Don't skip this October lawn care job – it could be the difference between healthy grass and a soggy lawn this winter
It takes minutes to do and could help prevent your lawn from becoming compacted and waterlogged this winter
After a busy summer of mowing, walking across it and dealing with periods of very dry weather, your lawn may be looking a little worse for wear. As we head further into autumn, though, it's not just the grass itself that needs attention – which is why there is one lawn care job you need to do in October, and that's it.
Yes, autumn rain might be welcome after a summer of relentless heatwaves, but too much water sitting on a compacted lawn? Why, that can quickly turn grass into a soggy mess, not to mention completely upend your lawn care calendar.
Think about it: when soil becomes compressed, there is less room for air and water to move through it, which can leave rainfall sitting on the surface rather than reaching the grass roots. And this can be particularly problematic over winter, when wetter weather and heavier rainfall put already compacted lawns under even more pressure.
The one lawn care job you need to do in October
Fortunately, there's just one job you need to do in October to give your lawn a better chance of dealing with all that winter weather. Are you ready for this? Aerating.
Yes, aerating helps to open up compacted soil, creating channels that allow air, water and nutrients to reach the roots. And, according to Morris Hankinson, Managing Director of Hopes Grove Nurseries, October can be a useful time to assess compacted areas and tackle them once the soil has softened following rain.
'When the soil has softened after rain, September is the ideal time to aerate compacted areas. Simply use a garden fork or aerator tool (like the Vonhaus electric lawn scarifier and aerator that our gardens editor loves, which you can buy for £99.99 at Amazon) to make holes in the lawn. This allows air, water and nutrients to reach the roots of the grass,' he says.
Morris Hankinson is the founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries Ltd, the UK’s only specialist grower-retailer of hedging plants. He established the thriving business in 1992, shortly after graduating with a Commercial Horticulture Degree from Writtle College, Essex.
'Aerating is helpful after a dry summer because compacted soil prevents rain from soaking deeper into the roots,' Morris adds.
The good news is that aerating doesn't have to be a complicated job, and you don't necessarily need specialist equipment (although something like this aeration tool from Walansee, £35.99 on Amazon, will help). In fact, for smaller lawns or individual compacted areas especially, a simple garden fork can do the job.
Of course, it's all well and good for us to say there's just one job you need to do in October, but how best to go about it? Well, the key is to choose the right conditions; you want the soil to be moist and workable after some autumn rain, but not completely saturated (as this can cause further compaction).
Focus first on areas that receive lots of foot traffic or where you regularly notice water pooling after rain. Push a garden fork vertically into the lawn, creating holes across the affected area. Gently moving the fork backwards and forwards can help open up the soil around each hole.
For larger lawns or more serious compaction, a dedicated lawn aerator or hollow-tine aerator can make the job easier; hollow-tine tools in particular remove small plugs of soil, creating deeper channels through the lawn and allowing water and air to penetrate further.
Shop aeration tools
If you want to make life easier, turn your own feet into aerating tools.
A specialist aerator like this one can work wonders in a compacted garden.
A rolling aerator is a great deal easier to wrangle than a garden fork over a large area.
You don't necessarily need to aerate the entire lawn. Start with the areas most likely to have become compacted, particularly paths that are frequently walked across, areas around garden furniture or children's play areas, and patches where puddles tend to form.
If you're unsure whether an area is compacted, try pushing a garden fork into the soil. If it meets a lot of resistance, that's a good indication that the ground could benefit from being opened up.
Once you've finished, try to avoid walking repeatedly over freshly aerated areas. Give the lawn time to benefit from the improved air and water movement before putting it through more foot traffic.
FAQs
What should I do to my lawn in October?
'October is a really good month to give your lawn a little attention before winter sets in, but you don't need to do everything at once,' says Christopher O’Donoghue, director of Gardens Revived.
'Personally, I'd start by giving it a good clear-up, particularly removing fallen leaves so they don't sit on the grass and block out light. If the soil has become compacted after a busy summer, aerating it with a garden fork can also make a big difference, helping air and water reach the roots.'
Christopher adds that October is 'also a good time to repair any thin or bare patches while conditions are still mild'. 'The main thing is to work with the weather rather than against it – don't try to work on a lawn that's saturated,' he adds firmly.
Is October too late to mow the lawn?
October definitely isn't too late to mow the lawn, as long as the grass is still growing and the conditions are right.
'I wouldn't stick rigidly to a mowing schedule at this time of year – instead, look at the lawn and let its growth tell you when it needs a trim,' says Christopher O’Donoghue, director of Gardens Revived.
'Keep the mower blades a little higher than you would in summer and avoid cutting more than you need to. Most importantly, don't mow when the ground is very wet or frosty, as you can damage the grass and compact the soil. If we get a mild autumn, your lawn may well need several more cuts before winter.'
Aerating might be the October job that saves your lawn from becoming a soggy mess this winter, but there's no need to rush out with a fork the minute the rain starts. If the lawn is already saturated, give it a chance to dry out a little first.
You're looking for soil that's damp and workable, rather than waterlogged. That way, you can actually open up the ground without simply squashing more water into already compacted soil. So, before the winter rain really gets going, give your lawn a quick check.
If it feels hard underfoot, water isn't draining as quickly as it should, or your garden fork is putting up a fight, it could be time to give the grass a little breathing room. Your lawn may not thank you out loud, but it might just be the best thing you do for it all year.
