How to spread topsoil / compost

[GaryLock]

I've been trying to search this out on my own, but to no avail. I am looking to find out how to spread topsoil over two different 1/3 acre lawns. I am guessing that I will not be able to use a tow behind drop or broadcast spreader, due to the moisture content of the mixture being spread. Is this correct? I was looking at a PTO 3pt Landpride spreader, but again, they only spec out for fertilizer and seeds, and some salt. Never mention topsoil. Has anyone ever tried with a spreader and had good luck? I see the huge spreaders built for topsoils online, but haven't found any rentals of these in my area at all. Just looking for suggestions. Thanks so much. Just trying to avoid a shovel and rake if I can. 'Tis a killer on the old back.

 

[davesl708]

I had to till 1/4 of lawn and level it out. I used the FEL to dump and partial spread filler soil then used a drag harrow turned upside down to level and finish it off.

 

[GaryLock]

I was trying to figure out if I could use a drag device, but without destroying the lawn that I have in place now. I live on a sandpit, so I am trying to add soil into the lawn every year to bring it up to a good level for holding moisture. Sometimes, I will make a dust cloud that I can't see through in parts of my lawn. And I have too much into this one already to start over. It is coming along, but just needs some more soil. Thanks for the reply.

 

[RobS]

Years ago, I think on "This Old House" I saw a spreader for peat that was interesting. Imagine a lawn roller but instead of solid steel for the drum it was expanded metal. It had a hinged hatch for loading then rolled along the lawn. Seemed to do a decent job but I'm sure it will be totally dependent on your top soil conditions.

 

[Budweiser John]

May be a manure spreader?

 

[Gary Fowler]

I think trying to add top soil to an existing lawn without damaging it is a waste of time. The top soil needs to be tilled into the sandy soil to make an aggregate base rather than just a thin layer on top. You couldn't put more than about 1/4" at a time without killing off some of the grass even if it were spread exact.

I think you would be better served to just load on the top soil, spreading it with a boxblade and FEL as needed and then mix it all up with a tiller then re-seed or re-sod as required. Some of your existing grass may come back out after the filling, tilling and leveling of the lawn if you keep it watered well which you would need to do anyway after re-seeding.

I think you will find this the best way(cheapest too) to do it rather than dragging it out over several years with just a sprinkle of top soil each year.

 

[oldnslo]

If this is on an existing lawn how critical is the depth of spread before you smother the existing grass? How many yards of dirt are you spreading?

 

[jeff9366]

Perhaps a lawn thatch removing implement or similar pine straw rake. Tines on the CMP thatch remover are stiffer/more resistant than tines on a pine straw rake.

CMP LINK: CMP ATTACHMENTS, llc

 

[powerscol]

What I did was place piles with the FEL, then use my box blade, set the depth I wanted the compost placed at and went through and spread the piles. To set the depth I used 2x4's placed sideways and lowered the 3pt until the box blade touched and then locked the 3pt. Worked pretty well.

Last operation was a drag harrow as others have suggested. I also seeded at the stage to improve the pasture too. Worked well.

 

[Industrial Toys]

That's why golf courses use top dressers. A very expensive outfit. I like the manure spreader idea, but that is some pretty big, ground destroying equipment. And the little ones are micky mouse and too expensive for what you are getting. Maybe back dragging a spring toothed landscape rake would work.

 

[Xfaxman]

I backed dragged with the loader in float and the 42" bucket.

 

[GaryLock]

I spent the day at a couple of different rental places and tractor places. Nothing out there to do this. I think the best suggestion might be just to wait till fall, and spread 16-20 yards of topsoil onto the lawn with the loader, roto-till, and then back-drag to smooth, and finally seed. I thank everyone for their suggestions.

 

[Ford850]

There are options out there. Google "lawn top dresser" images. https://www.google.com/search?q=law...X&ved=0ahUKEwj2itGEmKXKAhXJ4SYKHXFyCDUQsAQIRw
Some landscapers offer this as a service. There are quite a few ways this is done, from the buggies, to the rakes and blades, and also hand spreading. If you have a FEL, I think you could scatter a fairly good spread. Then follow it with a drag. The drag could be made from wood pallets, cyclone fence, etc.
A scraper blade can also be used to skim off and distribute soil after it is spread on a lawn. If you play with your top link, you can usually find a sweet spot that lets the blade scrape over the grass without gouging too much (especially when it's dry). Sometimes angling the blade helps too. And then creep along in the lowest range and gear, letting the blade slowly scrape most of the soil out of the grass and evenly distribute it.

 

[powerscol]

Ford850 just hit on something. On my box blade if I extend my top link the inside blade will lift off the ground an inch or so and then the back blade just back drags. On my box blade there are two blades - one on the back for pushing backwards, and one on the inside for cutting forward. With the inside blade tilted back should work well for you needs.

 

[mike69440]

That's why golf courses use top dressers. A very expensive outfit. I like the manure spreader idea, but that is some pretty big, ground destroying equipment. And the little ones are micky mouse and too expensive for what you are getting. Maybe back dragging a spring toothed landscape rake would work.

With a rake, it will look like your destroying the grass, but if you don't tear up the roots, and only put doun an inch, it will grow back.

 

[TO_Bud]

Hurd makes an auger powered 3 point spreader. It's claim to fame is it can broadcast even wet sand (they sell it as a sander). I own one and bought it for just what you're trying to do, top dress the lawn. It does broadcast sand very well, which you don't need, and I have used it to broadcast topsoil as long as it is very dry. The only drawback is loading the hopper of 12 cu ft. You can't use your loader because the spreader is on the 3 pt. That's a lot of hand digging to fill it at roughly 4 ft high. I even created an elevated wood trough to dump the product into with my bucket and then back underneath with the spreader to pull the material in with a hand hoe. Still pretty labor intensive but it worked. I looked at the buggies shown in the other post but couldn't find one to rent or a company in my area that used one. Here's the link to the Hurd. PTO Powered Sand Spreaders, Salt Spreaders

 

[GaryLock]

I appreciate the further replies. The Herd spreader would probably do the job, but no rentals in the area and I it is just too pricey to use once in a while. I thank you for the link. I have been thinking a lot of using a chain link fence piece to do the final smoothing. Also thinking about using a 2x12x12' to rid the lawn of low spots. Maybe attach it to the FEL to back drag a 12' area to make it really flat. We'll see what works. Thanks again.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I like the 2x12 x12 idea but don't know if it will hold up. I suspect that you will snap off the ends if you put even the slightest pressure on it. Maybe a better material would be a 4x4 which would have much more strength or a railroad steel (good luck finding one of those ) I am just not sure how you could attach it rigidly to the FEL.

I have always had good luck with FEL back dragging and using a criss-cross pattern which normally works out the high spots into the low spots. I like to keep the bottom of the bucket almost flat with just enough tilt to allow dirt to flow under it. This usually will just skim over the grass rather than uproot it like it does if you tilt the bucket lip to almost vertical. Finally going over it with some sort of drag to remove any slight ridges from the FEL to finish up.

 

[jenkinsph]

A land plane grader scraper will work by adding shims to the bottom. I did this for a customer a few years ago. You need one tractor to load the rear of the lpgs and another to pull it.

I agree with Gary though, better to add enough amendments at one time then till and replant.

 

[Xfaxman]

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I have been thinking a lot of using a chain link fence piece to do the final smoothing. Also thinking about using a 2x12x12' to rid the lawn of low spots. Maybe attach it to the FEL to back drag a 12' area to make it really flat. We'll see what works. Thanks again.

That reminded me of my pulled from the scrap pile land plane.