Why aerate lawn

Knowing when you should aerate your lawn is vital. Different weather can affect your soil in different ways and therefore choosing the right time to aerate your lawn is important in order to achieve optimum results.

So when should you aerate your lawn in the UK? The best time is during the growing season, either in early or late spring or autumn, here the grass has the chance to heal and will be able to naturally fill into any patchy areas which may occur after you remove the soil plugs.

Very hot weather can make aeration difficult due to dry soil, and similarly in the colder months, hard, frozen soil becomes impossible to penetrate effectively. The process or aerating a lawn is simple. There are two tools you can use which will help you. Choose from a Plug Aerator or a Spike Aerator. The Plug Aerator, as expected, will remove a plug or core of soil from your lawn leaving a hole.

A Spike Aerator will simply spike holes into the existing soil. You can easily rent either of these machines from your local garden store or home improvement centre. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products.

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We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. You can read more about core aeration here. Different soil types require more frequent aeration. Clay soil compacts easily and should be aerated at least once a year. You can aerate a sandy lawn once a year, or once every two years. In harsher climates, aerating twice a year will encourage turf growth and health.

In areas where there is a high amount of foot traffic, pets or even cars on the lawn, compaction is a common problem. The best time to aerate warm season grasses, such as soft-leaf buffalo, couch, kikuyu and zoysia is during spring and summer while they are actively growing. Always try to aerate at the same time you are fertilising or performing any other major lawn care operation such as dethatching and top dressing. It is also a fantastic time for aeration after rainfall, as it will make this process much easier.

For cool season lawns, such as fescue and rye grass, the same principle applies. With proper care and a lot of water, cool season lawns can grow all year with the exception of very cold climates so you can aerate all year round.

Again, keep in mind the absolute best times are when you fertilise or perform any other lawn care and following rainfall, so soil moisture levels are high.

Aerating is often overlooked, but its importance in allowing air, water and nutrients to get into the soil cannot be overstated. After aerating, it is a good time to test your pH and take action if required. The ideal pH range for your lawn is somewhere between 6 and 7. You can purchase a pH testing kit here at the Lawn Care Store.