Hollow Tine Aeration
The best way to reduce soil compaction in the root zone of a lawn is by Hollow Tine Aeration. Grasshopper Lawncare use pedestrian petrol driven machines for this job, which entails moving thousands of cores from the lawn, each about the size of a little finger.
As well as moving thousands of cores from the lawn, this process has the benefit of removing a plug of thatch with each soil core. This treatment is typically carried out in the early part of the year, when the cores can be left to break down naturally with minimum inconvenience.
The frequency with which lawns need to be Aerated varies and depends on a number of factors. As a broad rule Light sandy soil needs Aeration less frequently than Loam, Clay Loam or Silt derived soils. It is of course much better to Aerate before the grass starts to suffer from the detrimental effects of soil compaction.
Which is why we have yet to read any credible publication on lawn maintenance which does not recommend Aeration as valuable element of every thorough annual maintenance programme.
Fracture Tine Aeration
The mechanical creation of thousands of slit cuts into the lawn. The slits are deeper than the holes made by the Hollow Tine Aeration and the reduction in compaction is comparable thanks to twisting of the machines blades as they enter and leave the soil.
There is virtually no mess with this process and although it is effective at promoting the decomposition of the thatch, it does not mechanically remove any. This is a good Aeration option if you do not want the short term imposition of soil plugs left on the lawn by Hollow Tine Aeration
