The Benefits of Top Dressing 

Top Dressing is the practice of spreading compost or other nutritive mulch-like material over the soil of gardens, lawns, raised beds, planted pots or trees.  This is a simple technique that if faithfully followed, is one of the most beneficial maintenance tasks in the garden.

This is distinct from adding a layer of decorative or un-composted bark over your soil, which does not provide these benefits.

The results from top dressing can be transformational.  The practice is recommended annually and the advantages include: 

• Increased soil organic matter 

• Replenished nutrients 

• Improved soil structure 

• Conserved water through improved retention  

• Cooling of the soil 

• Suppressed weeds 

• Enhanced bacterial action and mycorrhizal fungi 

• Vigorous growth of plants 

Top dressing involves spreading a layer of material 1” to 2” thick over the surface of your perennial or planting beds and around trees, preferably during spring or fall.  For lawn areas, top dress with a thin layer, 1/4” thick over the entire surface then rake it in.  It is most effective after dethatching or core aerating.  

Top Dressing can also be beneficial for potted plants that may be too awkward for repotting or are showing signs of nutrient deficiency.  Gently remove the top layer of potting soil down to the root ball and replace with the top dressing material.  

If you use decorative bark as a finish in your garden, you will need to rake it aside before spreading the topdressing.  Replace the bark after applying, in order to keep the material from blowing away from weather conditions or leaf blowers.   

We encourage using either mature compost or rich soil amendments depending on what you are top dressing.  

We recommend: