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Lawns
Desthemoaner
Posts: 191
Hi All
Fairly straightforward question, I hope. Whats the best time of year to aerate a lawn? I've been told and have read, variously, that it should be done at the end of autumn and/or in spring. Should it be both, one or the other? Should it be done before or after scarifying, or doesn't that matter?
I intend to do it with a fork which could take a while, but hey--I have lots of time on my hands.
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Thanks. Will probably do it twice in any case.
Really depends on the drainage of your lawn. If it's badly drained then twice a year or more is best. If it's well drained then once a year should suffice.
Thanks again.
Drainage is poor, and that's being kind, because it's heavy clay soil and it drains like concrete. I started doing it today and I'll finish it at the weekend.
If you find that you just can't face another minute of spiking it with a fork you can hire a hollow time aerator which will do a better job more quickly. When it is done, scatter a mix of gritty sand and compost over the grass and brush it in with a yard brush or one of those witch's brooms. You really will see an improvement.
On yes? What are these better ways then? I hope you are not one of these artificial grass people, Edd.
I have plenty of time, Edd, though the current weather ain't helping me make the best use of it.
The area is probably about 200 sq m in total, but its hard to quantify more exactly because much of it is sloped. The fork goes in all the way in most places, but some parts appear to be laid on rubble and in those areas its difficult to aerate beyond a few inches. Because of the slopes and the predilection for some areas to flood very easily a striped lawn is impractical, but I would like it to be relatively flat, and at present it is, although due to this current spell of rain it squelches like a marsh when you stand on it.
I've already done about half of it using a fork, with the exception of the steeper sloped areas, so I might as well finish it off the same way; though hiring an aerator is a suggestion I may come back to.