August is the time to unwind outdoors, but lawns are quietly struggling. During summer, grass sips moisture from the soil to regulate its temperature, which can leave the ground parched. If the soil becomes hard and compacted, water struggles to reach the roots and the lawn can visibly fade.
Pale, patchy grass is the visible result, and in worse cases the roots can wither completely, leaving dead turf for the rest of the year. The good news is that a simple gardening task now can turn things around: aeration.
Why aerating helps
Theron Peck, a gardening expert from Chippers Inc, explained why lawns end up in this state. He said: "Soil compaction is an extremely common problem found in lawns yet no one realises the effect it has on weakening your lawn to the point of thinning it out into visible bare patches. Add over-seeding with aeration to improve your lawn's overall appearance and regain lost or thinning turf."
Aeration involves creating holes in the lawn to relieve compaction. Those holes let air, nutrients and water reach the grass roots more effectively. Stronger roots hold more water, making the lawn less prone to drying out and giving it extra energy to grow back.
This also sets up better conditions for seeding, helping grass thicken and turn green quickly, so the lawn should look its best by autumn. Aerating now can also stop weeds, moss and pests from taking hold while the grass is vulnerable.
How to aerate a lawn
The technique is straightforward. A pitchfork is all that’s needed for a small lawn, while a larger garden may justify investing in a lawn aerator. The best time to do it is the day after rainfall, when the ground is softer but not waterlogged or boggy.
Mow the grass first to clear debris, then push the fork into the soil to a depth of around 10 centimetres, gently rocking it back and forth to loosen the ground. Repeat across the whole lawn, then water and seed it afterwards. By September, the lawn should grow back more resilient and take on a rich emerald green colour.
