Top-dressing a lawn is a fancy term for amending the soil without disturbing the sod. Golfers might be familiar with the practice because this technique was first performed on golf courses in Scotland ...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. A newly sown lawn needs the right balance of nutrients, moisture, and aeration to establish strong roots. That's where top-dressing comes in.

In our own climate we are not generally overwhelmed with leaves. They usually don’t pile up 6 to 8 inches deep, and if they pile up at all, they will decompose quickly. The decomposed leaves add ...