October is your 'last chance' to ensure lush, green lawn with 3 simple steps

With autumn now here and winter approaching, there are several gardening tasks you need to complete to ensure a healthy, thriving garden. In fact, October is the last chance for you to do three key tasks if you want a lush lawn next spring and summer, a gardening expert has said. Michael Griffiths told his 328,000 TikTok followers that homeowners need to make sure to "aerate, scarify and reseed" their grass this month, before it's too late.

The first step here is scarification, which can be done with a simple garden rake. Michael explained that we do this because "over time the base of a lawn becomes congested with thatch and moss which inhibits airflow around the grass".

Take a flexible rake and gently pull it back over the grass several times while criss-crossing the lawn. You can also use a mechanical scarifier, which does the same thing but requires less time and effort.

For those using a mechanical scarifier, Michael advised: "Make sure to set it to the right height so the bladed scarifying drum can do the work. We do want to keep some thatch so don't scarify too deeply."

The next step is to aerate, which can be done using a garden fork. Put it into the ground four to five inches deep, plunge it in and pull it back a little, then pull it out. Repeat this step every six inches across the garden, Michael said.

He continued: "If you don't fancy the manual work or you've got a larger lawn, you might consider a mechanical aerator. There are lots of types of mechanical aerator that either spike the lawn or pull plugs of soil out. They help get air, water and nutrients down to the root zone which is great for lawn health and drainage."

Before reseeding the grass, you will need to keep your eye out for any perennial weeds growing and make sure they are removed.

At this point, you should moisten the soil and apply a fertiliser before reseeding. Michael said: "A light covering is fine, you should still be able to see the soil through the seeds. You can now cover the seeds lightly with top dressing which will retain moisture and help to discourage birds."

The gardening expert also encouraged followers to use a lawn feed specifically made for autumn months.

He said that these are "higher in potassium so you won't get loads of soft top growth that'll just get battered by frost".

"Instead, it toughens up the roots, making your lawn more resilient for the weather to come. Apply it with a spreader or by hand between September and November and in around seven days, your lawn will be ready for winter," Michael advised.