Daily gardening tip · Southern hemisphere · Sunday 6 September 2026 · early spring
Prepare to Aerate Compacted Lawn Areas
As spring begins, preparing to loosen compacted soil in your lawn will help the grass roots grow deep and strong.
15 minuteseasylawn
Walk across your lawn to identify hard, high-traffic areas or spots where water pools.
Clean your garden fork and ensure the metal tines are straight and sharp.
Wait for a day when the soil is damp but not muddy before you begin.
Push the garden fork ten to fifteen centimetres deep into the compacted soil.
Gently rock the fork back and forth to open up the holes, then repeat every ten centimetres across the patch.
Why it works
Foot traffic packs soil particles tightly together, which blocks air, water, and nutrients from reaching grass roots. Creating deep holes with a garden fork opens up pathways in the soil, allowing the root system to breathe and expand downward as the warm spring weather arrives.
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