Lawn Aeration

Posted: May 01, 2017 Download PDF

Even if you’re not parking your boat, caravan or car on your lawn, it can suffer from soil compaction. The soil underneath your lawn can become compacted even from just normal, day to day foot traffic. When the soil is compacted it becomes extremely difficult for the roots to penetrate the soil and breathe. Water, oxygen and nutrients will struggle to get down to the root system. Soil compaction issues often appear as bald patches in your lawns when the grass is slow to self-repair or the dead patches are spreading. If your lawn is just performing poorly overall it could be an indicator of soil compaction. The answer to fixing soil compaction; aeration.

What you will need to aerate your soil:
Spring-tined lawn rake
Garden fork or spiked lawn roller

Step 1 – Using a metal-tined lawn or leaf rake, vigorously rake the lawn to remove all dead grass and other material.
Step 2 – For smaller areas: Grab a sturdy garden fork and push it around 5 cm into the soil then gently rock back and forth to open the holes up. Continue over the entire lawn area at spacings of around 10cm.
Step 2 – For larger lawns: Hire a spiked lawn roller, part fill it with water and then roll over the entire lawn. You may find it easier to drag the roller rather than pushing it.

This article is thanks to Daleys Turf