Core and liquid aeration are two methods of aerating your lawn in Iowa. Core aeration involves mechanically pulling up plugs of soil from the ground, creating holes that loosen compaction and improve resource access to the roots of your grass. On the other hand, liquid aeration involves applying a liquid treatment across your turf that creates tiny pores in the soil. While both offer great benefits, core aeration is better for lawns with heavily compacted soil, as it's highly effective at loosening it and will provide quicker results. You should always hire pros to aerate your turf, as they have the skills, equipment, and knowledge of when and how to perform it to yield the best results.

What's the difference between core aeration and liquid aeration?

Soil plugs on a lawn in Des Moines, IA, after aeration.

Core aeration and liquid aeration are two methods of aerating your lawn, and while they have the same goal, they accomplish it differently. Core aeration involves using an aerator to mechanically pull up plugs of soil, creating holes in the ground. This process loosens compaction and makes it easier for nutrients and other resources, such as sunlight, water, and oxygen, to reach the roots of your grass. With improved access to everything it needs, your lawn can absorb more and build up its strength, health, and resilience to stressors.

On the other hand, liquid aeration involves applying a liquid treatment across your turf that creates tiny pores in the soil. This method also reduces compaction and improves resource access to the roots of your grass by enhancing the overall soil structure.

Core aeration leaves behind plugs of soil across your lawn, which you should let decompose so they can return nutrients to it.

Which method is better for aerating your lawn - core or liquid aeration?

While core and liquid aeration offer great benefits, core aeration is typically the better choice. That's because it's ideal for lawns with heavily compacted soil. After all, it's highly effective at loosening it, with the mechanical process of pulling up plugs of soil doing a great job at breaking up the hard, packed layer. Additionally, core aeration yields quicker results, whereas liquid aeration does so over time after multiple applications.

Always Hire Pros to Aerate Your Lawn

Aeration is a vital lawn care service, but you should always hire pros to perform it. Aerating your turf can be tricky to do yourself, and you may not get the results you want or cause more harm than good if you do it incorrectly. However, pros have the skills and equipment to do it right, plus the knowledge of when to perform it to yield the best results. For example, they typically provide core aeration in the fall, as cool-season lawns in Iowa are at their strongest and can endure the process. When you hire professionals to aerate your lawn, you can rest assured that it'll get the most out of this service.

Call Us to Sign Up for Our Core Aeration Service Today

At A+ Lawn & Landscape, we offer a core aeration service to loosen compacted soil and improve the flow of nutrients and other resources to the roots of your grass. We perform this service in the fall, from the end of August until October, as your lawn is at its strongest and can endure the process during this time. We've been aerating lawns since 1988, so you can rely on us to do it right and give you the best results.

We offer our core aeration service to residential and commercial properties, as well as HOAs, in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, IA, and throughout the surrounding areas. Call us at (515) 289-2020 to sign up today!