Hollow Tine v Fracture Tine - Lawn Aeration
Breathe New Life into Your Lawn: The Power of Lawn Aeration
Is your lawn looking a little tired? Maybe it’s patchy, dry, or struggling to absorb water no matter how much care you give it. It might be time to let your lawn breathe. Lawn aeration is one of the most effective ways to rejuvenate tired grass by breaking up compacted soil and allowing air, water, and nutrients to reach the roots where they’re needed most.
At GreenThumb, we offer two professional aeration methods—Hollow-Tine and Fracture-Tine—each designed to cater to different lawn needs. Knowing which one is right for your lawn can make all the difference. Our experienced Lawn Operatives are here to help guide you through the process and ensure your lawn gets the care it deserves.
In this blog, we’ll explore how aeration works, the difference between our aeration methods, and why it’s a game-changer for a healthier, more vibrant lawn.
Author
Leanne Lewis
Reviewed By
Alasdair Boyes
Updated: 12/8/2025
Published: 10/31/2024
Breathe New Life into Your Lawn: The Power of Lawn Aeration
If your lawn is looking tired, patchy, or struggling to absorb water despite regular care, it might simply need to breathe. Lawn aeration is one of the most effective ways to revitalise your lawn by opening up the soil so that air, water, and nutrients can reach the roots where they’re most needed. It helps to relieve compaction, improve drainage, and promote healthier, stronger grass growth.
At GreenThumb, we offer two professional aeration methods—Hollow-Tine and Fracture-Tine—each designed to meet different lawn needs. Knowing which one is right for your lawn can make all the difference, and our trained Lawn Operatives are here to guide you.
What’s the Difference?
Both types of aeration improve soil structure and help your lawn thrive—but they work in different ways, and are suited to different lawn conditions.
Hollow-Tine Aeration: Deep Relief for Compacted Lawns
Hollow-Tine Aeration: Deep Relief for Compacted Lawns
This method involves removing small plugs (or ‘cores’) of soil from the lawn. It’s ideal for lawns suffering from heavy compaction, poor drainage, or high foot traffic.
- Best for: Dense clay soils, compacted areas, and long-term lawn health.
- Why choose it: Removing the soil cores reduces surface tension, improves airflow, and allows water and fertilisers to sink deeper into the root zone. It also helps reduce thatch build-up and supports deeper root development.
Hollow-tine is especially effective for lawns that feel hard underfoot or have puddling after rain. It leaves small cores on the surface that naturally break down or can be brushed in.
Fracture-Tine Aeration: A Quicker Boost for Healthier Lawns
Instead of removing plugs, Fracture-Tine Aeration uses blades to slice into the soil, cracking and loosening it beneath the surface without leaving debris behind.
- Best for: Lawns that are relatively healthy but need a boost in nutrient and water uptake.
Why choose it: It’s fast, tidy, and great for light compaction, improving root access to vital elements without major disruption to the lawn’s surface
Hollow-tine is especially effective for lawns that feel hard underfoot or have puddling after rain. It leaves small cores on the surface that naturally break down or can be brushed in.
Why Aeration Makes a Big Difference
Over time, everyday activities like walking on the grass or mowing can compress the soil beneath your lawn. This compaction makes it harder for essential elements like oxygen, water, and nutrients to reach the roots—leaving your grass looking weak, dry, or uneven, even with regular watering.
Aeration solves this by creating small openings in the soil, allowing everything your grass needs to reach deep into the root zone. It’s especially helpful in high-traffic areas, on lawns with heavy thatch, or in gardens with poor drainage. Common signs your lawn might need aerating include spongy grass, dry spots that resist water, or thinning patches where grass struggles to grow.
The best time to aerate is during your lawn’s growing season—typically spring or autumn—so it can recover quickly and make the most of the improved conditions.
The GreenThumb Approach
When you choose GreenThumb, you’re not just getting an aeration service—you’re getting a tailored lawn care solution. Our expert operatives use professional-grade machinery that goes deeper and performs better than DIY tools, helping your lawn achieve results that are hard to replicate at home.
Plus, we don’t stop at aeration. We’ll guide you through the ideal post-aeration care steps, from overseeding to tailored fertilisation, so you get the most from your treatment. Whether your goal is better drainage, a thicker lawn, or long-term resilience, we’re here to make it easy—and effective.
What Happens After Aeration?
Once your lawn has been aerated, it’s the perfect time to boost its recovery and growth. Overseeding is a great option, helping fill in any thin or bare areas and improving your lawn’s overall density. Pair this with the right watering and feeding schedule, and you’re well on your way to a lawn that’s greener, thicker, and healthier.
Keep mowing regularly (but not too short), and use fertilisers suited to the season. And of course, we’re always here to help with expert advice and ongoing treatments tailored to your garden.
Give Your Lawn Room to Grow
Think of aeration as a breath of fresh air for your garden. It’s a small step with big benefits—and with GreenThumb, it’s simple, professional, and designed around what your lawn really needs.
So, if you want a lawn that’s not just surviving, but thriving—let GreenThumb do the hard work, and enjoy the lush, healthy results.
Give Your Lawn Room to Breathe with Professional Aeration
Aeration is one of the most effective ways to relieve compacted soil, improve water absorption, and promote stronger, healthier grass growth.
It’s included as part of our Standard and Ultimate Programmes, and can also be added as an optional treatment to the Basic Programme, so every lawn can benefit from better airflow and root development.
Lawn Aeration
Lawn Aeration improves soil structure by creating holes that allow better air, water, and nutrients to reach grass roots. It helps reduce compaction, promotes healthy growth, and keeps your lawn looking it's best throughout the seasons.
Read More
Want a thicker, healthier lawn?
Aeration and Scarification improve overall soil health by boosting airflow, nutrients, and water to grass roots. These essential treatments reduce compaction and thatch, promoting stronger, greener, and more resilient grass.
Read More
Lawn Scarification
Lawn Scarification is a mechanical process that reduces surface thatch, allowing essential elements like water, air, and fertilisers to reach the grass roots, promoting a healthier, more resilient lawn.
Read More