During Autumn and Winter and on into early Spring, Grass eventually stops growing and renewing and therefore loses colour. This is a good opportunity to carry-out some of the more rigorous beneficial treatments for your lawn. These include Scarification, Aeration, Top Dressing, Soil Conditioning and Renovation. Due to the prevailing moss issues in our climate, Scarification and Aeration are some of our most popular treatments and are two the best known ways in the turf-care industry to remove moss.
Scarification
Also known as De-thatching, this process is different to lawn raking. Confusion arises because some electric lawn rakes are branded as ‘Scarifiers’ in DIY stores. The aim of a professional Scarification is to remove surface thatch and some sub-surface thatch from the lawn. This procedure is often carried-out in conjunction with an Aeration (see below) to ensure the highest beneficial percentage of thatch is removed from the lawn. Without excessive thatch, moss has nowhere to root into and therefore this process is by far, the most effective procedure available for moss removal today.
What is thatch?
Thatch naturally comes about when decomposed organic matter is compressed onto the surface of the soil bed (referred to as ‘surface thatch’) and eventually pushed down below the surface (referred to as ‘sub-surface thatch’).
At any one time, these two types of thatch should be present in an established, healthy lawn to moderate the temperature of soil because grass roots need a fairly stable temperature in order to be active. However, excessive thatch can cause a constantly humid environment for the grass – promoting Moss and Fungus.
When should I have a Scarification?
For a lawn to be consistently healthy and reach it’s full potential, we recommend a Scarification every year. Many Greenkeepers, particularly on golf courses, tend to scarify monthly in order to ensure thatch is always kept to a minimum. However, since a domestic lawn isn’t intended for sports or heavy footfall, we usually opt to Scarify yearly to ensure the lawn looks the best it can during the growing season (when it can be at its greenest), employing a more in-depth Scarification outside the growing season (Autumn/Winter) or right at the beginning (Early Spring), when the lawn is naturally it’s lowest in colour anyway.
Will Scarification be expensive?
Scarification is typically priced at 3x your usual treatment price. I.e. if your lawn Treatment is usually £26 your Scarification price will be £26 x 3 = £78.
How do I book a Scarification?
Contact us on 0800 612 5567 or ask your Nutrilawn Greenkeeper on his/her next visit. They’ll be able to advise you of the best date to carry it out and can book it there and then.
Aeration
Also known as ‘Tining,’ Aeration employs the use of a petrol-powered machine that will remove thousands of ‘cores’ from your top soil layer. These are then usually left on top of the lawn to naturally decompose and add to your topsoil layer. 
The main focus of an Aeration is to significantly reduce ‘sub-surface thatch’ – the layer of thatch (see “what is thatch?” above) immediately below the surface of your top-soil layer. This layer will cause compaction and block air and nutrients from penetrating the soil and getting to the root zone of the lawn. This compaction also means the roots are hindered from moving naturally and thickening the lawn via new shoots.
What benefits will I see from Aeration?
The benefits from Aeration are not immediately visible as they are with Scarification but their long-term results can be more effective by comparison. A desirable by-product of Aeration is that the Rhyzome is sliced and therefore, forced to renew and produce more shoots from the established root, this causes a thickening of the lawn over the following months.
How often should I aerate?
You can Aerate your lawn at any time of year but at Nutrilawn we often opt to carry-put this procedure during Autumn, Winter or Early Spring when the colour of the lawn is at it’s lowest and a rigorous treatment would be least upsetting.
Will Aeration be expensive?
Aerators are expensive machines but an aeration is a fairly quick procedure in comparison to a scarification. Therefore, we pass the savings on to you. An Aeration is typically priced at 2x the usual treatment price. I.e. If your Spring, Summer and Autumn Treatments usually cost £26, your Aeration price will be £26 x 2 = £52.
How do I book an Aeration?
As with any of our services, you can book an Aeration easily by calling 0800 612 5567 or using the contact us page. Further to this, during any Free Lawn Consultation or regular treatment, your Nutrilawn Greenkeeper will be able to take a core sample of your lawn and demonstrate clearly whether or not an Aeration would be beneficial. If required, we can recommend a date that’s best for you.