Top-dressing

A bulky material, such as sand or topsoil, or a composted material. It is typically applied to a surface, which might be an established sward or a newly seeded one, at relatively high quantities, typically 0.5 kg per metre square and greater. Topdressing is not the application of a fertiliser to a surface, due to the much lighter application rates given for fertilisers. The term can also refer to the action of applying a ‘top-dressing' to a surface. The main reason for applying topdressing is to maintain and improve the evenness of the playing surface.