Top dressing your lawn

Nitrogen-rich urea makes up at least 60 percent ofScotts Turf Builder ingredients. Ammonium sulfatemakes up 10 to 13 percent, potassium sulfate up to 10 percent, and sulfur up to 13 percent. These contain some of the key minerals and elements that make up many fertilizers -- nitrogen, phosphorus andpotassium.

Top dressing is putting fertilizer on top of the soil, not digging it into the soil as you would with planting. Different fertilizer companies have different blends some for grass/ turf some for veggies. You usually will water the grass / garden after applying. Not all companies use the same formulas.

You could contact your Extension Office - they can tell you precisely what to use in your area to get the best results.

Most topdressing is performed with compost. Compost should be made from the appropriate ratios or wet and dry materials and should be fully "cooked". High quality finished compost should be dark and rich and made with a variety of organic material with few fillers like sawdust or loam. In some cases, compost is blended with soil or sand to make it more affordable, just be sure the added soil is compatible with the soil of the lawn.