September is the reset button your lawn has been waiting for. Heavy footfall in the summer can leave the turf tired and the soil tight. Lawn specialists at Moowy said “your lawn soil will likely have become compacted,” preventing oxygen, water, and nutrients from reaching the roots. There’s another hangover from the heat: “exposure to heat and drought turns your grass hydrophobic,” say the lawn care experts, which means water can bead and run off instead of soaking in.
That’s a big problem as the seasons turn because, as the Met Office said: “Autumn is typically the wettest season of the year in the UK.” Aeration in September sets your lawn up to capture that rain rather than waste it. It’s the simple step that helps moisture and air flow back into the root zone. September is prime time because the soil is still warm, growth is active, and cooler nights reduce stress, so your lawn heals fast after spiking.
The Royal Horticultural Society explains the goal clearly: “Aeration involves spiking the lawn to relieve compaction and improve drainage.”
That’s exactly what you want before the heavier autumn showers arrive — better infiltration, fewer puddles, and stronger roots going into winter.
As Moowy added: “Aeration is September’s first lawn care task—loosening up the compacted soil and improving drainage so it can return to its absorbent best.”
But before you start aerating your lawn, test the soil with a fork or other garden tool. Push in the tool and pull it up to see how moist the soil is.
If your tool has soil stuck to it, the ground is too wet to aerate. You may need to wait a few days for the soil to dry out.
You can aerate at home with a garden fork or a manual spiker. Push the tines 7-10 cm deep and space holes roughly a shoe width apart, working in a neat grid.
A hollow‑tine aerator removes small soil plugs and creates longer‑lasting breathing space on heavy clay or very compacted patches.
After spiking, brush a light topdressing of sandy loam across the surface so it falls into the holes, then water to help it settle.
Finish by overseeding thin areas and, once growth resumes, feed lightly to accelerate recovery and root growth.
Better air flow and moisture penetration also reduce moss pressure and support deeper, denser roots that can tolerate wear and winter stress.
Watch the forecast and skip aeration just before heavy rain, as punching holes into saturated ground can worsen compaction and smear the soil.
The RHS cautions against operations when the ground is “waterlogged.” If showers are due, start mid‑afternoon so the lawn can dry slightly before nightfall, then topdress and overseed immediately after spiking.
That way, the first gentle rains help pull seed and sand into the holes rather than washing them away.