Topdress a lawn with just ¼–½ inch of compost — a thin layer you can rake down between the blades. More is not better here; a heavy layer smothers turf instead of feeding it. Aerating first helps the compost work down to the roots faster.
Coverage per cubic yard
| ¼" topdressing | ~1,300 sq ft |
| ½" topdressing | ~650 sq ft |
Rake until grass tips show through, then overseed — early spring and fall are the classic windows, so a late-winter order with a March–April date tees up the whole job. A full 6-yard load topdresses roughly 3,900–7,800 sq ft at those depths. Garden beds are different: till 2–3" of compost into the soil instead. Order bulk compost by the cubic yard, up to 6 yards per truckload.
