So you have decided that your lawn is compacted, and would like to treat it with an aeration treatment. But should you hollow-tine aerate, or solid-tine aerate? Firstly, I’ll just explain what each version of the treatment is. Then go on to explain the merits of each. Finally then look at which you should consider for your lawn.
What is solid-tine aeration?
Solid tine aeration involves driving solid metal spikes into the surface of your lawn, simply punching holes into it. These holes can be quite deep, up to six inches or sometimes more, and are the simplest way of helping to relieve minor compaction issues and helping to refresh a tired lawn.
I recommend that solid-tine aeration is only really suitable for lawns which have a low-level of compaction, that just need to be given a new lease of life from a temporary high level of use (such as a party or event) or higher-quality lawns that need a helping hand through a period of hot weather.
Solid-tine aerating does not actually remove any soil, so if you use this method of aerating of a highly compacted lawn, the holes will just naturally squeeze back together in a matter of days. This is one of the main disadvantages of solid-tine aerating.
Additionally, if the soil in your lawn is of a high-clay content, or particularly wet, then the action of the spikes entering and leaving the soil may “smear” the holes, sealing up the beneficial air and water channels to the roots, hampering the main benefits of the treatment.
Overall, solid-tine aeration is more of a general maintenance aeration treatment used on well established lawns. If you have a bad compaction problem, then hollow-tine aeration is recommended instead.
What is hollow-tine aeration?
Hollow tine aeration involves driving specially designed metal “tubes” into the surface of your lawn. This automatically extracts a core of turf and soil. These holes are generally not as deep as solid-tine aeration holes, usually about three inches or so.
The main benefit of physically removing a core of soil is that it creates extra space in the remaining soil. This allows the lawn to relax and for the pores in the soil to open.
The effect of hollow-tine aeration is much more long-lasting, as the holes can stay open for many weeks after the treatment, allowing the roots to really grow and flourish, allowing the lawn to thicken and improve tremendously.
Hollow-tine aeration is suitable for all lawns, and is especially effective on lawns which are more heavily compacted or suffer a lot of wear and tear.
The only problem with hollow-tine aeration is that it does produce waste cores all over your lawn. These need to be removed as they will clog your mower, bring weed seeds to the surface, and increase the level of thatch in your lawn. Removing these is time consuming, but well worth it. If you only have a small lawn these can be placed on a compost heap or added to your green waste, however for larger lawns this can be a considerable amount of soil so may need to be taken to the local tip. I can arrange for disposal for you, after treatment, if required.
Should I choose solid-tines or hollow-tines to aerate my lawn?
In summary, if you have a compacted lawn, or are in doubt at all, then choose hollow-tine aeration, however if you just wish to maintain your lawn to a decent standard, then solid-tine aeration should be sufficient.
If you would like to book an aeration treatment for your lawn. Would like your lawn measured for compaction, or would just like to discuss the treatment options. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Hi i have just laid a new lawn turf in a new build property, the soil beforehand was very clay like so i have rotovated the soil and removed as much debris as i found, i made sure it wa well broken up the soil. the lawn seems to be knitting together well but there does appear to be some areas where it is a squelchy under foot. As i understand it using a hollow tine can improve drainage in clay like soil? I am considering buying a manual hollow tine fork and in March after some dry weather hollow tining my lawn a week before overseeding it and feeding it, anyway the one question I have is, how far apart should i be forking the lawn using the hollow tine fork?
hi Chris,
If your lawn is soaking wet already (October) before winter has even set in, then I would be very concerned about drainage in your garden. Simply making holes in the soil isn’t really going to help I’m afraid. The water needs somewhere to go. I would look at getting french drains installed in the garden to move the water away and prevent it from becoming a pond. Grass will not like being in wet all winter and your garden will not be useable for most of the year.
Unfortunately, this is a common issue in new build houses. They seem to rarely consider drainage in gardens.
Thanks for reading.
Kris
Surely if cores are constantly removed from greens the top soil will eventually be completely removed and the grass will be left with a clay bed.
Hi William,
In a domestic lawn situation, the grass grows fast and the roots fill in the holes. You will have to aerate very frequently for this to actually happen.
In a greens situation (bowling or golf) the lawns are often top-dressed with a suitable replacement, which keeps the playing surface and enables tining more frequently to maintain a healthy root zone.
Thanks for reading!
Kris
The Lawn Man
The main isssue I have with my lawn is one of moss. The ground is more sandy than clay and there is a level of thatch. What do you recommend hollow tines or solid tines?
If the ground is compacted, or has not been aerated in over a year, then definitely hollow-tine. If the lawn is generally in good condition and just a little moss the solid-tine aerating would be sufficient.
My lawn is clay beneath and compacted. I have tried a hollow tining but the item just jams up with clay making it impossible to use. at 78 I’m not into heavy gardening. Help me.
Hi Alfred,
You should contact a local lawn care service to Aerate the lawn for your with a professional machine.
Thanks for reading.
Kris
I recently purchased a hollow tining fork and started on my lawn. The fork is producing only partial plugs of soil but holes about 10 cm deep in the lawn. Could this be that the lawn is too wet for hollow tining and is it worth continueing?
Hi John,
Difficult to answer that without seeing to be honest. If plugs are being pulled out then it is worth continuing. Sometimes the plugs will become compressed in the tool meaning they seem a lot smaller than the hole, but this is normal.
If you can put a finger into one of the holes, then it’s probably worth continuing.
Thanks for reading!
Kris
Hi my soil is full of flints close to the surface of the lawn. will a hollow tine machine cope with this without serious damage to the spikes?
Hi Kelvin,
Difficult to answer this really. It depends. Most good quality commercial aeration machines are very tough and have hardened steel tines and can cope with hitting the odd stone. However, sustained resistance would be damaging. Try it out on a small area and see how you go.
Kris
When should I hollow tine my lawn?
You can hollow-tine at anytime, as long as the ground is not too wet, too dry or frozen. Ideally just before a feed is due, but that’s not essential.
Thanks for reading!
Kris
After performing hole tine aeration on my lawn can I fill the holes in with sand?
If you wish. It’s not generally necessary on domestic lawns though.
Kris
I would like a quote for hollow tining my lawn.
Hi John,
Please get in touch and, if you are in my area, I will be happy to arrange a visit to give you a quotation
Kris