It's fall in the Northwest and everyone want's to do damage control on their lawns. I do a ton of aerations throughout the year but in the fall I get allot of topdressing requests. POST AERATION Top-dress with sand Top-dress with soil Top-dress with compost New product very expensive AXIS (or something like that) a small plastic ball thats hallow like a tine woffal ball. Suppose to go in aeration holes keep them open while still allowing roots to grow through. My main question is best way to spread in small yards with limited access. I've try ed a pete moss spreader with sand. Destroyed the spreader.
I 'second' that sand question. I understand sand to be used to spread tiny seed or help level turf, but I did not think it had any nutrient value for the soil... Compost and all that other crap (no pun intended) adds certain levels of nutrients and Humus (micro-organisms) to the soil, but whats with sand on a perfectly level spot like I see above? Or is there something in the sand?
Hey Gopher - is that guy in your second picture a homeowner or you helper? If he is your helper, you run a classy business!
Sand is used in the Northwest on golf course greens mostly. Enhances dranage and helps clay soil. Clients that golf to much request it mostly, their the ones that cut their lawn to short also.
Sand will not help clay soil. To improve clay soil, you want to get as much organic material into it as possible. Sand and clay are definitely not a good mix.
Sorry, but I beg to differ - sand (when having the proper and uniform particle size), contributes to aeration porosity, although, marginally. That said, topdressing with sand should not be used without caution. When a small or insufficient amount of sand is added, porosity decreases because the soil particals "float" in the soil without adding any additional large pore spaces. Some other "problems" with sand: - excessive nutrient leaching - particularly nitrogen and potassium - Lower microbial activityfor thatch and organic decomposition. And to answer "why use sand" others have asked - sand is technically a soil component. It is used in rootzone mixes to provide mechanical strength for soils receiving heavy compaction stress (i.e. football fields, golf greens... etc)
