Aeration

Aeration is the process of creating small holes or slits in the lawn so that air, water and nutrients can penetrate beneath the surface of the lawn and reach the roots of the grass. 

The purpose of creating these holes is to break through the layer of compacted soil and thatch which exists two to three inches below the surface. Compaction develops when particles of soil are squeezed together, typically under areas of regular use or heavy traffic.

The improved drainage permits air exchange; oxygen passes through the compacted layer and carbon dioxide is released. Water and nutrients are now able to penetrate down to the roots, helping to reduce the impact of drought in dry months and waterlogging in wet weather, where the constantly damp surface can become prone to moss and disease. 

Aeration may be carried out by hollow tines or fracture tines. Hollow tine aeration removes small cores from the lawn, made up of soil and thatch. This allows essential elements to reach down into the root zone. Fracture tine aeration creates slits in the soil, the tines twist to fracture the soil and this allows water and air to penetrate the surface. Soil is not removed so cores are not left on the surface of the lawn. 

Thoughout Cambridgeshire, we offer both hollow tine and fracture tine aeration in order to work in harmony with the characteristics of each lawn.