The simple trick for a healthy lawn this spring:

Get the jump on your neighbours this spring and have the best-looking lawn in the street with one simple turf care task – aeration.

Australian lawn expert Ross Boyle, who has grown natural turf on his Sunshine Coast farm for over a decade, says spring is the perfect time to aerate and inject a bit of life back into your lawn after winter.

“A simple garden fork can transform a compacted and struggling patch of lawn into a healthy outdoor space for the family to enjoy as the weather warms up,” said Boyle.

“Make lawn care part of your spring cleaning this season and clean out your lawn of compacted soil, thatch and weeds that build up over the cooler months when your lawn is dormant,” he said.

Aerate in three simple steps:

• Screwdriver test - After a while, the soil beneath your lawn can compact, blocking much needed water, oxygen and sunlight from the root system below. Push a screwdriver into your lawn to see if it’s compacted - if it goes in easily then Bob’s your uncle, but if it’s harder to push in, it’s time to aerate.
• Aerating time - Using a garden fork, push down into the lawn 7-10cm deep. Simply repeat this at evenly-spaced 10-20cm intervals across your entire lawn.
• Aerating machine - If your lawn is particularly large, or heavily compacted, it may be worth hiring an aerator to do the job faster and more effectively.

Boyle’s bonus tips:

Weeding – Dig out those winter weeds before they take hold in the warmer weather. If there are only a few, it’s best to dig them out by hand. But if your lawn is overrun, use a herbicide specifically suited to your turf variety. If you’re not sure, check with your local turf farm, nursery or garden centre before spraying.

Dethatching – Thatch is the build up of old grass and mulch that sits in the under-layer of your lawn. Spring is the best time to remove it as the grass will regenerate in the warm weather. Simply lower your mower height by one notch when mowing, and keep lowering by a notch 2-3 times. You can also use a metal rake to dethatch if it is minor.

For more lawn care tips, visit www.turfaustralia.com.au or like Lawnspiration on Facebook.