For years now I have been using compost as my go to means for covering new grass seeds and for soil amendments when trying to improve soil under your lawn.
In this article I want to talk about the compost that I use.
Since 2020 I have been using an amazingly fine blend of compost from a company called Field Compost.
In particular I use their field number 4, and If you order online anything from their lawn care range,
you can save 10% just by entering code RIGHT10 at the checkout.
Prior to using this top class lawn dressing, I have used multipurpose compost from B&Q (Verve brand), Wickes (own brand) and Home Bargains (Growmoor brand).
But what about lawn sand and topsoil?
I’ve used these as well, and to be fair they do an exceptional job. They also have the benefit of helping to level the lawn.
The reason I like to put compost on grass from time to time is to get some good organic goodness into the lawn.
This encourages microbial activity and earthworms and really does encourage long term a better quality soil to form.
You can turn a wet boggy clay lawn into something with a bit more drainage
Thank you so much for all your help, keep up the great work and videos you make are outstanding.
Keith
Smiley.
Thanks Keith!
Hi Shaun,
I’m about to follow your advice on renovating a lawn following chafer grub damage. I’m overseeding and planning to use Field compost number 4. What coverage can I expect from a 1500 litre jumbo bag. Our lawn is 325 sm.
Many thanks,
Neil
Hi Neil, I find a 40 litre bag goes about 7 or 8 sq metres. That’s 46 * 40litre bags.. Which is 1857 litres.. It depends how thick you spread it also.. I’m usually around 1cm thickness on this basis… If you can ensure a thin layer one of those bags should just about be enough
Hi Shaun,
Are you using the Landzie Compost Spreader to get that 1cm thickness?
Thanks,
Cathal.
Hi yes I am thanks
Hi Shaun by putting compost on the lawn will this introduce worms to the soil the reason I ask this is the worms that I have already are killing my lawns I have now found a way to keep them at bay so don’t want to introduce more worms.
Thanks Joe
What have you done to keep them at bay, they are the bane of my life!
You can use sulphate of iron, or lawn sand (both of these have some usefulness but its not amazing), or even a lawn conditioner called purity (at a high dose) – this irritates them … you may well see loads come up to the surface which can then be removed
Hi Shaun,
Having watched your videos I bought a compost spreader and tried it today with B&Q Verve multipurpose compost only to find high bark type content in it; this got clogged up and didn’t disperse from the spreader like it does on your videos. It took a lot of effort, pushing and pulling the spreader!
How did you find the Verve?
Maybe the spreader I purchased has too fine a mesh on it!
Thx
Hi Mark, Ive not used Verve now for maybe 3-4 years (time flies!). Its always had ‘some’ bark content and ‘semi-broken down’ matter in it. It may have changed a bit for the worse. Back then I would dump it in piles across the lawn and use the rake.. Then I bought a Bannerman mini topper top dresser which I still have and is very good, but Ive not run verve through the compost roller Im sorry to say.. Thats a shame to read, but doesn’t surprise me as they obviously pushing for more sales with maybe less quality
Oh just to add.. the verve was my first go to choice for years.. then I started trying others, and found the growmoor at home bargains in purple bags to be very very good (at least it was a couple of years ago!)