As Lawn Care professionals, GreenCare recommends at least one aeration per season. In most lawns, the natural soil has been seriously disturbed by the building process. Fertile topsoil may have been removed or buried during the excavation of the basement or footings, leaving subsoil that is more compact, higher in clay content and less desirable for healthy lawn growth. These lawns need aeration to improve turfgrass rooting and to optimize use of fertilizer and water. Heavily used lawns are exposed to stress from traffic; walking, children and pets playing, and mowing are forms of traffic that compact soil and stress lawns. Raindrops and irrigation further increase soil density thus compacting soil particles and reducing larger air spaces where roots can readily grow. Compaction is greater on heavy clay soils than on sandy soils and is greatest in the upper 1 to 11/2 inches of soil.

Aeration help heavily used lawns and these growing on compacted soils by improving the depth and extent of turfgrass rooting, allowing better water uptake, enhanced fertilizer use and accelerated thatch breakdown. Common in home lawns, thatch can lead to serious maintenance and pest problems if left unmanaged. Compacted soils, heavy clay soils, and subsoils left from building processes accumulate thatch faster than well aerated soils. Because of this, lawns need frequent aeration to prevent thatch buildup.