Does liquid aeration work in clay soil?
Different types of soil respond distinctively to liquid aeration. Clay soil, for instance, tends to be heavy and dense, and can greatly benefit from aeration as it helps to create space for air and water to move freely. As the name suggests, this is a liquid application that can be as effective, if not more, than a traditional Core Aeration. Liquid Aeration is an excellent tool because it can loosen the soil deeper than Core Aeration can.Different types of soil respond distinctively to liquid aeration. Clay soil, for instance, tends to be heavy and dense, and can greatly benefit from aeration as it helps to create space for air and water to move freely.Manual aeration methods can only penetrate about three inches deep into the soil. While this is good enough to see some results, liquid aeration can reach much deeper. With liquid aeration, the solution can reach around a foot below the surface.Liquid aeration can alleviate mild to moderate compaction – if applied correctly and as often as the manufacturer recommends. If your soil is heavily compacted, core aeration may be the only way to break up the soil and create space for air, water, and nutrient movement.
What is the best aeration for clay soil?
Darrell Ross, CEO of Earl May Seed & Nursery, says that spike aerators are best for small lawns or small patches you plan on aerating several times a year. He recommends plug (core) aerators for all lawn types, however, including heavy clay soil and large lawns. Disadvantages of Liquid Aeration: If you have a lot of thatch in your lawn, liquid aeration may not be as useful for the lawn. This is used more when you are trying to loosen up the soil, not when you are trying to eliminate a thick layer of thatch.Optimal Timing: Spring and fall are the best seasons for liquid lawn aeration, aligning with your lawn’s natural growth cycles. Soil Health: Liquid aeration significantly improves soil health, enhancing root growth and nutrient uptake.Begin by mowing your lawn as short as possible and removing debris and dead grass. Then apply a generous dose of grass seed to sparse lawn areas before applying the liquid aeration. Follow the overseeding with the liquid aeration treatment.For larger lawns, you could expect to pay $300 or more. Liquid aeration does not require a special machine or operators, so the cost is less. You can expect to pay $175 – $200 for a professional liquid aeration service for an average size lawn.On the other hand, one drawback of core aeration is that it can be invasive for your lawn. Because professionals mechanically pull up plugs of soil during this process, it can leave behind holes in the ground where those plugs were removed. As a result, it can stress it out.
Can you add too much gypsum to clay soil?
It is possible to use too much gypsum. Adding too much gypsum to your soil can damage it by removing necessary nutrients. An abundance of gypsum can remove elements such as iron, aluminum and manganese from your soil and cause them to contaminate other areas, harming plant growth. In clay soil, the bulbs of spring flowers simply rot over the winter, for example. However, it is possible to improve clay soil by adding organic matter, such as bark, sawdust, peat moss, composting materials, or manure to the soil.Adding lots of organic matter such as compost, farm manure, or shredded leaves to clayey soil will allow it to drain more easily and hold the right amounts of water and air for better plant growth and increased biological activity. Adding sand can be tricky and typically is not recommended to be added to clay soil.While it may hold nutrients well, clay soil is notorious for being dense and compacted—making it hard for grass roots to breathe, grow, and absorb nutrients. That’s why lawn aeration isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a must.On extremely heavy, solid clay adding grit to the ground in autumn can be very effective, especially if it is spread on the soil surface with copious amounts of organic matter such as garden compost or bulky manure.To successfully grow plants in clay soils it’s important to both build up the soil with good organic matter and break up the clay with special additives. The first step is to add gypsum to the soil.
What not to add to clay soil?
Avoid adding sand to try to improve drainage in clay soil. Sand actually gets stuck in the small spaces between clay particles. This creates an even denser layer of soil rather than improving porosity and drainage. Routinely scattering organic matter over the soil surface is the best long-term fix for clay or soil compaction. Without any further help, soil organisms will incorporate the organic matter and begin to loosen the soil.Adding lots of organic matter such as compost, farm manure, or shredded leaves to clayey soil will allow it to drain more easily and hold the right amounts of water and air for better plant growth and increased biological activity. Adding sand can be tricky and typically is not recommended to be added to clay soil.Lots of other kinds of organic matter can help, too. Leaves, grass clippings, plant trimmings, etc. Earthworms (& other soil creatures) can do the tilling for us if we give them organic material to work through 🙂 Plant roots can help break up the clay, too.Compost breaks down into humus that coats and buffers the clay soil particles and lessens the cohesion between them. It also feeds the bacteria and microorganisms that soften and restructure the clay as well as adding nutrients for new plant growth.Here are the steps to improve clay soil: Add 6 to 8 inches of organic matter to the entire bed. Untreated grass clippings, shredded leaves, rotted manure, and compost are all perfect choices. Spread the organic matter on top of the soil, then work it into the top 6 to 12 inches of soil.
Is it worth aerating clay soil?
Clay soils, for example, need aeration every year or every few years depending on how compacted the ground is. Clay soil holds in water, but can’t easily circulate oxygen for plant health. Soil compaction: If you tend to park cars on your yard or there is a lot of foot traffic, you probably have compacted soil. How can you improve clay soil for better drainage and plant health? Pea gravel: Add about 3″ to the top of the soil and work it in to about 8-10″. This helps open up the soil.Adding materials such as organic compost, pine bark, composted leaves and gypsum to heavy clay can improve its structure and help eliminate drainage and compaction problems. Avoid adding sand or peat moss to clay; they can make those problems worse.Organic matter is the best thing you can add to clay soil. This is crucial for turning heavy clay into loamy fertile garden soil. Organic matter is anything from nature, and it should be partially broken down.Routinely scattering organic matter over the soil surface is the best long-term fix for clay or soil compaction. Without any further help, soil organisms will incorporate the organic matter and begin to loosen the soil.
How to apply liquid gypsum to clay soil?
If you have clay soil, always add about half a coffee can full of gypsum in the bottom of every planting hole and work it into the soil on the bottom of the hole before planting. This will increase drainage. Being slightly acidic, coffee grounds lower the pH of the soil. They are very slow to break down, releasing nitrogen and other nutrients to the plants over an extended period of time, while keeping the soil loose and aerated. This is particularly beneficial for clayey soils which are usually alkaline and heavy.
What is the best treatment for heavy clay soil?
Some, but not all, clay soils respond to extra calcium, which causes the soil particles to flocculate (clump together). Where the soil is acid, lime can be applied, but elsewhere it is better to add gypsum. Gypsum is the active ingredient of many commercial ‘clay improvers’. Use Gypsum to Break Up Clay Fast It helps clay particles form into crumbly clumps, which improves both aeration and drainage without messing with soil pH. For hard clay, gypsum can speed up the loosening process, especially when paired with regular watering and organic amendments.It is possible to use too much gypsum. Adding too much gypsum to your soil can damage it by removing necessary nutrients. An abundance of gypsum can remove elements such as iron, aluminum and manganese from your soil and cause them to contaminate other areas, harming plant growth.Adding lots of organic matter such as compost, farm manure, or shredded leaves to clayey soil will allow it to drain more easily and hold the right amounts of water and air for better plant growth and increased biological activity. Adding sand can be tricky and typically is not recommended to be added to clay soil.Gypsum works on the clay, breaking it up into small crumbly pieces making it easier to work with and also improves drainage. If the soil is a very heavy clay, then this may need to be done more than once. The next step is to build up the soil with plenty of organic matter.