Top-dressing
/TOP-DRES-ing/🧑🌾 Cultivation● Basic
Also known as: topdressing, top dressing
The practice of spreading a thin layer of compost, aged manure, or granular fertilizer over the soil surface around established plants or on lawns. The material is gradually incorporated by rain, irrigation, and soil organisms. Top-dressing improves soil structure and provides slow-release nutrients.
Etymology
English top + dressing (a covering applied)
Example
“Top-dress perennial beds with an inch of compost each spring to improve soil and feed plants.”