Compaction and Aeration Tips

Compaction and Aeration with ProLawnsAu

Compacted soil is one of the biggest hidden problems for Aussie lawns. It happens when there’s heavy foot traffic, cars, pets, kids running around or just years of use. When the soil gets pressed down too tight, air and water struggle to move through, starving your lawn’s roots. The result is weak growth, patchy colour and weeds like bindii taking over.

Testing for compaction is simple. Grab a garden fork or screwdriver and try pushing it into the soil. If it slides in easily, you’re fine. If it’s tough to push down more than a few centimetres, your lawn is compacted and it’s time to act.

Aeration is the fix. By punching holes into the soil, you give your grass roots room to breathe, soak up water and nutrients, and grow deeper and stronger. For small areas, a garden fork will do the trick. Push it into the soil, wiggle it back and forth, and repeat every 50–100mm. For bigger lawns, you can hire or buy spiked rollers, coring machines or petrol-driven aerators to get the job done quickly.

After aerating, it’s a great time to top dress the lawn with washed sand or a good soil mix. This fills the holes and helps water and nutrients filter down where they’re needed most. On clay soils, spreading gypsum will also help break things up and improve structure.

Aeration is best done during the growing season, when your lawn can recover fast. A freshly aerated lawn might look a little rough at first, but it will bounce back greener and healthier, ready to handle the wear and tear of everyday life.