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 ...

I use my own homemade compost sifted with a homemade hardware-cloth sieve after cooking for a year. The finished material is fine, black and loaded with nutrition and microorganisms. You can also buy ...

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 ...

Austin area soils are famous for their poor quality. Ask any avid local gardener and they will give you a list of their soil woes. Ultimately what it comes down to is we have very little soil, the ...

Q: We built a house two years ago and are struggling to establish a new lawn. Our soil is mostly clay and highly compacted. I aerated the lawn last year and am planning to aerate again as well as ...

Q. What are the best soil amendments to improve soils for planting vegetables and landscape plants? A. It is always difficult to name the best items because it does depend on soil types, the size of a ...

Q: I would appreciate your advice on how to get a fuller, healthier lawn. The lawn is five years old, a little patchy and has an inconsistent colour. I suspect a lack of topsoil and would welcome your ...