Lawn Aeration

For homeowners in Rowtown and surrounding areas who choose Bespoke Lawn Care, lawn aeration is a crucial service designed to ensure the long-term health and vitality of your turf. Rather than just a quick fix, they see aeration as a fundamental aspect of creating a truly thriving lawn.

 Here's how Bespoke Lawn Care approaches lawn aeration. 

1. Addressing the root of the problem: compacted soil

• Understanding Compaction: Over time, especially with heavy foot traffic, lawn equipment, or even just heavy rainfall, soil can become compacted, suffocating grass roots by restricting the flow of air, water, and nutrients.

• Improving Soil Structure: Aeration involves creating small holes or channels in the lawn, typically using specialised machinery. This process breaks up compacted soil, allowing for better air circulation and improved water and nutrient absorption by the grass roots.

2. Benefits of aeration beyond basic maintenance

• Deeper, Stronger Roots: Aeration encourages grass roots to grow deeper and more extensively, leading to a more resilient and drought-tolerant lawn.

• Enhanced Nutrient Uptake: With better access to the roots, fertilisers and other lawn treatments become more effective, allowing the grass to maximise their benefits and achieve vibrant growth.

• Improved Drainage and Reduced Puddling: Aerated soil drains more freely, reducing waterlogging and preventing puddles after rainfall.

• Thatch Management: Aeration, particularly core or hollow-tine aeration, helps break down thatch, a layer of dead organic matter that can accumulate and prevent essential elements from reaching the soil.

• Increased Resilience to Stress: Lawns with healthy root systems and access to vital resources are better able to withstand environmental stressors like drought, heat, and diseases.

3. Tailoring the approach: more than one type of aeration

Bespoke Lawn Care understands that different lawns and soil types may require different approaches to aeration. They may use:

• Hollow-Tine Aeration: This method removes small cores of soil from the lawn, effectively reducing compaction and thatch build-up. GreenThumb says this method is an effective way of reducing thatch and compaction in your lawn.

• Solid or Spike Aeration: This technique involves simply spiking the lawn to create holes, providing an opportunity for air and water to penetrate more easily into the soil.

• Fracture or Slit Tining: This less invasive method creates slits in the lawn, breaking up the soil and improving aeration without removing soil plugs. This method is a less invasive method, perfect for lawns that don't have severe compaction issues.

4. Timely interventions for optimal results

The timing of aeration is crucial for its effectiveness. Bespoke Lawn Care typically recommends:

• Spring or Autumn: These are generally the best times to aerate in the UK, as the soil is usually moist enough to be easily penetrated but not waterlogged or frozen.

• Considering the Weather: They will assess current weather and soil conditions before aerating to ensure the soil is neither too wet nor too dry. If the soil is overly wet, the holes created may not provide enough air flow or water to the roots, as the sides can quickly close over.

5. Frequency of aeration

The ideal frequency of aeration depends on several factors, including:

• Soil Type: Heavy clay soils tend to compact more easily and may require aeration once or twice a year.

• Foot Traffic: Lawns with heavy use from pets or children may benefit from more frequent aeration.

• Lawn Condition: Lawns showing signs of distress like thinning grass, discolouration, or poor drainage will likely need more frequent aeration.

By understanding your lawn's specific needs, Bespoke Lawn Care ensures the right type of aeration at the optimal time, promoting a healthier, more beautiful lawn in Surrey.