You may have heard about liquid aeration and how it can improve your lawn (and subsequently, your grass), but is it as good as core or traditional aeration?
Let’s take a look at liquid aeration pros and cons and see if it’s better or as good as manual soil aeration.
What is Liquid Aeration?
Before we discuss the pros and cons of liquid aeration you should know what it is. Liquid aeration is the process of improving the soil in both density and oxygen content via a solution that breaks up the soil.
On the other hand, core aeration, sometimes called mechanical aeration is a time-honored tradition of digging holes, or ‘plugs’ into the soil to allow air and oxygen inside. The ground becomes less compacted, which is better for plants and grass overall.
In our liquid aeration pros and cons, we’ll outline the benefits you can get in comparison with core aeration.
Pros of Liquid Aeration
Easy to Do
Lawn liquid aerator products are widely available in home improvement and gardening stores, and they usually come with instructions on how you can use them. They’re pretty straightforward, too- just mix a solution and put it in a sprayer or a hose with a nozzle.
Furthermore, there’s not too much manual labor to be done. Point the spray towards your lawn and let the liquid do its work. In comparison, traditional aeration requires you to create mini-holes in your lawn to allow air, nutrients, and water into the soil using a machine.
You Won’t Have Holes in Your Lawn
If lawn aesthetics are important to you, then you should definitely consider going for liquid aeration rather than core aeration.
You see, core aeration requires you to dig holes all over your lawn. The plugs are noticeable up close, and although they’re beneficial they can take away some of the beauty in a green landscape. However, when you opt for liquid aeration then the problem is solved. Liquid can seep through the ground and break up compacted soil particles without having holes drilled into them.
Your Lawn Gets Added Nutrition
Some liquid aeration manufacturers add beneficial nutrients such as amino acids, iron, and others to further boost soil and grass health. You can achieve two things at once with a liquid application and give your lawn a greener appearance after spraying the solution on the ground.
Long-Lasting Effect
It’s unlikely that you’ll see the benefits of aeration immediately with a liquid product. However, the effects are longer-lasting compared to core aeration methods.
Since the liquid seeps through and covers a greater area, the soil is less likely to be compacted and it will take some time before you’ll need to spray again.
Cons of Liquid Aeration
Not for Newly Seeded Lawns and Those with Significant Thatch Build-Up
Heavily thatched lawns will not benefit as much when it comes to liquid aeration. However, you can opt to clear the debris first before spraying to make it more effective. This becomes moot if the build-up is over an inch thick.
The same applies to newly-seeded lawns since core aeration can help the young grass take root better than liquid aeration.
May Be Costlier in the Long Run
Each time you do liquid aeration of your lawn, you’d probably have to buy a new product. The cost isn’t that high compared to a core aerator though, since you won’t have to rent a special ground aeration machine or purchase add-on equipment for your lawn mower to aerate your lawn.
Overall, the cost-per-application may seem expensive, but you’ll only be paying for the liquid aerator product when you need it.