Compacted soil reduces the movement of water, air and nutrients to the grass roots, leading to tired-looking turf and worn or dead patches.

The simple way to solve compaction is aeration. Once you have aerated your lawn, you may also want to evenly rake in coarse washed river sand bor fine top-dressing mix.

This fills the voids created by the aeration and ensures a longer-lasting effect. In small grassed areas, a garden fork and a bag of top-dressing mix or sand is all you need.

For a large lawn, hire a spiked lawn aerator. Simply fill it with water and push or drag it around the lawn.

If you plan to regularly aerate your lawn, you could think about investing in a purpose-designed aerating tool.

It’s also worth considering the reasons for compaction.

If it’s heavy use and wear-and-tear, then you may need to repeat this aeration process every spring.

But the problem may be your soil.

Clay soils are more prone to compaction and as the wear continues, the compaction worsens.

Gypsum is a naturally derived product that works to break up clay, so add some when you aerate the affected area.

An easy-to-apply hose-on product like Eco-flo Gypsum is fortified with seaweed for enhanced results.

It assists with breaking up clay as well as stimulating vital biological activity in the soil.