it on your lawn!
Yes, you will have to go through some hassle when trying to make the ground look gorgeous!
So which one is the best sand for top dressing lawn?
Well, you can use river sand or a good-quality topsoil mix to preserve your lawn. Moreover, you should always utilize a higher proportion of organic material while applying sandy soil on the ground.
What Are the Reasons for Top Dressing?
From covering the holes to make your lawn gorgeous, the top dressing has great significance.
Let’s take a look at the reasons why this process is necessary for your lawn maintenance.
- Makes your Lawn Smooth
The most typical reason for top dressing a lawn is to even out the terrain! When the ground is bumpy, it doesn’t really look so impressive, and it can cause some unpleasant accidents too!
Moreover, on a rough lawn, you cannot grow beautiful grass. And after watering the whole ground, there will be muddy puddles all over the place, and you don’t want that!
So only by applying sand on the top, you can resolve all these issues!
- Fix Holes
Any holes in lawn that are up to two inches deep, you can apply sand to fix them. And here is how you do that.
- Firstly, raise the chunks of turf grass using a shovel.
- Secondly, fill the holes with a thick layer of sand.
- Lastly, put the turf grass back and water the area to help the sand settle down.
When Do I Fertilize My Lawn, Before or After Top Dressing?
It is another common query by beginners that what is the best time for fertilizing your lawn?
According to experts, you need to fertilize your ground before you start the top dressing.
In this way, the grass will have excellent strength, and it can adapt to the change when you apply sand on the lawn.
However, some people like to fertilize the ground before top dressing, which will put excessive stress on the grass.
Therefore, if you don’t want to hamper the grass’s growth, you should fertilize it before starting your top dressing procedure.
Why is Sand Great for Lawns?
Undeniably, sand doesn’t need any nutritional value to the ground. Still, yes, there are some benefits of this material that you can’t deny.
Thus, sand is one of the most popular ingredients when it’s about maintaining the top-notch condition of your home ground!
Here are the advantages you will enjoy once you apply sand to your yard.
- Improved Firmness
After applying a layer of sand on the ground, you will see an enhanced firmness of the soil.
The fertilization and addition of many organic materials turn the soil soft and squishy. Hence, adding sand to it will improve the integrity of the ground.
- Better Drainage and Aeration
When the soil is too squishy, your turfgrass won’t breathe properly, which will interrupt its growth.
Moreover, when water touches the ground, it will become super muddy instantly. But sand enhances the aeration and drainage, so your grass will be greener than ever!
- Prevents Damages
The sandy top layer will create cushioning to protect against the damages of the turfgrass.
And this really helps when your lawn is in a foot traffic area. It also boosts the recovery of your greens, which is admirable.
What Are the Problems of Top Dressing a Lawn in Sand?
Even if you are using the best sand for lawn leveling, you will face some issues. Well, everything in this world comes with perks and cons, and we just have to deal with that.
The first problem you will face is if you fail to sprinkle the sand evenly on the ground. As we have already mentioned, sand doesn’t add any nutritional value to your soil.
Therefore, when a particular area has excessive sand, the turfgrass of that portion won’t get enough juice to thrive.
Therefore, you need to make sure that the top dressing is done perfectly in every area. You can use a rake for a better experience.
Another common issue you may face is weed infestation. It normally occurs if you use contaminated sand on the ground.
Hence, you should always go for sterilized sand to be on the safe side.
Tips for Top Dressing Your Lawn
Here is some expert’s advice for you that will allow you to keep your lawn in its best condition.
- For outstanding grass growth, you have to choose the right time for top dressing. If you have warm-season grass, you can apply sand in the spring. By contrast, you can perform this maintenance procedure in the fall if you have cold-season grass.
- Always apply a thin layer of sand to keep the soil breathable. The thickness of your top dressing shouldn’t be for than one inch. In this way, you can ensure an accurate sand and soil mix for grass.
- To renew the grass in your grass, you can do overseeding. It will make your lawn look fresh all the time.
The Bottom Line
Now that you’ve finished reading, what type of sand for lawns maintenance will be perfect isn’t a secret to you!
Well, it isn’t an easy task, but you have to go the extra mile to keep your house stunning.
And after all this hard work, when you will sit on your patio, you’ll have the time of your life, that’s guaranteed!
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