Top dressing adds high-quality compost filled with beneficial bacteria, fungi, and other microbes directly to your lawn. These microbes help break down organic matter, cycle nutrients, and support healthy plant growth. 

At Today and Tomorrow Turf, we’re committed to bringing professional golf course-level techniques to your residential lawn. We believe that a beautiful lawn is like a tuxedo for your home. That’s why we use the same high-quality, specialized equipment and methods that golf courses rely on for lush, vibrant grass. Our process includes aeration, top dressing with premium compost, and targeted treatments designed to improve soil health, strengthen root development, and enhance overall lawn aesthetics. Everyone deserves a lawn as beautiful and well-maintained as a golf course, and we work hard to make that a reality for you!

At Today and Tomorrow Turf, we set ourselves apart through our passion for creating lush, green lawns, our unwavering commitment to soil health, and our meticulous attention to detail. We focus on long-term results, not quick fixes, using natural treatments that improve soil structure and enhance nutrient absorption.

• Precision Application: We invest in top-quality equipment to ensure a consistent, precise top dressing—no piles, no hotspots—just an even coat for optimal coverage.

• Premium Materials: We use only clean, nutrient-rich compost and sand, ensuring the best results for your lawn.

• Science-Backed Approach: Our organic solutions, such as seaweed treatments and Humate applications, provide essential nutrients without relying on synthetic fertilizers.

• Fair & Transparent Pricing: We charge by square footage, ensuring fairness and value for every homeowner. Our pricing is designed to sustain our business while delivering outstanding top dressing treatments. We also offer discounts for larger treatment areas (10k, 20k, and 30k sq ft).

• Customer Commitment: We believe in respect, consistency, and delivering top-tier results. Our mission is to create healthy lawns that thrive today and for years to come. We’re not just about lawn care—we’re about transforming your lawn with sustainable, eco-friendly solutions.

We take great care to keep driveways, sidewalks, and other hard surfaces clean after your top dressing treatment. Our team blows off all hard surfaces to remove excess soil and debris. However, because we are working with natural materials, some light residue or marks may remain.

Over time, these marks will fade with exposure to water and weather. We are not responsible for any marks that cannot be fully removed through sweeping or blowing immediately after treatment.

Hybrid Bermuda grass should be mowed to 1 inch or less to maintain optimal density and health. Keeping it at the proper height encourages a thick, healthy turf and prevents scalping, which can stress the grass if repeated weekly. Regular, low mowing also promotes horizontal stolon growth, leading to a denser, more carpet-like lawn. 

While it’s possible to order materials and spread them yourself using a wheelbarrow, shovel, or even a rented machine, there are several reasons why Today and Tomorrow Turf’s professional top dressing service is a valuable investment:

✔ Precision & Even Coverage – Hand-spreading compost and sand often results in uneven application, leading to hotspots, sparse areas, and inconsistent growth. Our specialized equipment ensures a uniform layer, allowing the grass to receive sunlight and air for optimal effectiveness.
✔ Core Aeration & Premium Additives – Our process goes beyond basic top dressing. We include core aeration, seaweed extract, and humates, which improve soil structure, boost nutrient absorption, and enhance long-term lawn health.
✔ Labor & Equipment Costs – Manually spreading material is extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming. Even with a rented machine, achieving professional-level results requires skill and experience. Our advanced machinery ensures the perfect amount of material is applied efficiently, reducing disruption to your lawn.
✔ Long-Term Results – A properly executed top dressing treatment strengthens soil health, enhances root growth, and reduces the need for excessive fertilizers and weed control over time. This makes it a smart, long-term investment in your lawn’s future.

While DIY or renting equipment may seem like a cost-saving option, the time, effort, and risk of uneven results make our professional service the most effective and lasting solution for a healthier, more resilient lawn.

Today and Tomorrow Turf serves a wide range of areas, but we primarily receive most of our clients from local neighborhoods and surrounding communities in the Triangle NC area. We’re also planning to expand to a Fayetteville, NC route in the future. Our business thrives on referrals, word-of-mouth, and online reviews, with many homeowners choosing our services because of our commitment to high-quality, eco-friendly treatments. We focus on maximizing route density to ensure optimal service and coverage during our short top dressing season. 

Many of our clients are referred to us by landscapers, as we work in partnership with lawn maintenance providers. While we don’t offer referral fees, we complement each other’s services. We help rebalance soil and level out minor elevation imperfections, enhancing the overall appearance of lawns and benefiting lawn maintenance companies. This allows lawn care companies to focus on what they do best, without adding extra services during their busy season or investing in costly equipment for proper top dressing. 

Yes! Top dressing can improve soil health over time, reducing your reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. It boosts soil structure, nutrient retention, and disease resistance, which results in a stronger, more resilient lawn.  

At Today and Tomorrow Turf, we treat the entire lawn, not just specific spots. Our process and equipment are designed to apply the treatment evenly, and we drag rake afterward to ensure proper distribution. If requested, we can divide the lawn into sections, such as the front or back, as long as our minimum $500 service charge is met. For areas that are particularly low, we can focus on those, but we are careful not to apply too much product at once. Over-applying the Top Dressing can smother the grass, potentially causing stress and future problems. While many warm-season grasses are resilient, it's crucial to allow the grass blades to receive air and sunlight.

Our Top Dressing treatment is designed to cover your entire lawn evenly, promoting healthier soil and improving lawn quality across the whole area. This comprehensive approach ensures the best possible results, providing consistent nourishment and care for your lawn.

Additionally, we will leave extra product (up to two 5 gallon client-supplied buckets) for you to apply to specific areas as needed. We recommend applying a small amount over time, allowing the grass blades to grow through, and repeating the process as necessary until you achieve the desired results.

The ideal timing depends on your grass type: 

✔ Cool-season grasses (e.g., fescue, bluegrass, ryegrass) – Best applied in fall or early spring
✔ Warm-season grasses (e.g., Bermuda, Zoysia, St. Augustine) – Best applied in spring or summer during the active growing season

To ensure availability, we encourage you to request your treatment before March 15th at www.tatturf.com.

Keep in mind that May through August is our busiest season. In 2024, we treated 182 lawns within that time frame. While we work hard to service everyone efficiently, we appreciate your patience during our peak season.

Regular mowing promotes denser growth, reduces weed competition, and helps maintain a healthier, more attractive lawn. Warm-season grasses, like Bermuda and Zoysia, grow aggressively during the growing season, and frequent cutting prevents thatch buildup while keeping the lawn uniform. Cutting it short and often encourages stolons to grow horizontally rather than vertically, resulting in a thicker, more resilient turf.

To ensure the best results from your top dressing treatment, please follow these preparation steps: 

✔ Mow Your Lawn Low! – We ask that you cut your grass as short as possible before treatment. Even though scalping may not look ideal, it’s the best case scenario for our treatment. We understand some homeowners may not be able to scalp their lawn due to personal lawn care equipment or private lawn service limitations. However, a shorter cut allows the top dressing to reach the soil effectively and helps our team identify topography elevation concerns.

✔ Secure Pets & Outdoor Items – Keep pets indoors and remove outdoor furniture, toys, and decorations from your lawn to provide clear access.

✔ Remove Lawn Debris – Clear away leaves, sticks, and other debris to ensure even application.

✔ Water Lightly (If Needed) – If the soil is extremely dry, lightly water your lawn the day before treatment to aid aeration and absorption. However, avoid overwatering, as excessive moisture can cause ruts from our machines. Please let us know as soon as possible if you feel your lawn is too soft. While we take every precaution to avoid leaving ruts, we are not responsible if any occur due to soft soil conditions.

✔ Mark Any Obstacles – Identify sprinkler heads, utility lines, and other buried objects to prevent damage during aeration. We call 811 to have utility lines marked, but the timing of completion is beyond our control. Internet lines should be buried at least six inches deep, beyond our aeration depth. Please note: We are not responsible for damage to internet lines or other shallow-buried objects.

✔ Schedule Tree Removal or Construction Before Treatment – If you have any scheduled tree removal or construction projects, try to complete them before our treatment to avoid interference with our equipment and ensure the best results for your lawn.

By following these steps, you’ll help us provide the most effective treatment while protecting your lawn and property!

At Today and Tomorrow Turf, we use a premium blend of compost and sand to meet your lawn’s specific needs:

✔ Compost enriches the soil with nutrients
✔ Sand improves drainage and helps smooth out uneven areas

New for 2025, our treatments now include spraying lawns with seaweed extract and broadcasting Humates as part of our top dressing process.

Yes! Top dressing gradually levels out minor dips and uneven spots in your lawn. While it won’t fix severe grading issues, it smooths out imperfections while also improving soil quality.

⚠️ Important Note: Top dressing is not an instant leveling solution. We apply 1 cubic yard per 1,000 sq. ft., creating a layer that’s just under ⅓ of an inch thick—the ideal amount to enhance soil health without smothering the grass or causing future issues. To ensure even distribution, we drag rake the entire lawn at the end of the treatment.

In many new subdivisions, topsoil is removed during construction, leaving behind compacted clay from heavy machinery. Sod is often laid directly on top and expected to thrive, but within two years or less, the limited nutrients in the installed soil are depleted. Without deep, healthy roots, the grass struggles to penetrate the clay and begins to suffer.

If you’re in a newly built home, you may have noticed:

✅ An uneven, bumpy lawn
✅ Mower scalping in certain areas
✅ Patchy, splotchy grass growth
✅ Areas where stolons or sod haven’t fully connected
✅ Dead grass patches resembling squares of carpet lying on top of the soil

Don’t let poor soil conditions hold your lawn back! Our top dressing services improve soil structure, enhance root growth, and create a smoother, healthier lawn.

⚠️ Keep in mind: Achieving a perfectly level lawn takes time! Since we are working from the top down, rather than fostering deep root growth from the ground up, we must apply top dressing in controlled amounts. Each treatment applies 1 cubic yard per 1,000 square feet, gradually improving soil conditions without overwhelming your lawn.

Thatch is the layer of dead grass and organic material between the soil and growing grass. Too much thatch prevents water and nutrients from reaching the roots.

Our top dressing naturally breaks down excess thatch by introducing organic matter that encourages beneficial microbes, helping decompose organic material efficiently.

Top Dressing with Compost blend can actually help prevent lawn fungus by introducing beneficial microorganisms that compete with harmful pathogens. Additionally, compost improves soil structure, enhances drainage, and boosts overall lawn health, making it more resistant to disease. However, excessive moisture and poor lawn care practices can contribute to fungal issues. Following proper watering and maintenance guidelines will help ensure the best results. 

At Today and Tomorrow Turf, we carefully calculate the amount of top dressing to ensure optimal soil health and lawn performance. Applying more than one cubic yard per 1,000 sq. ft. can actually lead to long-term issues for your lawn, including:

✔ Suffocating the Grass – Too much material can smother the turf, blocking sunlight, oxygen, and water from reaching the grass blades and roots.
✔ Poor Soil Integration – A balanced layer allows nutrients to blend naturally into the soil. Overloading with product can slow absorption and reduce its effectiveness.
✔ Grass Stress – While grasses with rhizomes are resilient, excessive top dressing can stress the lawn, fostering conditions that may lead to future health issues.

Our goal is to enhance soil quality without overwhelming the lawn, fostering a healthier, stronger, and more resilient landscape.

Yes, top dressing with only sand can cause soil compaction and drainage issues over time if not done correctly. While sand is beneficial for leveling and improving drainage in certain soil types, applying it without organic material can create a hard, compacted layer that restricts root growth and water absorption.

At Today and Tomorrow Turf, we use a balanced blend of compost and sand to enhance soil structure, improve aeration, and provide essential nutrients while still achieving a smooth, even lawn surface. This approach prevents soil from becoming locked up and promotes healthier grass growth.

While we generally recommend waiting until your lawn is at least one year old before applying a top dressing treatment, we may still consider it on a case-by-case basis. If the lawn has been established for less than a full growing season, we will often omit core aeration during the treatment. These are the only circumstances under which we would treat without including aeration. For lawns under a year, it’s important to evaluate the grass’s overall health, root establishment, and growth. In some cases, a lighter, more targeted treatment may be appropriate to support early growth. We’ll assess the condition of your lawn and determine the best course of action based on its specific needs to ensure the best possible results. 

At Today and Tomorrow Turf, we use certified compost that has been processed at high temperatures to eliminate weed seeds and pathogens. However, during aeration, some underlying dormant seeds may be brought to the surface. Additionally, as we rebalance the soil and provide essential nutrients, everything in the lawn—including grass and weeds—may start to flourish. The good news is that a healthier, thicker lawn naturally crowds out weeds over time, reducing the need for chemical weed treatments. 

We recommend top dressing at least once a year for most lawns to maintain healthy soil and promote strong, vibrant grass. However, if your soil is compacted, struggling with poor drainage, or has other health concerns, additional treatments may be beneficial if it is within your budget.

✔ Twice-Yearly Treatments: Some clients opt for two treatments per year for enhanced results. If you choose this option, we require at least a 4-week window between applications to ensure the effectiveness of each treatment.

Regular top dressing helps to maintain soil health, improve grass growth, and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers over time. 

Absolutely! We use all-natural, organic materials that are 100% safe for children and pets. Once the treatment is applied and watered in, your lawn will be ready for normal use. 

Our process includes:

1️⃣ Core Aeration – Even if your lawn was recently aerated, we re-aerate as part of our treatment to ensure our product reaches the roots.
2️⃣ Spraying Seaweed Extract (new for 2025)
3️⃣ Broadcasting Humates (new for 2025)
4️⃣ Spreading a Precise Layer of Compost and Sand – Using specialized equipment to ensure even coverage (no piles, hotspots, or sparse areas).
5️⃣ Drag Raking – To integrate materials into the soil and level the lawn.
6️⃣ Blowing Off Hard Surfaces – We work hard to clean all hard surfaces after the treatment for a tidy, aesthetically pleasing result. Note that, because we are dealing with soil, some marks may not be removed without time and water. We are not responsible for debris on hard surfaces that cannot be removed with a blower or broom.

We invest in high-quality equipment to ensure even coverage and the best possible results.

Getting started is easy!

• Request a Free Quote – Visit www.tatturf.com to request an estimate. Our team will assess your lawn with our online tools and reach out to you to review your estimate. 

• Plan Ahead – Our busiest season is May through August, when we treat over 180 lawns in 2024 within this short window. To secure your spot, we suggest you request your warm-season treatment prior March 15th.

• Route Scheduling – We begin drafting routes in April, grouping treatments by zip code for efficiency. While we adjust routes throughout the season, early booking ensures priority .

⚠️ Reminder:

• By March 15th is the best time to request Warm-Season treatments.

• May–August is peak season for Warm-Season Lawns.

• By August 15th is the best time to request Cool-Season treatments.

• September- October is peak season for Cool-Season Lawns. 

We appreciate your patience during peak season as we work hard to deliver top-quality results!

We strive to treat every square foot of your lawn; however, certain areas with extreme elevation changes or challenging topography may be inaccessible for our aerators and spreaders. While we do our best to ensure full coverage, some spots may not be logistically treatable.

If manual treatment is required for certain areas, additional charges may apply. Our team will assess your lawn upon arrival and discuss any necessary adjustments with you before proceeding.

New for 2025, Humate is a prehistoric, nutrient-rich organic material formed from decomposed plant matter. Our Humate is sourced from one of the finest deposits, known for its high-quality humic acids and carbon content.

When applied to lawns, Humate:

✔ Stimulates microbial activity, enhancing nutrient breakdown and absorption
✔ Improves soil structure, promoting better aeration and water retention
✔ Increases Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), allowing soil to hold and deliver more essential nutrients to your grass
✔ Provides a long-term energy source for soil microbes, ensuring sustainable lawn health

With Humate, your lawn benefits from enhanced root growth, better moisture retention, and improved overall soil fertility, leading to healthier, more resilient grass.

As of 2025, we are incorporating seaweed—harvested from the clean, cold waters off Norway’s coast—into our treatments. Seaweed is rich in natural growth hormones, cytokinins, and essential minerals, helping grass grow stronger while increasing root development and stress resistance. It also contains natural nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur, along with vital micronutrients like zinc, iron, copper, and manganese—all contributing to a lush, thriving lawn.

In addition, seaweed enhances soil microbial activity, leading to healthier, more sustainable lawn growth without dependence on synthetic chemicals.

Our minimum cost for a treatment is $500. This includes our specialized process and equipment to ensure that your lawn receives the best care possible. Believe it or not, it’s often more challenging to treat smaller lawns due to the need for more precise equipment handling and the additional manual labor required for smaller areas. However, if we are servicing 15 or more homes within the same neighborhood, the minimum cost drops to $400. 

A fenced-in yard does not typically prevent us from providing top dressing services. However, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Access: We’ll need clear access to your lawn, so please ensure gates are unlocked and there’s easy entry to your yard.

• Pets: For safety reasons, it’s best to keep pets inside while we’re working to avoid any disruptions or potential safety issues.

• Equipment Size: If your yard has narrow access points (less than 36 inches), this could prevent that area from being treated.

Overall, a fenced-in yard shouldn’t be an issue as long as we have clear access and enough space to work.

Yes, top dressing can help reduce the amount of water your lawn needs over time. Some studies have shown that top dressing could reduce the need for watering by as much as 50%. Here’s how it works:

• Improved Soil Structure: The addition of compost and other organic materials enhances the soil’s ability to retain moisture, which means you won’t need to water as frequently.

• Better Root Development: By aerating the soil and adding compost, top dressing promotes deeper root growth. This allows your lawn to access water more efficiently from deeper layers of soil, reducing the need for surface watering.

• Enhanced Drainage: A well-balanced top dressing mixture not only improves moisture retention but also ensures proper drainage, allowing the lawn to absorb water more effectively without becoming waterlogged.

After a top dressing treatment, you’ll likely notice that your lawn stays hydrated for longer periods, reducing the overall need for water and saving you time and resources. However, it’s still essential to keep the lawn moist after treatment to allow the nutrients to leach into the soil for optimal results. (These benefits can vary if the season experiences severe drought conditions!)

No, our Top Dressing Treatment will not interfere with your normal fertilizer regimen. In fact, it works synergistically with your regular fertilization practices by improving soil health and increasing nutrient retention. The Organic Microbial Loam Mixture we apply contains essential macro and micronutrients that enhance the soil’s microbiology, which helps your fertilizer work more effectively. We recommend continuing your usual fertilization schedule, but you may notice that your lawn becomes more efficient in nutrient absorption, potentially reducing the amount of fertilizer needed over time.

es, it’s completely normal and even a good sign! Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi, which thrive on organic matter like the high-quality compost used in your top dressing. These fungi play a vital role in breaking down organic material and improving soil structure. They should only appear temporarily, and once their job of releasing spores is done, they’ll disappear.

If you’d like to speed up their departure, consider reducing watering a little, as too much moisture encourages their growth. Don’t worry—your top dressing is doing its job and supporting a healthy, vibrant lawn ecosystem!

To ensure your lawn thrives after top dressing, follow these important steps:

Watering: Consistent moisture is crucial for success. Water daily for the first 2-3 weeks to keep the lawn moist and help the top dressing settle. Gradually reduce watering to encourage deeper root growth. Morning watering is ideal, but for the first few weeks, evening watering will help nutrients penetrate the soil and promote self-leveling.

Mowing: Avoid mowing immediately after the treatment. Wait at least a week to allow the grass to settle and begin growing. When you resume mowing, start with a higher blade setting and lower it gradually each week until you reach your desired height. Always avoid cutting more than 1/3 of the grass blade at once.

Avoid Heavy Foot Traffic: While light foot traffic is fine, avoid heavy traffic for the first few weeks to prevent soil compaction and give your grass time to recover.

Weed and Pest Management: After top dressing, you'll notice increased growth, including weeds. Keep an eye on your lawn for any weed or pest issues, and address them promptly with appropriate treatments to prevent them from hindering healthy growth.

By following these simple care guidelines, you’ll help your lawn recover quickly and maximize the results of your top dressing treatment!