Lawn aeration is a routine annual task for many homeowners here in the DFW and for good reason. Aerating your lawn has many benefits when done properly and can give your lawn the advantage it needs. Aerating our lawns is important for many reasons, and so is knowing the difference between liquid aeration and core aeration. With this knowledge, you’ll know exactly which option is best for you and your lawn.
Why Aerate?
To start things off, pretty much every lawn can gain from aeration and any “great” lawn has been routinely aerated. Lawn aeration is good for breaking up compacted soil, preventing water runoff in low-lying areas that need to be re-graded to fix collecting water, or cleaning up worn-out areas from high foot traffic. Additionally, you should aerate if your water retention is low or you notice your lawn has a severe thatch build-up going on.
Core Aeration
Core aeration is done by physically putting holes into your lawn. This is done to help out the soil by receiving nutrients, water, and air using an aerator. It works by penetrating through the thatch layer on the top of your soil to open up airways. With this done, the once before weak and shallow roots can now grow deeper and stronger. Additionally, it offers a more immediate impact on your soil and the way your grass looks. You should know though, the effects won’t last as long as liquid aeration. This method is great for those lawns where liquid aeration just can’t get deep enough in the soil to do its intended purpose.
Liquid Aeration
Liquid Aeration, on the other hand, is a liquid treatment that doesn’t require an aeration machine. Additionally, core aeration will only affect less than 5% of the total surface area of the lawn, where liquid aeration is applied to 100% of the total surface area. This treatment contains an active ingredient called ammonium lauryl sulfate. Ammonium lauryl breaks down dense particles found in your soil and then loosens them, creating airways. It is applied by spraying it onto your lawn after it has been prepped accordingly. It’s important to know that this treatment doesn’t work as well in lawns that the soil is too compacted, has too much thatch, or in newly-seeded lawns. Also, to prepare your lawn for liquid aeration you have to apply a wetting agent to it. The wetting agent will allow for the material to get deep into the soil. Another difference to this method is there is no plugs leftover. Additionally, this type of aeration takes longer to kick in and have an effect on your soil. The benefits received once it sets in are longer lasting and cumulative, in comparison to core aeration though.
Which One To Choose?
For which option is better, that is entirely subject to the type of lawn you have, the condition it is in, and the needs it has, for the best advice consult an expert. You can choose to have both done most of the time, resulting in maximum gains for your grass root system and overall lawn care
Get Started Aerating Your Lawn
As a homeowner, you can’t go wrong aerating your lawn and it should be done routinely to ensure the health of your lawn. Assessing your lawn and finding out which option is best for it can be tricky, let the experts at Chorbie help. Contact us today and let us make caring for your lawn and landscape easy for you. That way you can achieve the lawn you deserve that much faster while tending to other matters!
