Autumn lawn aeration

Signs your lawn needs it

Water puddles or runs off after rain, the grass is thin along paths and play areas, and a screwdriver is hard to push into moist soil. Lawns on new-build plots, where machinery packed the ground, almost always need it.

Hollow-tine or spiking

Solid tines or spikes push holes into the soil and are fine for routine care. Hollow tines pull out cores of soil, which actually removes compacted material and gives the most lasting relief. Aim for holes about 7–10 cm (3–4 in) deep and roughly 10 cm apart.

When and how

1. Choose a day when the soil is moist but not wet. Dry ground resists the tines; wet ground smears.
2. Do it in September, together with scarifying, while the grass is still growing enough to recover.
3. Leave the cores on the surface to dry for a day or two, then break them up with a rake or by mowing over them.
4. Overseed and top-dress straight after, brushing the material into the holes.

How often

Heavily used or clay lawns benefit every year. A lawn on free-draining soil with little traffic may only need it every two or three years. In spring, aerate only if compaction is obvious, and leave hollow-tining for autumn.