Core or Liquid Lawn Aeration – Which One to Choose

You like walking on your lawn; the children love to play on the soft grass, and the dog likes rolling there in the mornings – all of these activities play a part in compressing the soil in the lawn. Soil compaction leads to problems with healthy growth by reducing the passageways for nutrients, water, and air to reach the roots. However, that does not imply that all activities on your lawn should come to a stop. There is a way to keep the passageways open – aeration.  

Aeration is, in simple terms, creating openings in the soil to allow nutrients, water, and air to seep into the soil. Irrespective of the method used, one thing is for sure, lawn aeration improves the quality and looks of your piece of turf. While most of us think of aeration as machines poking holes or pulling out plugs of soil from the ground, there are many other methods of aerating a lawn.

Signs That Your Lawn Needs Aeration 

Rather than waiting for the tell-tale signs to indicate that your lawn needs aeration, you should set it up as an annual or bi-annual maintenance routine. However, remember that aeration works best when the grass is growing actively. Aerating during the dormant period can do more harm than good. In case, you have missed aerating your lawn, these signs should act as a reminder to start the process.

• The soil feels hard and compacted under your feet. If you find it difficult to insert a screwdriver into the ground, it is compacted.
• Irrigation water collects in pools on the surface rather than seeping into the ground.
• Bare patches show up where the grass has died. These could be in areas that witness high foot traffic.
• There is a high build-up of thatch on the lawn.

Now that your lawn has indicated its aeration requirements, which method should you choose?

Core Aeration

While there are many different types of aerating machines, they all serve the same purpose – creating holes in the soil to allow nutrients, water, and air reach the roots. However, most professional aeration service providers prefer to use a core aerator that works by removing a plug of soil from the ground. These plugs in turn help enrich the soil further by breaking down and becoming valuable top dressing for your lawn. 

Liquid Aeration

A liquid application works as effectively or even better than physical aeration over a period of time; liquid aeration is fast becoming a favorite with most lawn owners. One big advantage of liquid aeration is that it penetrates deeper and thus loosens the soil to a greater depth than core aeration.

Which one to Choose?

While the choice of the type of aeration would depend on factors like availability and budget, you need to be aware of the impact of both. For immediate impact, you need to go for core aeration. The effects of liquid aeration last longer and hence would be better for your lawn. However, if your lawn has a high amount of thatch or is heavily compacted, you might need to use both the systems – a round of core aeration, and once the grass starts looking a little better, followed by a round of liquid aeration. 

So, go about enjoying the activities on your lawn without worrying about affecting its look and quality.

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