| Damaged Lawn Repair | | | | soils. |
| Bare Spots | | | | The best single time of the year for top dressing |
| The most common cause of lawn bare spots is | | | | lawns is in the fall for cool season grasses and in |
| carbon deficiency in the soil and low soil microbial | | | | the spring for warm season grasses. |
| content. These two deficiencies require both | | | | Direct sun on bare areas of your lawn will kill soil |
| "Green" and "Brow" natural organic material. | | | | microbes. It is recommended you cover the |
| Natural organic material can be classified into two | | | | area after treatment with straw until your turf is |
| categories according to their carbon and nitrogen | | | | developed. |
| content: Green material and Brown material. | | | | "Brown" organic material supplies about 50% of |
| - "Green materials, such as fresh grass clippings, | | | | the soil carbon content. Plant roots supply |
| manure and other living plants (weeds) and plant | | | | 20-30% during photosynthesis. A healthy lawn |
| products contain large amounts of nitrogen. | | | | requires 5-6% carbon content in the soil. Most |
| - "Brown" materials such as dried leaves and | | | | lawns have at best a 2% carbon content. |
| plants, branches, and woody materials (leaf | | | | Mulched dried leaves and plant matter is an |
| stems) have high carbon content but are | | | | excellent source of "Brown" organic material. |
| relatively low in nitrogen. | | | | Dead Soil |
| Basically, "Green" materials supply food for the | | | | The most common cause of dead lawn soil is |
| bio-life (bacteria, fungi, and small invertebrates | | | | over and prolonged use of chemical and synthetic |
| such as worms) which intern manufacture, supply, | | | | fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides. The uses |
| and facilitate nutrient uptake for the plants. The | | | | of these have killed off the soil bio-life. These |
| "Brown" materials provide a home for the "Green" | | | | areas must be detoxified. High salt content left |
| material bio-life. | | | | by non-organic fertilizers must also be |
| Top Dressing is mostly "Green" organic material. | | | | neutralized. |
| Organic material when decomposed becomes | | | | I have found a 5:1 mixture of liquid humic acid and |
| organic matter at a rate of about 10%. Organic | | | | a liquid aerifying agent supplemented with liquid |
| matter is main component of Humus. | | | | cold sea kelp and natural molasses to be very |
| Below is a list of some of the benefits when | | | | successful. Two ounces of this solution per gallon |
| topdressing lawns. | | | | of water per 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn is adequate |
| - Top dressing can build up the soil flora. Top | | | | unless you have a chlorinated water source. For |
| dressing adds organic matter to soils. | | | | a chlorinated water source, the mixture needs to |
| - Compost top dressing with the right biological | | | | be 6:1. Apply another treatment after 2 days |
| components can help reduce lawn diseases. | | | | and them every 6 weeks. I use Nature's Magic |
| - Adding compost helps reduce traffic stress. | | | | mixed with Aerify for this treatment and for |
| - Compost incorporated into heavy soils, helps | | | | whole lawn health maintenance twice a year. I |
| relieve compaction problems. | | | | use Nature's Magic every 5-6 weeks alone the |
| - Compost incorporated into sandy soils helps with | | | | rest of the time. I also use a bio-enhanced |
| water retention. | | | | dethatcher in early spring and again in the fall. |
| - Top dressing with the right materials can help | | | | For a healthy, disease and insect free lawn, you |
| reduce the need for fertilizer. | | | | should NOT use synthetic or chemical fertilizers, |
| - Top dressing can help reduce thatch. | | | | herbicides or insecticides. Organic lawn care is |
| - The cation exchange capacity of compost is | | | | safe for people, pets, and the environment. It's |
| approximately ten times higher than most loam | | | | also cheaper in the long run. |