Thanks for the tips

Last year I top-dressed my lawn with compost and I had some dramatic improvements on the quality of my lawn. The nitrogen in the compost really re-invigorated the lawn.

Also, I dug a large hole to plant a burning bush. The plant was small about 2' across, but I dug the hole almost three feet across and 2 1/2' deep. Filled the hole with peatmoss and high-quality top soil as well as some dirt from the hole. I also sprinkleed some bonemeal and lime the bottom of the hole. Anyways, the burning bush is doing very well, and the lawn surrounding it and down a slight hill is doing fantastic. Very few weed, some clover and lush green grass.

Thanks from Nova Scotia.

top dressing your lawn.......exactly what does that mean and what did you use....how thick........i have about 8 m sq feet of lawn which i'd love to do this to.....but.......it must be expensive.....most appreciate any tips.......dg

Joe, that is some really good info - thanks!

dgetlin:  lay an inch of compost all over your lawn in the early spring or early fall.

paul wheaton wrote:
dgetlin:  lay an inch of compost all over your lawn in the early spring or early fall.

I've been planning to do this, but my wife is afraid it will make the lawn look awful and be unusable.  Is that a reasonable concern?  How long does it take 1/2 an inch of compost to become fully integrated into the soil?  The grass is fairly high (3 inches roughly), so I'd think it wouldn't even be all that noticeable...

I have been wanting to add compost to my lawn also. Paul Wheaton had mentioned it and I have been thinking about it for a while. I was afraid to just dump the compost on for fear of smothering the grass. I stumbled across a website that explained it.
http://www.mardenturf.co.uk/top_dressing.htm
I hope this helps others.

hennagaijin wrote:

paul wheaton wrote:
dgetlin:  lay an inch of compost all over your lawn in the early spring or early fall.

I've been planning to do this, but my wife is afraid it will make the lawn look awful and be unusable.  Is that a reasonable concern?  How long does it take 1/2 an inch of compost to become fully integrated into the soil?  The grass is fairly high (3 inches roughly), so I'd think it wouldn't even be all that noticeable...

It is a reasonable concern.  It will look like hell for about three to six days.  It might even stink a bit for the first three days. 

It is a reasonable concern.  It will look like hell for about three to six days.  It might even stink a bit for the first three days. 

Good to know.  Maybe the best thing to do is address one section of the lawn each year.  Takes longer, I guess, but probably keeps my marriage intact!