What is Lawn Aeration? 

The care of the soil underneath many lawns is often overlooked. The soil contains and multitude of Flora and Fauna which not only support and sustain the grass but on a global scale, help provide a balancing act of gases and other substances that allow the planet to exist as it does.

Soil is very complex, there are thousands of fungi and bacteria helping to break down organic and inorganic matter to turn it into molecules that can be taken up by a plants root system to be used as food and of these processes are “aerobic” meaning that they require oxygen.  One of the major problems on grass areas can be compaction which is caused by machinery or pedestrian traffic. This compactionis caused by “squashing” soils particles together which forms an impervious layer preventing both water and air entering the soil.

This picture to the right demonstrates the ideal structure with lots of vertical and horizontal cracks and pores to allow air and water to pass freely in and out.

When a lawn becomes compacted, it is usually due to traffic (even foot traffic) in wet conditions. The picture below shows grassland soil that has become compacted and the cracks and pores have been compressed, there is no route for water and air movement and it will be difficult for roots to penetrate.

We can remove this problem by aerating the soil. We at Perfect Ground Solutions are fully aware of the benefits of lawn aeration and also the damage that can be done when using the equipment at the wrong time. If lawn aerators are used when conditions are too wet, compaction will be increased, and the soil will be left in a worse state than before.

All grass can be aerated at any time of the year when the conditions are right! Different soils respond differently to different machinery applications. We can assist you in helping you to understand what will improve your soil and when would be best to carry out the work.

Perfect ground Solutions uses a variety of aeration equipment to match the different conditions and soil types. The aim is always to lift and crack the soil without any visual disturbance which is why the soil conditions have to be good. We can help with advice of when and how to carry out lawn aeration.

Call us on 01920 461 958 or drop us an email info@perfectgroundsolutions.co.uk