# Liquid Dethatch vs. Liquid Aeration



## IndianaLawn (Jul 31, 2020)

We have HORRIBLE thatch in our yard. Last few years have core aerated in both Spring and Fall and done some dethatching as well.

Last year our new lawn care company did a few applications of Air-8. Can't say I see a difference yet.

This year they want to do Liquid Dethatching AND Liquid Aeration along with the second round of fertilizer this spring.

My questions are:


What the heck is the difference between Liquid Dethatching AND Liquid Aeration?
Do I really need both?
Should I just do it myself? They want $300to do the combo or $200 for just aeration.

Thanks. They seem so similar to me I doubt I need both.


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## Bkeller500 (Jul 2, 2018)

I have read on other posts that Liquid aeration is never going to outperform core aeration. It may help but it might not be very noticeable. De-thatching can be tricky. There is good thatch and bad thatch. You want a layer of decaying organic mater to provide moisture control and microbe activity, but not so much as to choke off grass growth. You may benefit from repeated mulching and let nature do it's thing and focus on feeding your lawn.


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## IndianaLawn (Jul 31, 2020)

Bkeller500,

Thanks so much for your helpful response.

Yes, I am a fan of core aeration too. Not the most fun thing to do as a homeowner, but it really helps.

Our thatch layer is really bad. Every lawn guys has had a different opinion about it. One year we filled an entire small U-Haul with manual dethatch material. It can get that bad. The past two years we have had lawn people use lower doses or different fertilizer and that seems to help some. But pretty much every May the yard could use another core aeration.

I'm going to wait until we can finally get into the 60s without soaking rains and examine the thatch layer. If necessary I might try to order do the liquid dethatch myself with a hose end sprayer.

PS: I do use mulching blades to pulverize my clippings which I normally let go back down on the grass. I rarely bag it.

Way open to advice though from your or anyone on what to use, the amount, when to do it.

Thanks!


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## rookie_in_VA (Sep 27, 2021)

Last year I gave this liquid aeration product a shot: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VWCRBD?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

It wasn't a scientific experiment but my observation was that it did nothing to soften / aerate my soil.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Most liquid aeration products are nothing more than glorified wetting agents which do have their place in maintaining a lawn but I would go with one that is designed to do that. Most liquid dethather's have molasses or something similar to help feed the enzymes in the soil that are "suppose" to help eat and break down the thatch but they rarely ever work. Most of these products are nothing more than 100% marketing in a process to separate you from your money. I always try and look at the Golf and Sport Turf industry to see what they do and use as they are on a budget and time is money. If all these products worked so well you would be seeing them use them non stop as it's much easier to just spray some magic liquid on the ground then to do the actual labor involved in aeration/verticutting/topdressing.

I would look into your Nitrogen inputs as adding too much Nitrogen can cause the problems you are talking about, sometimes less is more!!

Welcome to TLF!!!! (I'm a former Hoosier, grew up in Fort Wayne!!)


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## IndianaLawn (Jul 31, 2020)

Thanks MightyQuinn,

And thanks for the welcome. It's exactly why I came here. Once I got this "special offer" from my lawn care guy about liquid aeration and liquid dethatch I started looking at the price of the same chemicals they use.

The just spray it on with a hose end sprayer from their truck. Looks like it would cost me $34 DIY for dethatch instead of their $200. That's just too much of a difference for me to let it go. Then I get to thinking, this is basically cheap acid and organic stuff and the profit margin must be insane, thus pushing these.

My old lawn I fertilized like 3 times a year and it was super healthy. All these lawn guys want to do 6 treatments. Granted they may be lower nitrogen, but still. Maybe their strategy is smaller frequent feedings to make the lawn always look green and stay nourished instead of shocking it a few times with high nitrogen. I dunno.

But I have the thatch issues and sadly a lot of Bentgrass I am battling too, some disease as well. That's why I started trying to find a trusted lawn guy because it became way too much trying to diagnose what to put down and when. The yard was becoming like a part time job every Spring and Summer.

But with their pricing and so-so results I'm dreading going back to DIY.

Beginning to think Astroturf looks like a great idea. The HOA would probably frown upon it.


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## Bkeller500 (Jul 2, 2018)

How much of you grass are you cutting at one time? I think 1/4 to 1/3 is the recommended cut but if you have very tall grass and you mow... say once per week, you could end up with a lot of thatch. What if you were to take less off at a time and mow more often for a season and see if you make any improvements? I see that you sometimes double cut but I wonder if a trimming would show improvements in thatch vs double cutting. You could try to purchase those lawn chemicals in raw form from places like Kelp-4-less and see if any of them show improvements. I am like you and a DIY guy. I'd rather do it my self and have more options ( assuming time is available) but one of the big items you need most of all is PATIENCE. Anything organic that will decay should help your dirt. As stated earlier Yucca, Molasses, Kelp, Humid Acid, Baby shampoo, Beer, Milk, Sugar all can help but they can also confuse issue. Keep researching and keep working your dirt and the lawn will make itself attractive. Spoon feeding is my objective this spring.


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