A lawn expert has revealed the simple job homeowners should tackle now to help their grass recover, while warning against cutting lawns too short too soon.
New research from Barratt Homes found that just 12% of Brits feel “very confident” caring for their lawn, despite 91% saying they have lived in a home with one. The research also found that weeding, mowing and aerating are among the jobs homeowners find most difficult.
Why aeration matters
Richard Stott, lawn care expert and founder of Lawnurture, says aeration is one of the most useful jobs to tackle when lawns are struggling. The process involves creating holes in the soil to allow air, water and nutrients to reach the roots more easily.
Compacted soil can cause several problems, including waterlogging after rain, rapid drying during warm weather and shallow roots that leave grass more vulnerable.
Richard said: “Aeration is one of those jobs that doesn’t look that dramatic but makes a huge difference to how a lawn performs. Spring is the ideal time to get this done, though autumn works well too.
“It’s one of those treatments that, once you’ve done it, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.”
Two ways to aerate
There are two main ways to aerate a lawn. Core aeration involves using a hollow tine aerator to remove small plugs of soil. Richard recommends this method for heavily compacted ground, particularly on many new-build lawns during their first couple of years.
For lawns that are already in reasonable condition, spike aeration can be enough. This involves pushing a garden fork at least 13cm into the ground at regular intervals. Aeration was also found to be one of the most challenging lawn care jobs, with 25% of homeowners surveyed saying they struggle with it.
Mowing and scarifying advice
However, homeowners should not rush into giving their lawn a close trim. Richard advises checking the soil temperature rather than simply relying on the calendar. Grass begins growing properly when soil temperatures are consistently around 8-10C.
When the first cut is due, he recommends setting the mower to its highest setting and only taking the tips off the grass. The cutting height can then gradually be reduced over the following few mows. During spring and autumn, when growth is strongest, homeowners should aim to mow around once a week.
One important rule is to never remove more than a third of the grass blade in a single cut, as cutting too aggressively can put unnecessary stress on the lawn.
Scarifying is another popular lawn care task, with “how to scarify a lawn” receiving around 3,600 monthly Google searches. Richard recommends scarifying when grass is actively growing, typically from late March to May and again in September and October.
Moss should also be dealt with carefully. Richard advises applying a moss killer first and waiting until the moss has died before scarifying it out.
Overseeding can then help repair bare or damaged areas caused by winter wear, pets or heavy foot traffic. Before overseeding, the lawn should be mowed, scarified and aerated so that new seed can make contact with the soil. The area should then be kept consistently moist while the seed germinates.
Research from Barratt Homes found that only 12% of people feel very confident caring for their lawns, suggesting many homeowners could benefit from getting back to basics. For those looking to improve their lawn, Richard's advice is to focus on the condition of the soil rather than simply cutting the grass more frequently.
