4 Tips for Applying Compost into your Lawn
Compost is decomposed organic materials which make up a lot of what households throw away. According to research carried out by the frontier group, organic wastes take up 28.2% of America’s garbage.
These are wastes that decompose quickly and can help you to add nutrients and micro bacteria to your soil, ensure better moisture retention and improve your lawn’s health.
All these benefits are achieved while also sparing your family and pets from harmful chemical herbicides and fertilizers.
Here are tips for working compost into your lawn the right way.
- Prepare the Soil
Pick a day that has not had any rain, go outside and take a bit of soil in your hand, and squeeze it. According to Michigan State University, it is ready to work with if it crumbles into pieces. Although if it stays intact, it is still wet and you will need to prepare it on another day.
For the next steps, you will need; an aerating tool, a rake, wheelbarrow, a shovel and the compost.
- Aerate the Soil
Before applying the compost, start by aerating the soil which entails punching holes into the ground. The process of aeration should by start with raking deeply to remove the lawn thatch.
Lawn aeration helps in breaking down compacted soil, thus allowing water, oxygen and nutrients to penetrate the roots of the grass. It is best to aerate the lawn when it is vigorously growing; this allows the grass to rebound faster.
- Add Compost to The Lawn
Using your wheelbarrow and shovel scatter the compost everywhere across the lawn. Use a rake to distribute evenly across the entire yard.
When applying compost across an existing lawn, ensure it is less than a half-inch deep, this will ensure that the grass blades are not covered and are still getting sufficient sunlight and oxygen. On the other hand, when topdressing a seeded lawn, use about a quarter-inch of compost to ensure the seeds germinate.
- Water the Lawn.
Watering you soil after composting ensures the compost is moistened and thus trickles further into the ground. Remember, you need to set the sprayer at its lowest setting to avoid washing away the compost or seeds
Additional Tips
- Scatter the compost while moving back to avoid compacting it into the lawn.
- Start spreading the compost from the lawn’s perimeter then the rest of the yard.
- Compost can also be used to treat the weak, thin and brown spots on your turf.
- Applying compost to your lawn once or twice a year benefits the garden more than the processed and synthetic quick-fix products.
- Make your compost or purchase from a trusted source that has sterilized it to rid it of weed seeds and diseases.
Using compost benefits more than your lawn, and saves you money, it protects the environment from pollution as it is nature’s way to recycle.
Navigating it the right way will keep your grass greener for longer making you and your lawn the talk of the town.