Quality, organic compost is one of the most effective means of increasing your lawn’s health and well-being. And with healthy grass comes fewer weeds, getting you closer to the perfect lawn that you’ve always wanted. But compost is also beneficial to the environment at large, adding valuable nutrients to your soil and serving as an alternative to harmful chemical fertilizers.
Here are a few helpful steps to guide you as you apply compost to your lawn. It is a fairly simple chore and is easily added to your weekend gardening projects. Here’s what you’ll need: an aerator, a shovel, a rake, and the right amount of compost for your yard.
1. First, calculate how much compost you will need to effectively cover your entire lawn to a depth of one-half of an inch. This is the optimum coverage depth. Compost is typically sold by the cubic yard and one cubic yard will cover approximately 500 square feet of lawn. Do not skimp! Buy enough to cover the entire lawn, otherwise, your grass might grow unevenly.
2. After purchasing the compost, use an aerating tool over the entire surface of the lawn. This will punch divot holes into the ground and allow the nutritious compost to reach the roots of the grass.
3. After aerating, use your shovel to scatter compost evenly across your lawn. Add compost along the lawn’s perimeter first, and then distribute the rest as evenly as possible. I recommend walking backwards while scattering the compost, so that your stepping doesn’t compact it down onto your lawn.
4. After spreading the compost, you must then use a garden rake to smooth and level the surface of the compost. This will ensure that all plants are receiving the same amounts of moisture and fertilizer.
5. The final step in the process is to water your newly composted lawn. This helps the compost to seep further down into the soil. Use the lightest sprayer setting available because you don’t want to wash away some of the compost.
With the right tools and just a little bit of hard work, you’ll find that composting the lawn can be both fun and satisfying, leading to strong and healthy turf that is free of pesky weeds. Be warned, though – your neighbors will likely be jealous.
About the Author: Philip Brown is a lover of green, healthy lawns. A former lawn care professional, Philip now spends his time sharing what he knows with others. When he’s not blogging about lawn management at The Lawn Enthusiast, you can find him tending to his own front yard down in Loganville, Georgia.