How to Help Your Lawn Grow in Sandy Soil on Phillip Island and the Bass Coast
If you live on Phillip Island or anywhere along the Bass Coast, chances are your lawn sits on sandy soil. While it drains well, sandy soil doesn’t hold nutrients or moisture — which means your lawn often struggles to stay green and healthy, especially during dry or windy conditions.
The good news? With the right approach, you can turn even the sandiest lawn into a lush, thriving patch. Here’s how we tackle it locally.
Why Sandy Soil Makes Lawn Care More Challenging
Sandy soil has large particles with lots of gaps between them. This means:
Water drains through quickly (which sounds good… until summer hits).
Nutrients don’t stay near the roots — they wash away with rain or watering.
Organic matter breaks down faster, meaning poor soil structure and little food for microbes.
That’s why a standard “set-and-forget” approach to lawn care often fails in coastal areas like Cape Woolamai, Cowes, or Inverloch.
1. Top Dressing with Compost or Rich Organic Soil
One of the best ways to improve sandy soil is by top dressing with compost or dark, nutrient-rich organic soil. We usually recommend this after aerating your lawn (which helps the material filter down to the root zone).
Top dressing helps:
Improve water retention
Feed the soil with long-lasting organic matter
Encourage microbial life that supports healthy root systems
We typically do this once a year, depending on your lawn and conditions.
2. Fertilising Sandy Soil Lawns (and Why It Matters)
Fertilising is especially important for lawns on sandy soil — but it needs to be done the right way.
Because nutrients don’t hang around in sandy soil, a proper fertiliser plan helps your lawn stay green, strong, and drought-tolerant. Without it, you’ll often see patchy growth, yellowing, and stress during summer.
The best approach usually involves a mix of slow-release and liquid fertilisers, applied at the right times of year and in the right quantities. Too much, and it washes straight through. Too little, and your lawn misses out.
We tailor fertiliser programs to each property based on soil conditions, grass type, and the season.
3. Liquid vs Granular Fertiliser in Sandy Soil
Each has a role to play — especially in sandy soil where timing and technique matter.
Granular fertilisers release nutrients slowly, but can be washed away quickly if not applied properly.
Liquid fertilisers are absorbed fast and work well for regular top-ups, especially during warmer months.
Used together, they can deliver great results — but it takes a careful balance.
4. Using a Wetting Agent to Improve Water Penetration
Another key tool for coastal lawns is a wetting agent — especially in sandy soils where water tends to run off or drain too quickly.
Wetting agents help break down the waxy coating that naturally forms on dry soil particles, allowing water to soak in more evenly and reach the root zone. This means your watering (or rainfall) actually benefits the lawn, instead of disappearing below the root line.
We recommend applying a wetting agent at least once or twice a year, particularly in late spring and early summer, when soil can start to repel water.
Combined with compost top dressing and proper fertilising, a good wetting agent can make a noticeable difference in how your lawn looks and performs — especially in hot or dry stretches.
Final Thoughts
Improving a lawn in sandy soil takes a bit more attention — but the results are well worth it. With the right mix of organic matter, a consistent fertiliser plan, wetting agents, and a bit of local know-how, even coastal lawns can thrive.
If you’d like help improving your lawn or aren't sure what your soil needs, get in touch — we work across Phillip Island and the Bass Coast and can tailor a plan to suit your garden.
