If your lawn is used a lot, your soil can become compacted, and you may find a thick thatch builds up. As a result, your grass will suffer because of poor drainage, low absorption of nutrients and reduced root development.

To solve this problem, you need to aerate your lawn to bring it back to life again.

What is aeration?

Aeration involves perforating your lawn with small holes to alleviate soil compaction.

The result of compaction is inhibited drainage, which causes shallow root growth and the drought resistance of your grass is reduced, making it more susceptible to disease.

Aeration allows air, water and nutrients to penetrate down to the grass roots. Grass can only grow healthily when it has access to these nutrients.

How do you aerate a lawn?

First, the grass should be short, and the soil relatively moist. Aeration itself is a simple process, generally using a machine to pierce the earth to make holes.

It’s important to aerate to the right depth to ensure the soil is penetrated sufficiently to create deep holes with non-compacted walls. It’s sometimes necessary to go over an area more than once and in different directions for thorough coverage.

At Green Mile, we use the most efficient aerating machine for domestic use to ensure you get the best results from the process.

What are the benefits of aeration?

Aeration helps with drainage and absorption, increasing the uptake of nutrients to produce a healthy, drought resistant lawn. It stimulates new root growth and encourages the development of micro-organisms that benefit the soil.

By relieving surface compaction, you also reduce the build-up of thatch on the lawn’s surface.

If carried out before top dressing, aeration allows the dressing to reach into the holes created to improve the structure of the soil. The result is a lush green, healthy lawn.

Why aerate in Spring?

Aeration can be carried out at any time of the year depending on current soil and weather conditions. Picking the right time to aerate your lawn is vital as varying weather can affect soil in different ways.

For optimum results, aerate during the growing season because the grass will heal naturally to fill any patchy areas that may occur.

You should avoid aeration when the ground is very wet or when it’s likely to freeze solid in frosty, snowy and icy conditions. Very hot weather can also make aeration difficult as dry soil causes the ground to become hard and difficult to penetrate effectively.

Would you like a FREE lawn survey and advice on your lawn care?

Contact us for a FREE lawn survey (worth £25.00!)

Our standard seasonal lawn care treatment program includes 5 stages of lawn treatments applied throughout the year.

During your survey, we will identify what your grass needs and advise on the best program for your lawn.

Seasonal Lawn Care Treatment Programs

Green Mile Lawn Care offers a range of lawn care treatment packages that are guaranteed to improve the condition of your lawn.

Our Standard lawn care program costs just a few pounds per month and includes all the key lawn care treatments an average lawn is likely to require throughout the year.

The Standard Plus and Complete Programs offer the same seasonal program plus more specialist lawn care treatments when required.

To find out more, contact Green Mile Lawn Care on 01252 313305 or contact us via our website for your free survey.