At Lady Anne's Garden, the original part of Rosemoor, we’ve grabbed a window in the weather to spike our somewhat “sticky” lawns. Here’s our “young” trainee Mike getting to grips with aeration using our Groundsman. It’s a heavy machine, so not always possible to use without causing a mess.
When conditions permit we spike our lawn areas to relieve compaction and facilitate drainage. This job can be done throughout the year but should be avoided during periods of drought when the ground is very hard.
The equivalent in a small garden would be to hand fork areas of wear. Stick the fork in and gently rock to open the holes before lifting the fork and repeating the process a few inches away. The grass roots will benefit from this improved aeration and a better lawn will result.
Blog by Simon Holman and Michael Record, Lady Anne's Garden