How To Care For Your Lawn In Autumn

Step 1: Thumbnail for web

How to care for your lawn in Autumn.

Step 2: You will need

Step 3: Sweep the leaves

Sweep up any leaves that have fallen with a broom. You may want to put them in a flowerbed to fertilise the soil as they rot. At this stage you can apply weed killer and fertiliser to the lawn, but it's not essential.

Step 4: Scarify

This process removes dead material while stimulating the grass to produce runners and side shoots which will thicken up the lawn. Pull the rake across the lawn towards you, raking vigorously to remove any thatch and dead moss. The tines of the rake should reach well into the soil surface. Repeat the raking at a different angle to ensure all dead material has been removed.

Step 5: Collect rakings

Collect all the rakings and put them onto a compost heap if you have one.

Step 6: Aerate

Aerate the soil by spiking the lawn with a garden fork. Insert the fork and then lean back to open up the holes to let in more air. Do this in a grid pattern across the lawn with approximately 15 centimetre gaps. You can also use a hollow tiner which will pull out a plug of soil.

Step 7: Top Dressing

This mixture is used to fill the holes in the soil, to improve the condition and drainage of your lawn. On a dry day, use a shovel to sprinkle the mixture over your lawn at a rate of about 1 kilogram per square metre. Brush the mixture into the spiked holes with a besom or stiff broom. Top dressing can be bought in ready mixed bags from garden centres. To mix your own, combine 6 parts sharp sand with 3 parts top soil and 1 part peat substitute. If you have heavy clay soil, you may need more sand.