A: I noticed recently many of my neighbors (and some golf courses too) are doing this. This is a great way to level out lawns, making mowing easier and alleviating water ponding in low spots. But what type of sand makes a difference. And yes, this is the time of year to do it.

River sand plays nicer with our clay soil than other sands, like play or masonry sand, which have uniform particle size. Too much sand with clay soil will just become a brick, lacking drainage and leading to compaction.

From UGA Turf Grass Specialist Clint Waltz - “River sand can be used to help level and smooth a zoysiagrass lawn. This would apply to bermudagrass too. Now would be the time of the year to ‘topdress’ with sand. If the lawn is too uneven, multiple applications may be needed. Consider applying an eighth- to a quarter-inch of sand now, allow it to work into the turfgrass canopy (via gravity, broom or brush, irrigation, or rainfall). Then apply another eighth- to quarter-inch in mid-August. It’s best to progressively add the sand than bury the grass. The other aspect is to level the topdressing, making sure more sand makes its way into the low spots and less on the high spots. The low areas have to be “raised” to match the grade of the high spots. Mimicking an uneven surface does no good.”

Topdressing with topsoil or some kind of compost are great to consider as well.

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