Aeration

So that your lawn can breathe again

You put a lot of effort into your lawn, and yet the same problem returns year after year: moss crowds out the fine grass, the lawn turns brown, and dandelions and daisies spread. The usual reflex is then to scarify or use weedkiller, but both only fight symptoms. Scarifying frees the lawn of thatch and moss at the surface (about 1 to 2 cm deep), and chemicals weaken the area further in the long run.

The real cause almost always lies deeper: in compacted soil. As with the human immune system, unwelcome guests can only settle in when the lawn is weak, and a lawn is weak when its roots do not get any air.

The problem: compaction and waterlogging

Moss is a reliable indicator of waterlogging. It occurs when the soil is so compacted that rainwater can no longer drain away, typically on clay and loam soils and on all areas that see a lot of foot traffic. The water then stands in the turf, drives the oxygen out of the root zone, the roots die back, and the patchy turf gives moss and weeds free rein. If you only remove the moss, the effect is purely cosmetic: as long as the soil stays dense, it comes back.

The solution: aeration

Aerating means opening up the soil at depth, where the compaction sits. With the spoons of an aerator you penetrate up to ten centimetres into the ground and create channels for air and water. Incidentally, the method is older than scarifying: Tom Mascaro developed the first motorised aerator in 1946, and only brought the scarifier onto the market in 1955.

Lawnpecker manual aerator in use: with a foot on the step bar, the spoons are pushed into the lawn
Soil cross-section compared: scarifying works 1 to 2 cm deep at the surface, aerating with spoons relieves compaction 5 to 10 cm deep

There are two systems: hollow spoons, as on the Lawnpecker, remove complete soil cores. The cores collected in the tray are disposed of and the channels filled with sand, a true soil exchange. Solid spoons, as on the LawnClaw, work on the displacement principle: they do not remove any soil, but create the openings needed for gas exchange.

Hollow spoon and solid spoon compared: hollow spoons remove soil cores and are filled with sand, solid spoons displace the soil for quick aeration

What exactly happens in the soil's pore system and which type of spoon is right when is explained in our in-depth article on aeration.

The right time

As a rule, May and September are very good times, but the weather matters more than the calendar: the lawn should be in full growth so that the turf closes quickly again before weed grasses and weeds take over the open spots. The soil temperature should stay above 10 °C, the soil should be moist but not wet, and no heat or dry spells should be on the way.

Air and soil temperature over the year: in September the soil is still 15 to 18 degrees, in April only 8 to 10 degrees

Early autumn has a particular advantage: the soil is still warm from summer, and if you combine aeration with top-dressing and overseeding into a complete renovation, you use the best window of the year. The reasons are explained in our article on lawn renovation in September. And after dry summers: parched soils often become water-repellent, and then aeration is the key to getting the autumn rain back into the soil at all.

Aftercare

Making the holes is not the end of it. Fill the channels with washed quartz sand (grain size 0.5 to 2 mm); a levelling rake spreads it evenly and works it into the holes. This gives the soil lasting drainage: rainwater penetrates faster and deeper, waterlogging is prevented, and the sandy surface, which dries off quickly, also protects the topsoil from drying out too fast. Overseed bare patches straight afterwards; the open channels give the seed ideal soil contact. The complete step-by-step guide with spoon sizes and sand quantities can be found in our article Lawn aeration: when, how often and with which tool.

Freshly removed soil cores after aeration held in the hands

The advantages of the Lawnpecker at a glance

  • A sturdy, versatile base construction and specially designed tines with hardened cutting rings: they do not go blunt, and the soil does not get stuck in them.
  • Little effort when coring thanks to the special design, and the cores are ejected cleanly.
  • Thanks to the collection tray, no soil is left lying on the lawn and there is nothing to pick up.
  • The soil gets lasting drainage: rainwater penetrates faster and deeper, waterlogging is prevented.
  • Excellent results with subsequent top-dressing, overseeding and fertilising and a short recovery time.