If spring is the warm-up act, autumn is the headliner. This is when your lawn is basically a teenager after summer vacation—tired, a bit matted, and covered in crumbs (leaves and thatch). Scarifying in early to mid-autumn gives the grass time to recover before winter tucks it in for a long nap.
I once scarified my lawn in mid-October, and the next spring it looked like a green velvet carpet—if velvet could also handle a three-year-old’s muddy wellies. The trick is to do it after the summer heat has calmed down, but before the first frost turns your lawn into a crunchy cereal. Aim for September or early October, and you’re golden.
