Sanding the lawn rounds off the exemplary care. Indispensable on golf and football pitches, grass sand also solves many problems on your home green. The following instructions explain in practical terms when and how hobby gardeners sand the lawn correctly.
Why and when should you sand the lawn?
Sanding lawns helps maintain and improve the condition of the soil. Fine, washed quartz sand is used to loosen up the compacted lawn, improve drainage and level out unevenness. Sanding should be done in spring or autumn after scarifying or aerating the lawn.
Why should a lawn be sanded?
For a lawn to develop into the velvety green carpet it longs for, professional care is essential. In addition to a balanced water and nutrient balance and regular mowing, the condition of the soil plays an important role. If there are defects here, spreading lawn sand solves the following problems:
- Sanding loosens compacted lawn
- Soil that is too heavy and fat has a more permeable consistency
- Lawn sand creates drainage to protect against waterlogging
- Lawn enriched with quartz sand is more effectively aerated
- Small unevenness is leveled out with sand
In the interaction of all care factors, lawn sand makes a valuable contribution to dense, deep green grass growth.
Which sand is suitable for lawn sand?
Don't grab just any sand that may have been left over after the last construction project. In order to sand your sensitive lawn with expertise, the material should be:
- Very fine, with a grain size of 0 to a maximum of 2 millimeters
- Washed and low-lime quartz sand
- Preferably in round grain quality
Rhine sand is ideal for sanding the lawn, as it costs just 0.45 euros per kilogram and is also inexpensive to purchase.
Tip
Play sand is ideal for lawn sand due to its small grain size. Since the silt and clay particles were washed out particularly carefully, it does not necessarily have to be quartz sand. Fine-grained, washed pit sand for the children's playground is also good for the lawn.
How to properly sand the lawn
Simply spreading lawn sand on the green area does not have the desired effect. Rather, it is a matter of incorporating the material into the sod. Follow these steps:
- Mow the lawn in spring or autumn to a cutting height of 2-3 centimeters
- Scarify the green area lengthwise and crosswise
- Set the device to a working depth of 3-5 millimeters
- Remove the combed out thatch and drive the mower over the area again
Following this preparatory work, fill the quartz sand into a spreader and spread it on the lawn. There is nothing wrong with spreading it by hand, as long as the lawn sand is spread evenly and in a thin layer. A dosage of 5 liters per square meter is completely sufficient. Then carefully sweep away the lawn sand with a broom or rake.
Aerating intensifies the sand effect
If you are confronted with heavily compacted sod, don't just stop at scarifying as part of the preparatory work. To ensure that the lawn doesn't run out of steam, prudent hobby gardeners additionally aerate the green before sanding. Here's how to do it:
- Treat the lawn with a manual or mechanical aerator (€39.00 on Amazon)
- Push the hollow soil nails into the ground at a distance of 10-15 centimeters
- Alternatively, use the digging fork to punch 400 holes in the turf per square meter
The earth that has been dug out must not be trodden down again, but must be disposed of. Manual devices such as the lawn woodpecker have a practical tray for this purpose. The little ‘earth sausages’ collect in this so they can be easily disposed of. You can then spread the quartz sand as described.
Topdressing – the premium version of sanding
In order to even better sand a lawn that is burdened by heavy weed and moss growth, experienced hobby gardeners opt for topdressing. This is a rich mix of quartz sand, organic substances and fertilizer. Peat, sifted compost or fine leaf mold serve as organic additions. The remaining soil cones after aeration are also suitable.
This mixture not only fulfills the classic tasks of sanding, but also revitalizes the noble grasses of the lawn at the same time. The growth then takes place even more quickly, so that moss and weeds have a bad chance.
Tips & Tricks
If the lawn is primarily used as a place for children to play, you can use quartz sand to create a practical layer of cleanliness between the grass support level and the rascals. This works very easily without prior scarifying or ventilation. In spring and summer you distribute a maximum of 2 liters of lawn sand per square meter and work it in with a coarse broom.