Excellent breakdown. Soil compaction is a huge part of civil engineering (my background). I'm a little leary of folks hyping their version of "miracle tonic". Yeah, it may get you a little tipsy, but it won't cure your real ailments. Having said that, I still hope the Mesotrione that I bought will do me some good!😉
Even Mesotrione has specific application instructions depending on whether using as a pre vs post emergent, with known benefits and limits either way. You will have success based on how it was applied and what that mode is intended to do.
I appreciate the entrepreneurship of the all the RUclips lawn guys, and I’m not trying to sound like a hater, but the lawn game has pretty much been figured out for a long time. It’s just NPK, herbicides, irrigation and mowing, with mechanical aeration. Nobody is reinventing lawn care with some watered down, and quite frankly over priced mixture of who knows what. They’re trying to convince you that it’s something special because they’re not making money selling fertilizer, I believe that market is pretty much saturated and controlled by huge corporations.
I get what your saying, but saying these products just don't work is incredibly misleading. Not everyone wants this product for a front yard. The most challenging soil conditions are those that haven't been turned up for decades. Maybe you don't realize how big food plotting is getting, but its a massive amount of people who do it. Without a doubt the SLS soil loosener works. Your definitely over simplifying soil too. True soil value anyway. Yea maybe a lawn in a development where a monkey can grow a green lawn, but fo into a pine or hardwood stand with a PH of 4 and grow Soybeans. Then just try your NPK theory out. You will be buying a backpack sprayer and begging for any leg up you can get. I just think saying any and all are a scam is bs. Anything that can allow your taproot to mature and truly break up the soil is a gamechanger in my world, where the true soil challenges are. It works. 100% changed my food plots and I hated to see others get turned off to a great product just cuz 1 guys "says" it's a scam. Notice when it came to SLS there was very little to say other than its a good product. You mean the SLS soil loosener is a good product? How? What? But you just said they're a scam? Maybe a better title would be some looseners are a scam. Broaden your thinking guys. It's not all about your suburban front lawn
Not trying to bash you, but I used that simple lawn solution in my yard, which had hard clay soil, and it did a great job. The soil soaks up the water now instead of letting it run off
He says at the end of the video that the liquid products are good at H2O absorption and only that. So if that is what you are looking for then that product is good for you. But if you want H2O absorption, retention and gas exchange mechanical is the way to go. I have areas in my lawn that hold water so I will be using a liquid product to give it a try. I’m not worried about the other 2 at this time
I miss the days of Jerry Baker on PBS where all you needed was everyday household products, a can of beer, and a hose end sprayer. Cheap and easy. RIP Jerry, the true OG of lawn care.
Matt I do recall a "White Board" video you did regarding this topic awhile back and you completely endorsed Air 8 and plainly stated it worked based on the science and you having used it. It is apparent there is a riff going on between you and your ex business associate the owner of GCF, I believe both of you have vast knowledge and good products with pros and cons but don't trash your competitors it makes you appear small...yes you called out the entire liquid aeration market but the focus will be on 1 product truthfully and we all know what that is. I purchase products from both of you because you both offer good information and products that work but it could also be said the the Carbon Earth products are very expensive for what they really are. Truth be told add another suggested white board scam topic and that should be why all the You tube lawn care gurus trash Milo the simple answer is Milorganite does not PAY nor offer freebies for endorsements so now Milo is "CRAP" (pun intended) according to RUclips pitchman. Final observation/thought: you've put your marketing partners in a bad position also ie Allan and Pete that market the products you are trashing putting their credibility in question as well it makes me wonder about ALL of it now...
All the “gurus” chase views and subs. Milorganite gets views. And they’re just diy guys themselves. They started out with milorganite most likely before they realized there are better and less expensive fertilizers. And as far as his partners. Allyn sells a product now that’s called “magical” he’s ruining his own product lineup on his own
I address that in this video - why I deleted the old video. I agree, carbon earth products are expensive. I have the OG miloganite is no ltna good choice on youtube. In the video I explain these products are effective, legit, wetting agents. Where are you missing the point?
I won't speak for everyone but for me personally I havent really used milorganite this year because of the price. I always look at cost per 1,000 square feet. Before I had gotten milorganite for 6 a bag. Now locally it is 13 a bag. Would cost me 40 to cover my lawn once. If the price were still what it was for me before I would continue to use it with other products because it gave me good results
Just goes to show how someone can use data to fit whatever argument they feel best helps their agenda. Not the first time its ever happened wont be the last.
@@TheGrassFactor Matt the title of the video is Liquid Aeration - Real or Not? SCAM I have the upmost respect for you and your endeavor (I am a business owner myself) simply sharing how the segment laid on the plate for me...others mileage may vary and again I am not taking sides just sharing perspective. BTW, My experience with your product has been very good and I've purchased it despite the relatively high price because I know you believe in what you do, and I understand the high price is due to shipping expense and scale, hopefully soon you'll have the volume needed to bring down the cost to the end user. Good luck!
I’ve always been skeptical of the claim that liquid aeration would “replace” mechanical core aeration. I do use Simple Lawn’s liquid loosener, and noticed it works for infiltrating water into my lawn (as you said) and my ground feels softer especially when it’s wet. I am going to keep mechanically core aerating my yard, to get the obvious benefits... so kind of using the product for what it’s worth and getting the best of both worlds. TTTF in MO.
@@xepiloguexas a whole they do, aeration will not replace a surfactant and a surfactant will not replace an aerator. Surfactant essentially takes off your ground acting as if it’s got wax on it, that being said if your ground is insanely compacted no amount of surfactant will change how deep and fast the water can go into the soil. They’re best worked in tandem
I have heavy clay soil. It feels like solid concrete during a drought. After applying liquid aeration, I definitely, for sure, saw much much more cracking in the soil, like soil in a dessert. All of these cracks allows air into the soil and helps the occasional rain beneath the surface.
What I'm beginning to learn is that lawn care is no different than health supplement industry. There are a million products out there that MIGHT work .1% better for your lawn/body, but nothing will ever top effectiveness of the basics - turning out to be a life theory I have. Everyone puts the cart (supplements) before the horse (basics).
I just bought a new place and I've been reading up on what I can do to fix this horrendous lawn. I saw a lot of videos about "liquid aeration" ranging from how awesome it is to how bad it is, so I asked a friend who has a PhD in chemistry and his wife, who is a PhD biologist. I'm paraphrasing, but here is what they said. 'Using a surfactant on your lawn and calling it liquid aeration is splitting hairs. The surfactant helps the water penetrate deeper into the soil, which means anything in the water is moving deeper as well - including oxygen and carbon dioxide. It's not addressing problems of compaction, but it is aerating the soil in a technical sense.'
I’ve personally never believed that liquid aeration could possibly replace mechanical. I’ve considered them a supplement. However, it is clear that these “liquid aeration” products produce results. Based on your research and conclusions my initial takeaway is that these products can be more accurately marketed. Rather than marketing as liquid aeration, these companies might consider simply marketing them as a wetting agent or a basic compaction cure product.
Last fall, just like every fall, I aerated and seeded my lawn... only this time I used Air8&RGS “compaction cure” after I plugged the yard. I also used that same combo in the Spring when the lawn woke up from winter.. along with the “Bio-Stimulant” pack for the duration of this season.. The difference in the appearance and hardiness when compared to the last 25 years is unbelievable... 🤔 Guess I must have gotten a really good batch of seed last fall..??
I agree - wetting agents are very effective and that's why when you use these products you see results. "Aeration" is a stretch, effective is definitive.
Dude , you were just sucking up to John Perry last week by talking crap about some " grass factor" people .lol idiot . What was your post I saw ? "great video brother, I feel like some ‘grass factor people’ should watch this video and educate themselves... "
haha the fact that you think because someone posts a good video about “Humic Acid” you think it’s sucking up is hilarious, typical idiot that thinks you have to polarized one way or another. what I can say is Humic works as I’ve seen it change my lawn, which is why I concurred with his video, which everyone knows Matt isn’t a fan of Humic. But to watch the dichotomy of one versus the other reminded me of the show, but typical moron you’d have to take it a whole other direction, I guess because I like certain information one guy is putting out must mean I can’t like the other, I guess the days of multiple sources and putting together what works for you is no longer existent, guess I need to be woke and correct the diversity of my information...
I use surfactants for foliar spray or as a wetting agent for soil. That's about it. Its good to use prior to getting your soil aerated. So for a lawn it's good for wetting clay soil prior to core aeration to help get better plugs from the soil.
With due respect, you really don't understand soil microbiology. The bacteria in these products are Bacillus who, as you state, can consume molasses as a carbon source but they won't "die" in the way you describe. Instead, when the bacteria run out of energy and nutrients, they sporulate - becoming inactive until more nutrients are added. This is no different than how soil Bacillus act in nature. Also, as Bacillus and other soil microbes consume molasses, they produce carbon dioxide and create air voids in the soil, which can decrease compaction.
This is my take: I hope no one takes this the wrong way, I’m going to try and lay some things out here that I believe may be beneficial to folks and things to think about. In all seriousness though, Matt is a very big brain (as is JP). With that said, I still try and take everything anyone puts out with a grain of salt, because at the end of the day, they are usually trying to sell you something, or tell you why you need to be using, or not using a product(s). You could find videos from either of them from years past saying something was the best product since sliced bread, back when the relationship was good, that now is a "scam". In general, it's human nature to be naive and want to believe the best in people, and that is a great way to look at things, but we also owe it to ourselves to do our own research, and come to our own conclusions on things. Back to when your parents would ask you if you would jump of a bridge just because your friends were doing it... First of all, I encourage you to go watch the “pick the docs brain” videos of the past 2-3 weeks. If you’ve watched any of Matt and Rey’s videos over the last couple weeks, if you have learned nothing else, you should understand that: 1. there is a ton of marketing, and promoting of “miracle products” in the industry right now. Again, one could probably find studies showing that peptides is nothing more than marketing, I’m not sure as I don’t have access to all those studies. Come on guys/gals, we all know those "keywords", humic, fulvic, carbon, polymer coated, slow release, I could go on and on. People see those words and immediately equate it to something they absolutely have to buy and start using in their programs. 2. Everything is a tool in the toolbox. Nothing can replace sunlight, water, and proper PH, N, P, and K inputs. The biggest takeaway from what Matt and Rey have been presenting is that nothing can replace basic agronomy. Agronomy, being your soil structure, nutritive program inputs, etc. is the foundation upon which everything is built. When beginning this lawn care journey, we find ourselves overwhelmed with marketing, information, videos, products, etc. it is very difficult to discern credible sources from those who may just being trying to make a buck, promote a product, or get video views. We all get caught up in chasing and purchasing product after product, pursuing those marketing claims and nice lush green lawns being attributed to those products. Now don’t get me wrong, in no way am I trying to discredit anyone person, product, etc. I am speaking broadly here and just providing food for thought so to speak. As with about everything we do in life, there is a return on investment, or ROI piece. What Matt and Rey have been harping is that what is your ROI or “bang for your buck” with all the various products you are applying to your lawn? Why are you applying? What is the goal? For a lot of folks, the answers to those questions are pretty simple, well, because something tells me to apply them, whether it be RUclips, Facebook groups, lawncare guides, etc. if that works for you then so be it, keep doing what you’re doing and continue to apply that product and enjoy doing so. For those who may be more of a questioning personality, you may start to wonder why we do some of the things we do, what is my real ROI here, what problem am I really trying to solve (if any) with what I apply in my lawncare program? When you start digging, you realize that you can find studies to support just about any position. Going back to the grain of salt thing here, the studies presented here were selected because they supported a position. Data can be manipulated and presented as I said to support just about any position. So for every study that was cited, perhaps there are others out there that would say that liquid aeration can work, that I don’t know, just something to think about. So going back to basic agronomy, for years and years, farmers, homeowners, golf courses, etc. have been growing crops and turf without the use of RUclips, Facebook, etc. how have they been doing that? Agronomy. Focusing on the agronomy will hands down be the biggest bang for your buck in your lawn care program. When you first apply the basic principles of agronomy, you see gains, you see increased turf performance, you see results. You can quantify those results because you can physically see them with your own eyes! If given a fighting chance, the results you would see from the same agronomical practices that have been used for centuries would very likely be such that you would never go searching and buying that next greatest product being marketed. Why? Because you would be happy with the performance of your turf that you wouldn’t need to look for anything else. Now could you, sure, if you like experimenting, etc. then go for it. Again though it all comes back to that ROI. I’ll use “humic” as the example here. Everyone preaches how beneficial humic is and how if you’re not using it, you’re doing your lawn a disservice practically. Don’t get me wrong, I use it as well. Well let’s go back to that ROI piece. What visible benefits are you getting from those products? It seems as the humic right now is the solution to everything as being presented in groups, RUclips, etc. got compaction? Apply humic. Have some problem areas? Apply humic. Turf establishment? Apply humic. Hair loss? Apply humic. Problems at home? Apply humic. Oh wait, maybe not that last one, but you get the point. Humic has become the new 1-1-1 fertilizer. Years ago, you’ve got issues, go hammer some 10-10-10, or 13-13-13 until you start getting the results your looking for. The difference being, that the 1-1-1 fertilizer is cheap and provides a visual response when compared to some of these other products that are pretty expensive and you need to trust that the person selling them is being truthful when they tell you that “it’s helping”. Is there a visible response or increase in turfgrass performance from the application of these products? If you think so, then again, continue to use them and enjoy doing so. Is the benefit you see “present” just because you want it to be there, or is it just placebo? Was that visual response worth the $100 or whatever you spent to achieve it? Again, don’t get me wrong, not trying to discredit anything with these comments. As people are using them within their programs and are getting phenomenal results. The real test, however, would be to remove such items from a program and simply focus on agronomical inputs and observe the results. Are they better? Same? Worse? Maybe we’d find that for the extra $X per year we spend on products x y, z, they visual difference between using them and not using them is such that that money could be better used elsewhere in our lives. We all work hard for our money and at the end of the day, we should be doing right by our wallets to apply products to our lawns that will give us the biggest ROI. Again, if you don’t care, that’s perfectly fine. You want to go out and buy something because it’s in a video, be my guest. Experiment, have fun, it’s just grass!! Contrary, if you want to start asking yourself why you’re doing something, I encourage you to first start thinking of basic agronomy, and what your ROI may be for whatever product you are going to be applying. Ask yourself these questions. 1. What is my goal? 2. What problem am I trying to solve? 3. Why am I applying those? 4. Is there a visual response or benefit? 5. Was it worth it? ROI? Again, don’t get me wrong as some benefits may not be visible. Just because they weren’t visible doesn’t mean they may not have been worth it, they just become harder to quantify at that point. If you look in the comments, he made a list of upcoming videos which should be very interesting. Ran out of characters: I dont' know enough about the science to say whether or not anything is or isn't a scam, and that's what I am trying to clarify here. That's what I'm not trying to do here. I am not trying to discredit any one person, product, guide, etc. For probably 90% of people in the DIY community, all the videos, guides, etc. is exactly what they are looking for. They want a very specific roadmap to follow and get results . The resources out there, give them just that. If you follow a, b, c, you will achieve x, y, z. Now, maybe you can remove b and c from the program and still achieve x, y, z, but unless you have that questioning mindset, the average person will never try, and like I said, that is perfectly fine, nothing wrong with that. However, back to the "would you jump of a bridge" scenario, it seems as though the DIY community has unfortunately become contests of whose seed germinates the fastest, and/or who can apply the most CE or GCF products to their yard, and folks are blindly doing so without any regard for that ROI piece. Again, if you've got the money to play that game, then be my guest. Again, not trying to belittle folks doing that, or discredit the people selling them the products. It is a business, as long as you're buying, I'll sell it to you. The results achieved are such that again, 90% of people will probably keep buying. That 10% may use everything at their disposal and employ the "tool in the toolbox" philosophy and go off and kind of do their own thing and make their own decisions, that's fine too. At the end of the day, it all boils down to what your own personality is, what you're looking for in your lawncare journey and what knowledge if any you want to get out of it.
Love the analysis. I hope people realize this shouldn’t replace core aeration but is used as a supplement in the spring and cores in the fall, in my opinion.
Exactly what I thought....My lawn company called me today and I declined and then I found your video.....Now I have no doubt in my decesion....Thank you
Can’t really disagree but my first exposure was Earthright. I had an area than perpetually pooled water in my yard. After several years of this I applied Earthright and never had pooling again. One app lasted for several years and I don’t remember it ever pooling again. Later I became more into my lawn but really never used additional chemicals. Not sure where the water went but I can say it worked. Maybe Dawn would have done the same thing. Who knows. I agree strongly with the “cultural” statement and feel that should be more emphasized. So many things we spend on are to foster an internal(or external) cultural identity or belief. We do it with food and supplements, car care products - you name it. When we start paying attention to something there is always someone ready to exploit our enthusiasm and then claim their product, not our new practices, are responsible. What one might say, though, referring to lawns is that not all people with nice lawns use such products but those who do use them tend to have nice lawns. Reason, if not the products? The same cultural beliefs that sell those products are the same beliefs and expectations that make people “lawn care nuts” so other practices and attention to detail enters in - like soil testing, watering practices, consistent core aeration, seasonal adjustments to care, etc. Heck, I could sell a pamphlet to increase lawn health with less work. Just changing to a higher cut and not bagging my fescue made more difference than anything. Saves the back and helps the lawn. Now you are in the 50th percentile of lawns. Later I started using a pre-emergent. Those things alone will put you in the top 90% in many neighborhoods. These products are for those seeking that last 10% while their other refined practices might actually(and likely) be what’s doing it. The last 10% just takes the most time and additional work. Kudos for an open minded discussion.
I still think it works very well because i tested it on my lawn and the soil did get a lot more lose. I used the liquid on half of my lawn and just water on the other and the liquid made a huge difference. Also my basement used to flood a lot and after the liquid aeration my basement does not flood anymore. Do i believe it is a replacement of regular aeration no i don’t but it is a good temp fix.
Newbie just trying to learn. If the goal of aeration is to accomplish the three stated goals, and those goals are temporary, why not rake and replace the cores? If I’ve got heavy clay soil and spread sand, compost, topsoil, manure, peat, etc... wouldn’t it be more beneficial than allowing the existing clay cores to break down and return the same soil profile?
Appreciate the deeper dive and use of research in your explanations. I look forward to more whiteboard sessions. We should always be seeking more information and have a desire to learn. Always looking to understand on a deeper level to sift through the all the opinions & fads. So much research out there but it requires time to find and read which doesn’t typically catch on with most. Keep serving up the studies
Adding and performing both are good for your lawn. Nothing replaces aeration, but apply liquid and when the ground is soft, aerate. It’s a simple process to follow because compacted hounds will just make the spikes repel off the ground, and never plug the lawn.
Just saw this after purchasing the Covington Product...haven't opened the bottle yet. Glad I got it from Amazon and can return it for free. Great video.
Matt, you did a video once explaining liquid aeration but it appears to have been deleted? I reason I bought Air-8 was because of that video. In my mind you have lost some credibility.
I apologize. I know more than I knew then. I deleted it a year ago. I'm on a continual quest to learn and that happens daily. I never said air8 wasn't effective, it is, but effective from a wetting agent perspective.
@@rambob169 I think Matt's point was to get people's attention. He succeeded in getting yours, mine, and a lot of folks attention by using the term "scam".
Agreed... I use N-ext products (recently started) and pgf for the back yard only and see a huge difference from the rest of the lawn.. everything else only gets pgf.. now, for the back yard, I do throw down the whole gallon (stim pack) on 4000sqf of lawn..
Great video and excited to watch whats coming next!! Most people don't do critical thinking or barely any research on products nowadays. Science is a beautiful thing!
So, here's my take on this. I've used Carbon Earth, Anderson's, N-Ext, ProPeat, Milo, BioPro, Hydretane.... As for Air8, I specifically used it along w Humic12 on a compacted area (with videos) in my backyard. The results were less than stellar. However, I used the entire Stimulant Package on my frontyard this entire Bermuda growing season and the grass has NEVER been as think and green.... Could it be the combination of bio's and fert? I dunno. But something worked!
So much for “dying on that hill” and now changing the title. Credibility needs to be earned for ALL of these recent soil amendments. Question all of it folks. Paying hundreds of dollars on products that might improve soil 0.000000001% ain’t going to cut it. Keep it simple. Adjust pH as needed, check your NPK and base saturation’s and feed as needed. The end.
Great video Matt. Thank you for the in depth detailed explanation and summary. Guess I'll be doing the mechanical aerating this year... wonder what plans my son-in-law has planned for next weekend?🤔
I certainly would not call it a scam. I have seen soil improvements from it's application. It is not a replacement for mechanical aeration but I feel it is worthwhile.
Hey Matt, mechanical aeration makes a lot of sense on the short term, but most aerations I've seen only pull cores to about 3". The turf roots hopefully extend much further than this. To me it seems like mechanical aeration will possibly only affect up to 1/3 - 1/4 of your root zone when done ideally by back filling with sand. Since most people have aeration done at the beginning of the fall, would you agree that it is a reasonable assumption that much of the credit given to aeration is due to fall green-up and the increase in water penetration and air exchange as well as over-seeding having the increased surface area to create more plants? My point being that even mechanical aeration has no benefit to the soil long term and should not be considered as a way to improve your soil.
Agreed, long term benefits are not that great unless you're trying to collect cores and backfill with a different media to physically alter the structure. I'm not a big fan of those either.
I am owner of Emerald Yards and no doubt I had the very same thought until I came across your presentation, afterwards, I realized, through YOUR confirmation, that I am so happy that I didn't fall for expensive soap, with that said, may I use your presentation on our website in the hopes of properly educating others? Thank you! Please do let me know if I may use your video on our site. Scott
If reduced surface tension from a surfactant entering the soil and processing over time through the soil profile it could cause a loss of nutrient bonding to soil particles depleting inherent soil nutrient holding capacity, and polluting the water table or precipitating out in a compaction pan.
UC isn't the only university to chime in and emphatically state that liquid aeration is a myth. I believe Nebraska and others have commented as well. What is amazing to me is that a person can have the science explained to them on a very elementary level and still choose to remain ignorant. Or better yet, accuse you of being disingenuous. Keep doing the good work, my friend.
This has been very helpful. More to support the need for core aeration as I’ve never cared for liquid aeration. But definitely changing my outlook on lawn care as a whole as I go through this channel
A wetting agent isn’t an Aerator per say but it does help water get down in things we used it in oil wells to get chemicals down thru wells with high water levels
Over the last 2 years, I estimate 400 of the 51k views have been me. Nuclear Engineering Technologist by day amateur agronomist by night, in the off chance this gets read I would like to contribute my $0.02. Preface: I really focus on soil it’s therapeutic for me and my lawn is treated better than most bosi trees and looks better than most golf courses (at least in north east ohio). With that being said, I’ve core aerated up till about 3 years ago and here’s why. I’ve switched to manual reel mowing with my Hudson star for black tie events and my Clipper USA for charity, run-of-the-mill 2 a days. Soil compaction from equipment is not an issue, my heels do more damage. As I focus on soil, core aeration and backfilling with sand always kind of hurt me. Never felt right. Like I was cheating on it, or punishing my lawn as if it wasn’t good enough. All of the above has pushed me to practice liquid aeration. 3 years ago I decided I was most comfortable with Air8. Some of my personal nonprofessional findings and analysis: over time, as the soap washes into the soil (I spoon feed this heavy handed) the water is able to penetrate very deep, hoping past my roots some day. As water can then penetrate, my assessment is that there is small erosion channel effects that go waaay down. The water in these channels are eventually sucked up or evaporate leaving voids. The voids would either create fractures and the dirt would be cyclically breathing, or a vacuum where air would be sucked in, or water would eventually displace the air voids and entrain air and nutrients thru these channels. again, in cycles as it rains and dries. It’s not fast or a cure for heavy machinery/high traffic but I really believe for my uncommon but more common that I probably realize scenario, it’s better than core. Sorry this was on my phone and hard to proof read.
I have to agree to this video.....I have done both, liquid lawn aeration by Simple and have also aerated my lawn 3 times this last season and that Simple lawn liquid aeration did not do anything.....LOL I gave it away after trying to double the dose per 1K sqft and still did nothing. If you have to water in your lawn 1 inch after you apply, of course the soil is going to be softer the next day.....
Keep these truth videos coming. The amount of crap being shilled left and right on RUclips is out of hand. Newbies are dropping HUNDREDS on N-ext and yard mastery BS. Quarantine got these guys rich with everyone stuck at home watching RUclips videos.
Matt himself used to shill liquid aeration, but he deleted the evidence. I can’t believe he opens the video with “I’m going to show you how bad it was handed to you” when he was one of the hands...
Dude-- thank you. I almost bought a hundred bucks worth of some specialty product from an "influencer" but some yellow flags like HOW the humic acid works brought me here. I would read FAQ and labels and see things like potash and humic acid and kelp and I'm sitting here wondering how the heck this is supposed to a.) help my lawn more than some specialty organic fert, and more importantly, b.) how in the WORLD does this REPLACE AS EQUAL or even remotely NEAR accomplish the goals and outcomes assumed from the baseline of core aeration. All I imagined this doing is sitting on top with my poor, slowly improving clay-laid sod and messing with my other known effective plans. Appreciate your actual presentation of the research greatly.
I have heavily compacted clay soil and would like to Improve drainage/porosity. In addition to core aeration and soil amendment, would simple lawn solutions aerator be a benefit to the physical movement of water being an anionic surfactant?
Matt, you are awesome, your videos have helped me a lot over the years. I really appreciate you man. I hope you and your family are well and that you are having a great week. Stay encouraged and keep making great content 👍🏻
Good video with a lot of information. I do think liquid ariation products have their place though. They may not change bulk density or gas exchange but it does help with water infiltration, and that’s what most people buy the products for. Getting water from the surface of the soil down deep into the roots is still a giant benefit, that may make the products worth buying.
I am not a scientist, but I agree. If you can get water deeper, the roots will follow. The roots will add organic matter as they die off. It isn't fast. I used a liquid soil loosener, and I could tell a difference after one application. Better water penitration in my clay soil.
John Perry Just produce the results from the study that was done on air8. The study showed that his product worked increasing the absorption of water and nutrients into the root system and reduced the density of the soil. I'm not saying all products work. But the study that was done on his shows that it works
I don’t know I had a lot of clay in my yard started using liquid aeration it was night and day grass grows better as I can dig a hole without breaking my back to plant stuff
Or it could be that he had multiple dump trucks of topsoil delivered to his property when he did his renovation back when he purchased his home. The humic may be helping but...
Those probes go down deep. No amount of topsoil can cause that. Matt is correct that none of these liquid products can change soil density. That can only be done through removal and/or substitution. But as far as I know the products don’t claim to affect soil density. One thing John Perry recently mentioned that is tough to argue against is that it would take a ridiculous amount of top soil to raise the amount of organic matter in a yard (and OM is very beneficial to loosening clay). Root growth and cycling is the best way to do that. I hope Matt discusses again the various ways of stimulating grass root growth.
Using the word "SCAM" is a scam. Stop doing it. Matt, I'm a big fan for years. Your video speaks for itself - they all do. Your pursuit of the truth speaks for itself. Don't undermine all of your good work by using a fake title or intro. How about a 100% accurate title / intro to represent 100% of the truth?
I gave my comments how I see it. I think the use of "aeration" as a label is that. It meets 1 out if 3 generalized criteria. Is it effective as a wetting agent? Yep. Will it produce results as a wetting agent? Yep. Is it an aeration? No.
"Scam" means there's an intent to defraud. I think your video makes a great argument for the inaccurate use of the word "aeration", and I believe it may be the first of it's kind on RUclips (query: "liquid aeration scam"). I applaud what you've done. But a Scam? There's no proof or evidence of one. There's also many other possibilities such as ignorance or irresponsible marketing ideas, for examples. But intent? Not until you make a good case for that too. (Plus, "SCAM" is one the most overused, diluted, cliche shock terms on the internet. I don't believe that's you.)
@@TheGrassFactorMatt, first thanks for your awesome jam-packed, quality content! Could you just place a question mark after the word "SCAM" in future titles (to read "SCAM?")? I think this would clear up a lot of confusion for everybody. Thanks!
@@beee2727 you don't think marketing these products to replace mechanical aeration isn't intending to defraud? They know it can't replace and doesn't replace mechanical aeration, yet they tell people that the products do. To me that's the definition of intent to defraud.
@@TheGrassFactor it's the definition of a scam and the biggest reason is they're trying to take advantage of an undereducated crowd of homeowners. They would never try to market these products to those of us in the golf course industry in this way but because homeowners don't have the knowledge base they believe they can trick them. To me, that's a scam.
Wouldn’t be cheaper to use Dawn on my lawn then a liquid aeration? So happy your back at the white board. As a DIY, Everything I know about lawn care came from your tutorials.
I mean John Perry has even stated that Air8 is not going to solve severe soil compaction. I have witnessed how something like Air8 has helped my lawn and no, it's not a replacement for Mechanical Aeration but even John Perry has said this,
so... I guess one study I saw and my own observations of my lawn show for me at least, a combination really provided great results. core aeration, followed by an application of liquid aeration product, over seeding, and then backfill wiht a sand/peatmoss/coffee grounds mix, provided long lasting soil improvement to the point that a screwdriver that could not penetrate have an inch, now can penetrate 8+ inches with ease. Plus the grass recovery and new growth is greatly improved over the test plots... so... no its not a silver bullet, but perhaps still has a place as part of the process
What if you used a wetting agent in lieu of a "liquid aeration product" and got the same result? What if you left out the wetting agent or liquid aeration product and got the same result?
@@TheGrassFactor Sure, lots of what ifs, but the results of leaving those out are the same as no doing anything. so if I am getting results from DOING them then they have some value. perhaps it is just using a wetting agent like baby shampoo. but I think the actual tests that are being done show a cumilitive possitive result from doing the combination of manual and a liquid product. it is shown in the studies that the compaction meters after 180 days show 20% improvement when using both manual and liquid combined vs the controls and just manual
Thanks for explaining Air-8. My intuition was telling me the potassium based lye was acting with the oils in the humates/shale to make a soap and sure enough.... you nailed it here.
You should have added one more point when you said liquid aeration doesn't increase soil water holding capacity, which is true on the maximum weight of water a pound of soil can hold. As an example, a sponge can only hold so much water, but if you wrap it in plastic that water holding capacity hasn't changed, but it's ability to soak up that water has. The point you missed telling everyone directly is that more water is held in the soil and available for the lawn if it infiltrates better. If water runs off or evaporates off, grass roots can't readily use it and it is wasted. While mechanical aeration is overall better for the soil, the average homeowner is less likely to pay for a lawn service to have it done and even less likelier to rent/buy a unit and use it themselves due to the effort and time. So if water infiltration of liquid aeration matches mechanical then it is not a scam if that helps the lawn, one just has to know what benefit they are getting for their money which your video did do.
I think people glossed over that point they are effective tools Matt? Once they saw the word “SCAM” the gloves came off and they got defensive. I’ve used both at different times in different years both with great and desired outcomes! Keep up the good work and educate!
Ok so I can see how calling something liquid aeration would be a false statement but can you explain why there are so many videos, pictures and product reviews showing a positive outcome from using these products? Such as myself. I’m in the Pacific NW my soil has very little clay or sand. Water didn’t penetrate the ground but after using this my lawn became more even, thicker and accepted water easily.
Wetting agents are effective. But to answer your question, why are there so many more thousands of acres that look good without these products? These are all tools in the tool box, not unicorns. Taking the relatively small amount of time to deduce why you have a problem and purchasing accordingly is a more pragmatic approach than buying something because "Joe said" it's a sprayable aeration. And it keeps colleges, like Colorado State, from writing hit pieces against the pros of the industry. Google colorado state liquid aeration.
Well, looks like I have been using a surfactant correctly... as a wetting agent and water penetrator. I would argue that consistent use of wetting agents in soils with hydrophobic tendencies (many clay soils after loss of water and/or compaction) will lead to deeper water infiltration and penetration, which will eventually result in healthier soil. Most of these products use "aerate" as an incorrect descriptor (perhaps through lack of knowledge, or because it is easier to convey to a consumer), the products probably have beneficial effects but they are not bulk density related. I will say that having performed a screwdriver penetration test both before and after using a surfactant, I can see why they might believe the process is equivalent to aeration. I have built a quarterly surfactant application (1 gal 80/20 surfactant per 2,000sqft) into my lawn care regimen after seeing immediate results this year.
The University statement should not have been taken as proof that no liquid "aeration" products work. It literally states that the products have not been scientifically evaluated - this includes by the university itself. The rest of the statement should have then been written off as speculation and intuition developed by other knowledge (common sense). It is not proof that they do not work. To continue with the speculation however: assume some of these liquid aerators increase liquid penetration as stated by the university and claimed by many users of liquid aerators. Increased penetration by liquids is likely to be associated with increased penetration by gases through channels the liquid used/eroded. Also, it decreases the resistance with which roots spread (highly likely as shown by many reviews claiming decreased resistance to shovels, soil probes, etc). Improved oxygen levels, water penetration and resistance to the spread/establishment of grass through the soil is really all anyone is looking to accomplish by "core aeration" and many liquid "aerators" appear to do just that. Unlike core aeration, it doesn't disturb the soil (something that soil scientists recognize is important to minimize in order to allow any plant to thrive) and make the lawn look subjectively worse. Arguably, they both have their place but we are reaching a point where mechanical aeration and mechanical dethatching are only needed for extreme cases. As opposed to a high traffic golf course or sports field, a residential lawn (especially if more sandy or has any other feauture that would make it more resistant to compaction) may never need "aeration" or dethatching. Edit: It is known and somewhat common for people to use some kinds of soap/shampoo to decrease compaction.
I was a victim. Now i look back and kick myself. How is 6,8 10 oz etc of liquid diluted in gallons of water sprayed of a few thousand square feet of earth going to affect literally hundreds of thousands of lbs of soil?
That's not what he's saying. He's just debunking some myths, clarifying labels, and explaining the products actual uses as wetting agents and what a wetting agent is.
You can say what u want I use N-EXT Air 8 and JG Love your soil and my soil is soft and nice. I will never use a mechanical aerator on my lawn. The holes just come back after a while. I trust nature.I believe in feeding the microbes and let them do the work. You have to trust the process. The only downside is the moles who like to feed on the microbes. I dont let that bother me though. No mechanical aeration or dethaching for me.
Great video Matt, I love the retro white board throwback. Following the science is never popular but those who want to learn appreciate it. Thanks for the help over the years, my neighbors jokingly ask me where I got my artificial turf yard ... #domination
I’m going back to what worked for me, Hybrid plan of Milorganite and Lebanon Pro fertilizer, Lime in the fall and dimension in the Spring. All this stuff had gotten too complicated and expensive.
So confused lol. New to diy lawn care and kind of on a budget and have pretty dense clay in Iowa. So I shouldn’t bother with mechanic or liquid aeration and just let root cycling do its thing? I’ve got grass growing on it, on a fert program, and going to start the pre/post emergent program next spring. Thanks Matt
You should absolutely mechanically aerate once a year. Matt would agree entirely. You can also use something like humic acid over a period of time to help loosen the soil over time.
if humic helps drive water in the soil what happens when that water trough capilarity /evapotranspiration is not there anymore? whe do not have a micro-fissure as stated on the benefits? (sry for writting mistakes, i am not english native).
Maaaaaannn… even RUclips “experts” are just commercials for products. Keep it simple, Detach-core aerate-over-seed-water water water-fertilizer-weed control-mow mow mow… mow more.
I don't much about all the conflict my self I used carbon earth products with the next products and my yard is really green I think they both put out great products and myself I can tell a huge difference the way it looks versus using big box products and I will continue to use them together
Oh man. That's oil in the fire! I love it. It is a war on the 3lbs per week weight loss cookies! More please. Wondering what @Lawncology will do with his 'no fert' super green lawn programme lol
My first video was me guessing. And then I consulted with a real Ph. D. Chemist and deleted that video, about a year ago. Saponified material does not create microfissures. I was wrong.
So why did you wait an entire year to tell us this... You have an obligation to tell your community what you discovered!! You waited an entire year to put this video out... I am not a lawn care pro, just a homeowner who trusted you because of who you are and what you do... I spend my hard earned money on your products, and your recommendations... I think an apology or something along those lines are warranted... What other information have you put out there that you were just “guessing” at???
@@TheGrassFactor @Morgan Kaufman Your right! I can appreciate Matt admitting that he was wrong because a lot of people would double down or either twist their way out of it with their words........ But now I'm also not sure what else you have put out as fact and it was not.😕 I get it if you were told wrong and believed that, but just guessing and throwing it out as a fact is not good.
Liquid aeration works really well but should be used in conjunction with mechanical aeration. Mechanical aeration as well should be used with liquid aeration. They are incredible partners they are not exclusive to each other. I am surprised to hear what this report says
If "liquid aeration" is pretty much just a wetting agent by another name, it's still a useful tool right? Tesla has "Full Self Driving" which is a wildly overstated marketing term for probably the best level 2+ autonomy system on the market... a very impressive and useful tool. Over-hyped, it is. Scam, it is not. Though I don't know if "Liquid aeration - not exactly..." is as clickable of a video title.
OH YEAH....Whiteboard training is BACK!!! Lets roll. Im looking forward to the series. Can we add Hydretain to the list. From watching this video, if we combined an application of Hydretain AND a liquid Air-8, we would increase water infiltration AND water holding capability if there is any truth to the Hydretain claims. I have a core aerator so I guess the ole fashion way (which requires the most work) is still the real winner here.
Excellent breakdown. Soil compaction is a huge part of civil engineering (my background). I'm a little leary of folks hyping their version of "miracle tonic". Yeah, it may get you a little tipsy, but it won't cure your real ailments.
Having said that, I still hope the Mesotrione that I bought will do me some good!😉
Even Mesotrione has specific application instructions depending on whether using as a pre vs post emergent, with known benefits and limits either way. You will have success based on how it was applied and what that mode is intended to do.
I was wondering why my house wasn’t sinking into the ground after using these products. 😉
A very well stated argument. Thank you.
I appreciate the entrepreneurship of the all the RUclips lawn guys, and I’m not trying to sound like a hater, but the lawn game has pretty much been figured out for a long time. It’s just NPK, herbicides, irrigation and mowing, with mechanical aeration. Nobody is reinventing lawn care with some watered down, and quite frankly over priced mixture of who knows what. They’re trying to convince you that it’s something special because they’re not making money selling fertilizer, I believe that market is pretty much saturated and controlled by huge corporations.
I get what your saying, but saying these products just don't work is incredibly misleading. Not everyone wants this product for a front yard. The most challenging soil conditions are those that haven't been turned up for decades. Maybe you don't realize how big food plotting is getting, but its a massive amount of people who do it. Without a doubt the SLS soil loosener works. Your definitely over simplifying soil too. True soil value anyway. Yea maybe a lawn in a development where a monkey can grow a green lawn, but fo into a pine or hardwood stand with a PH of 4 and grow Soybeans. Then just try your NPK theory out. You will be buying a backpack sprayer and begging for any leg up you can get. I just think saying any and all are a scam is bs. Anything that can allow your taproot to mature and truly break up the soil is a gamechanger in my world, where the true soil challenges are. It works. 100% changed my food plots and I hated to see others get turned off to a great product just cuz 1 guys "says" it's a scam. Notice when it came to SLS there was very little to say other than its a good product. You mean the SLS soil loosener is a good product? How? What? But you just said they're a scam? Maybe a better title would be some looseners are a scam. Broaden your thinking guys. It's not all about your suburban front lawn
Not trying to bash you, but I used that simple lawn solution in my yard, which had hard clay soil, and it did a great job. The soil soaks up the water now instead of letting it run off
He says at the end of the video that the liquid products are good at H2O absorption and only that. So if that is what you are looking for then that product is good for you. But if you want H2O absorption, retention and gas exchange mechanical is the way to go. I have areas in my lawn that hold water so I will be using a liquid product to give it a try. I’m not worried about the other 2 at this time
I miss the days of Jerry Baker on PBS where all you needed was everyday household products, a can of beer, and a hose end sprayer. Cheap and easy. RIP Jerry, the true OG of lawn care.
true og is Adam, Garden of Eden. he got to name the animals.
I have said from the beginning the liquid aerators will never replace mechanical aeration, but could be used as a supplement
Matt I do recall a "White Board" video you did regarding this topic awhile back and you completely endorsed Air 8 and plainly stated it worked based on the science and you having used it.
It is apparent there is a riff going on between you and your ex business associate the owner of GCF, I believe both of you have vast knowledge and good products with pros and cons but don't trash your competitors it makes you appear small...yes you called out the entire liquid aeration market but the focus will be on 1 product truthfully and we all know what that is.
I purchase products from both of you because you both offer good information and products that work but it could also be said the the Carbon Earth products are very expensive for what they really are.
Truth be told add another suggested white board scam topic and that should be why all the You tube lawn care gurus trash Milo the simple answer is Milorganite does not PAY nor offer freebies for endorsements so now Milo is "CRAP" (pun intended) according to RUclips pitchman.
Final observation/thought: you've put your marketing partners in a bad position also ie Allan and Pete that market the products you are trashing putting their credibility in question as well it makes me wonder about ALL of it now...
All the “gurus” chase views and subs. Milorganite gets views. And they’re just diy guys themselves. They started out with milorganite most likely before they realized there are better and less expensive fertilizers. And as far as his partners. Allyn sells a product now that’s called “magical” he’s ruining his own product lineup on his own
I address that in this video - why I deleted the old video.
I agree, carbon earth products are expensive.
I have the OG miloganite is no ltna good choice on youtube.
In the video I explain these products are effective, legit, wetting agents.
Where are you missing the point?
I won't speak for everyone but for me personally I havent really used milorganite this year because of the price. I always look at cost per 1,000 square feet. Before I had gotten milorganite for 6 a bag. Now locally it is 13 a bag. Would cost me 40 to cover my lawn once. If the price were still what it was for me before I would continue to use it with other products because it gave me good results
Just goes to show how someone can use data to fit whatever argument they feel best helps their agenda. Not the first time its ever happened wont be the last.
@@TheGrassFactor Matt the title of the video is Liquid Aeration - Real or Not? SCAM
I have the upmost respect for you and your endeavor (I am a business owner myself) simply sharing how the segment laid on the plate for me...others mileage may vary and again I am not taking sides just sharing perspective.
BTW, My experience with your product has been very good and I've purchased it despite the relatively high price because I know you believe in what you do, and I understand the high price is due to shipping expense and scale, hopefully soon you'll have the volume needed to bring down the cost to the end user.
Good luck!
I’ve always been skeptical of the claim that liquid aeration would “replace” mechanical core aeration. I do use Simple Lawn’s liquid loosener, and noticed it works for infiltrating water into my lawn (as you said) and my ground feels softer especially when it’s wet. I am going to keep mechanically core aerating my yard, to get the obvious benefits... so kind of using the product for what it’s worth and getting the best of both worlds. TTTF in MO.
I was thinking something similar. Why not use the liquid aeration stuff then later use the aerator on the lawn. They might work good together.
@@xepiloguexas a whole they do, aeration will not replace a surfactant and a surfactant will not replace an aerator. Surfactant essentially takes off your ground acting as if it’s got wax on it, that being said if your ground is insanely compacted no amount of surfactant will change how deep and fast the water can go into the soil. They’re best worked in tandem
I have heavy clay soil. It feels like solid concrete during a drought. After applying liquid aeration, I definitely, for sure, saw much much more cracking in the soil, like soil in a dessert. All of these cracks allows air into the soil and helps the occasional rain beneath the surface.
What I'm beginning to learn is that lawn care is no different than health supplement industry. There are a million products out there that MIGHT work .1% better for your lawn/body, but nothing will ever top effectiveness of the basics - turning out to be a life theory I have. Everyone puts the cart (supplements) before the horse (basics).
I just bought a new place and I've been reading up on what I can do to fix this horrendous lawn. I saw a lot of videos about "liquid aeration" ranging from how awesome it is to how bad it is, so I asked a friend who has a PhD in chemistry and his wife, who is a PhD biologist. I'm paraphrasing, but here is what they said.
'Using a surfactant on your lawn and calling it liquid aeration is splitting hairs. The surfactant helps the water penetrate deeper into the soil, which means anything in the water is moving deeper as well - including oxygen and carbon dioxide. It's not addressing problems of compaction, but it is aerating the soil in a technical sense.'
That makes sense
I’ve personally never believed that liquid aeration could possibly replace mechanical. I’ve considered them a supplement. However, it is clear that these “liquid aeration” products produce results. Based on your research and conclusions my initial takeaway is that these products can be more accurately marketed. Rather than marketing as liquid aeration, these companies might consider simply marketing them as a wetting agent or a basic compaction cure product.
I agree with you Jimmy. H2O infiltration is a good thing.
Last fall, just like every fall, I aerated and seeded my lawn... only this time I used Air8&RGS “compaction cure” after I plugged the yard. I also used that same combo in the Spring when the lawn woke up from winter.. along with the “Bio-Stimulant” pack for the duration of this season.. The difference in the appearance and hardiness when compared to the last 25 years is unbelievable... 🤔 Guess I must have gotten a really good batch of seed last fall..??
I agree - wetting agents are very effective and that's why when you use these products you see results. "Aeration" is a stretch, effective is definitive.
And priced accordingly ;)
@@ccrx2640sounds like a GCI Turf formula.
Liquid aeration does not replace core aeration but its a great alternative to use in place. I personally do both.
man, not sure if you are a fan of Celebrity Deathmatch, but I feel like an episode between you and John Perry is in the making haha...
🤗 classic!!!!!
Let's get it on!
Dude , you were just sucking up to John Perry last week by talking crap about some " grass factor" people .lol idiot . What was your post I saw ? "great video brother, I feel like some ‘grass factor people’ should watch this video and educate themselves... "
haha the fact that you think because someone posts a good video about “Humic Acid” you think it’s sucking up is hilarious, typical idiot that thinks you have to polarized one way or another.
what I can say is Humic works as I’ve seen it change my lawn, which is why I concurred with his video, which everyone knows Matt isn’t a fan of Humic. But to watch the dichotomy of one versus the other reminded me of the show, but typical moron you’d have to take it a whole other direction, I guess because I like certain information one guy is putting out must mean I can’t like the other, I guess the days of multiple sources and putting together what works for you is no longer existent, guess I need to be woke and correct the diversity of my information...
I can’t watch lawnvology he rambles on with no science. It’s all double speak
I use surfactants for foliar spray or as a wetting agent for soil. That's about it. Its good to use prior to getting your soil aerated. So for a lawn it's good for wetting clay soil prior to core aeration to help get better plugs from the soil.
With due respect, you really don't understand soil microbiology. The bacteria in these products are Bacillus who, as you state, can consume molasses as a carbon source but they won't "die" in the way you describe. Instead, when the bacteria run out of energy and nutrients, they sporulate - becoming inactive until more nutrients are added. This is no different than how soil Bacillus act in nature. Also, as Bacillus and other soil microbes consume molasses, they produce carbon dioxide and create air voids in the soil, which can decrease compaction.
This is my take:
I hope no one takes this the wrong way, I’m going to try and lay some things out here that I believe may be beneficial to folks and things to think about.
In all seriousness though, Matt is a very big brain (as is JP). With that said, I still try and take everything anyone puts out with a grain of salt, because at the end of the day, they are usually trying to sell you something, or tell you why you need to be using, or not using a product(s). You could find videos from either of them from years past saying something was the best product since sliced bread, back when the relationship was good, that now is a "scam". In general, it's human nature to be naive and want to believe the best in people, and that is a great way to look at things, but we also owe it to ourselves to do our own research, and come to our own conclusions on things. Back to when your parents would ask you if you would jump of a bridge just because your friends were doing it...
First of all, I encourage you to go watch the “pick the docs brain” videos of the past 2-3 weeks. If you’ve watched any of Matt and Rey’s videos over the last couple weeks, if you have learned nothing else, you should understand that:
1. there is a ton of marketing, and promoting of “miracle products” in the industry right now. Again, one could probably find studies showing that peptides is nothing more than marketing, I’m not sure as I don’t have access to all those studies. Come on guys/gals, we all know those "keywords", humic, fulvic, carbon, polymer coated, slow release, I could go on and on. People see those words and immediately equate it to something they absolutely have to buy and start using in their programs.
2. Everything is a tool in the toolbox. Nothing can replace sunlight, water, and proper PH, N, P, and K inputs.
The biggest takeaway from what Matt and Rey have been presenting is that nothing can replace basic agronomy. Agronomy, being your soil structure, nutritive program inputs, etc. is the foundation upon which everything is built. When beginning this lawn care journey, we find ourselves overwhelmed with marketing, information, videos, products, etc. it is very difficult to discern credible sources from those who may just being trying to make a buck, promote a product, or get video views. We all get caught up in chasing and purchasing product after product, pursuing those marketing claims and nice lush green lawns being attributed to those products.
Now don’t get me wrong, in no way am I trying to discredit anyone person, product, etc. I am speaking broadly here and just providing food for thought so to speak.
As with about everything we do in life, there is a return on investment, or ROI piece. What Matt and Rey have been harping is that what is your ROI or “bang for your buck” with all the various products you are applying to your lawn? Why are you applying? What is the goal? For a lot of folks, the answers to those questions are pretty simple, well, because something tells me to apply them, whether it be RUclips, Facebook groups, lawncare guides, etc. if that works for you then so be it, keep doing what you’re doing and continue to apply that product and enjoy doing so.
For those who may be more of a questioning personality, you may start to wonder why we do some of the things we do, what is my real ROI here, what problem am I really trying to solve (if any) with what I apply in my lawncare program? When you start digging, you realize that you can find studies to support just about any position. Going back to the grain of salt thing here, the studies presented here were selected because they supported a position. Data can be manipulated and presented as I said to support just about any position. So for every study that was cited, perhaps there are others out there that would say that liquid aeration can work, that I don’t know, just something to think about.
So going back to basic agronomy, for years and years, farmers, homeowners, golf courses, etc. have been growing crops and turf without the use of RUclips, Facebook, etc. how have they been doing that? Agronomy. Focusing on the agronomy will hands down be the biggest bang for your buck in your lawn care program. When you first apply the basic principles of agronomy, you see gains, you see increased turf performance, you see results. You can quantify those results because you can physically see them with your own eyes!
If given a fighting chance, the results you would see from the same agronomical practices that have been used for centuries would very likely be such that you would never go searching and buying that next greatest product being marketed. Why? Because you would be happy with the performance of your turf that you wouldn’t need to look for anything else. Now could you, sure, if you like experimenting, etc. then go for it. Again though it all comes back to that ROI. I’ll use “humic” as the example here. Everyone preaches how beneficial humic is and how if you’re not using it, you’re doing your lawn a disservice practically. Don’t get me wrong, I use it as well. Well let’s go back to that ROI piece. What visible benefits are you getting from those products? It seems as the humic right now is the solution to everything as being presented in groups, RUclips, etc. got compaction? Apply humic. Have some problem areas? Apply humic. Turf establishment? Apply humic. Hair loss? Apply humic. Problems at home? Apply humic. Oh wait, maybe not that last one, but you get the point.
Humic has become the new 1-1-1 fertilizer. Years ago, you’ve got issues, go hammer some 10-10-10, or 13-13-13 until you start getting the results your looking for. The difference being, that the 1-1-1 fertilizer is cheap and provides a visual response when compared to some of these other products that are pretty expensive and you need to trust that the person selling them is being truthful when they tell you that “it’s helping”.
Is there a visible response or increase in turfgrass performance from the application of these products? If you think so, then again, continue to use them and enjoy doing so. Is the benefit you see “present” just because you want it to be there, or is it just placebo? Was that visual response worth the $100 or whatever you spent to achieve it?
Again, don’t get me wrong, not trying to discredit anything with these comments. As people are using them within their programs and are getting phenomenal results. The real test, however, would be to remove such items from a program and simply focus on agronomical inputs and observe the results. Are they better? Same? Worse? Maybe we’d find that for the extra $X per year we spend on products x y, z, they visual difference between using them and not using them is such that that money could be better used elsewhere in our lives.
We all work hard for our money and at the end of the day, we should be doing right by our wallets to apply products to our lawns that will give us the biggest ROI. Again, if you don’t care, that’s perfectly fine. You want to go out and buy something because it’s in
a video, be my guest. Experiment, have fun, it’s just grass!!
Contrary, if you want to start asking yourself why you’re doing something, I encourage you to first start thinking of basic agronomy, and what your ROI may be for whatever product you are going to be applying. Ask yourself these questions.
1. What is my goal?
2. What problem am I trying to solve?
3. Why am I applying those?
4. Is there a visual response or benefit?
5. Was it worth it? ROI?
Again, don’t get me wrong as some benefits may not be visible. Just because they weren’t visible doesn’t mean they may not have been worth it, they just become harder to quantify at that point.
If you look in the comments, he made a list of upcoming videos which should be very interesting.
Ran out of characters:
I dont' know enough about the science to say whether or not anything is or isn't a scam, and that's what I am trying to clarify here.
That's what I'm not trying to do here. I am not trying to discredit any one person, product, guide, etc. For probably 90% of people in the DIY community, all the videos, guides, etc. is exactly what they are looking for. They want a very specific roadmap to follow and get results . The resources out there, give them just that. If you follow a, b, c, you will achieve x, y, z. Now, maybe you can remove b and c from the program and still achieve x, y, z, but unless you have that questioning mindset, the average person will never try, and like I said, that is perfectly fine, nothing wrong with that. However, back to the "would you jump of a bridge" scenario, it seems as though the DIY community has unfortunately become contests of whose seed germinates the fastest, and/or who can apply the most CE or GCF products to their yard, and folks are blindly doing so without any regard for that ROI piece. Again, if you've got the money to play that game, then be my guest. Again, not trying to belittle folks doing that, or discredit the people selling them the products. It is a business, as long as you're buying, I'll sell it to you. The results achieved are such that again, 90% of people will probably keep buying. That 10% may use everything at their disposal and employ the "tool in the toolbox" philosophy and go off and kind of do their own thing and make their own decisions, that's fine too. At the end of the day, it all boils down to what your own personality is, what you're looking for in your lawncare journey and what knowledge if any you want to get out of it.
thejarrod123 I’ve gotten that a lot haha. Doesn’t bother me.
TLDR
A lot said that needed to be said, I agree with every word of it. Eat the fish and leave the bones but never forget we are being marketed to.
Great write up bud. Agreed 100.
Agreed !! Great write up !! Especially "What is my goal?" Ppl over concern themselves about "weeds" rather than why isnt the grass growing well.
Love the analysis. I hope people realize this shouldn’t replace core aeration but is used as a supplement in the spring and cores in the fall, in my opinion.
Exactly what I thought....My lawn company called me today and I declined and then I found your video.....Now I have no doubt in my decesion....Thank you
There goes your invite to John Perry’s house for Thanksgiving! 😂
No more Christmas cards either
😂😂😂
Can’t really disagree but my first exposure was Earthright. I had an area than perpetually pooled water in my yard. After several years of this I applied Earthright and never had pooling again. One app lasted for several years and I don’t remember it ever pooling again. Later I became more into my lawn but really never used additional chemicals. Not sure where the water went but I can say it worked. Maybe Dawn would have done the same thing. Who knows.
I agree strongly with the “cultural” statement and feel that should be more emphasized. So many things we spend on are to foster an internal(or external) cultural identity or belief. We do it with food and supplements, car care products - you name it. When we start paying attention to something there is always someone ready to exploit our enthusiasm and then claim their product, not our new practices, are responsible. What one might say, though, referring to lawns is that not all people with nice lawns use such products but those who do use them tend to have nice lawns. Reason, if not the products? The same cultural beliefs that sell those products are the same beliefs and expectations that make people “lawn care nuts” so other practices and attention to detail enters in - like soil testing, watering practices, consistent core aeration, seasonal adjustments to care, etc. Heck, I could sell a pamphlet to increase lawn health with less work. Just changing to a higher cut and not bagging my fescue made more difference than anything. Saves the back and helps the lawn. Now you are in the 50th percentile of lawns. Later I started using a pre-emergent. Those things alone will put you in the top 90% in many neighborhoods. These products are for those seeking that last 10% while their other refined practices might actually(and likely) be what’s doing it. The last 10% just takes the most time and additional work.
Kudos for an open minded discussion.
I still think it works very well because i tested it on my lawn and the soil did get a lot more lose. I used the liquid on half of my lawn and just water on the other and the liquid made a huge difference. Also my basement used to flood a lot and after the liquid aeration my basement does not flood anymore. Do i believe it is a replacement of regular aeration no i don’t but it is a good temp fix.
Newbie just trying to learn. If the goal of aeration is to accomplish the three stated goals, and those goals are temporary, why not rake and replace the cores? If I’ve got heavy clay soil and spread sand, compost, topsoil, manure, peat, etc... wouldn’t it be more beneficial than allowing the existing clay cores to break down and return the same soil profile?
Exactly
Appreciate the deeper dive and use of research in your explanations. I look forward to more whiteboard sessions. We should always be seeking more information and have a desire to learn. Always looking to understand on a deeper level to sift through the all the opinions & fads. So much research out there but it requires time to find and read which doesn’t typically catch on with most. Keep serving up the studies
Adding and performing both are good for your lawn. Nothing replaces aeration, but apply liquid and when the ground is soft, aerate. It’s a simple process to follow because compacted hounds will just make the spikes repel off the ground, and never plug the lawn.
Just saw this after purchasing the Covington Product...haven't opened the bottle yet. Glad I got it from Amazon and can return it for free. Great video.
Wow... this will blow up 💣.
Matt, you did a video once explaining liquid aeration but it appears to have been deleted? I reason I bought Air-8 was because of that video. In my mind you have lost some credibility.
I apologize. I know more than I knew then. I deleted it a year ago. I'm on a continual quest to learn and that happens daily.
I never said air8 wasn't effective, it is, but effective from a wetting agent perspective.
The Grass Factor I understand. Should of started with that before starting with scam.
@@TheGrassFactor Can you expand on that a bit? What will a wetting agent do for us, the DIYers?
Banzai51 watch the video again. It breaks surface tension, especially of hydrophobic soil and allows the water to be absorbed easier into the ground.
@@rambob169 I think Matt's point was to get people's attention. He succeeded in getting yours, mine, and a lot of folks attention by using the term "scam".
I have air8 in my arsenal and I physically core aerate twice a year. I find both have a good effect in my lawn and now I know why. Thanks Matt.
NPK drives the bus, keep it simple.. everything else we do outside of fertility and cultural practices are just a bonus.
Agreed... I use N-ext products (recently started) and pgf for the back yard only and see a huge difference from the rest of the lawn.. everything else only gets pgf.. now, for the back yard, I do throw down the whole gallon (stim pack) on 4000sqf of lawn..
N drives the bus lol not NPK
@@kkevinj1 what do you think the N stands for in N-P-K?
@@TurfCulture N doesnt = NPK didnt realize it was you that I commented on, I like ur videos
Great video and excited to watch whats coming next!! Most people don't do critical thinking or barely any research on products nowadays. Science is a beautiful thing!
So, here's my take on this.
I've used Carbon Earth, Anderson's, N-Ext, ProPeat, Milo, BioPro, Hydretane.... As for Air8, I specifically used it along w Humic12 on a compacted area (with videos) in my backyard. The results were less than stellar. However, I used the entire Stimulant Package on my frontyard this entire Bermuda growing season and the grass has NEVER been as think and green.... Could it be the combination of bio's and fert? I dunno. But something worked!
So much for “dying on that hill” and now changing the title.
Credibility needs to be earned for ALL of these recent soil amendments. Question all of it folks. Paying hundreds of dollars on products that might improve soil 0.000000001% ain’t going to cut it.
Keep it simple. Adjust pH as needed, check your NPK and base saturation’s and feed as needed. The end.
Great video Matt. Thank you for the in depth detailed explanation and summary. Guess I'll be doing the mechanical aerating this year... wonder what plans my son-in-law has planned for next weekend?🤔
I certainly would not call it a scam. I have seen soil improvements from it's application. It is not a replacement for mechanical aeration but I feel it is worthwhile.
Hey Matt, mechanical aeration makes a lot of sense on the short term, but most aerations I've seen only pull cores to about 3". The turf roots hopefully extend much further than this. To me it seems like mechanical aeration will possibly only affect up to 1/3 - 1/4 of your root zone when done ideally by back filling with sand. Since most people have aeration done at the beginning of the fall, would you agree that it is a reasonable assumption that much of the credit given to aeration is due to fall green-up and the increase in water penetration and air exchange as well as over-seeding having the increased surface area to create more plants? My point being that even mechanical aeration has no benefit to the soil long term and should not be considered as a way to improve your soil.
Agreed, long term benefits are not that great unless you're trying to collect cores and backfill with a different media to physically alter the structure. I'm not a big fan of those either.
Sand is the worst with clay soil. It creates concrete
@@TheGrassFactorso what do you do with all of those cores that are pulled out?
I am owner of Emerald Yards and no doubt I had the very same thought until I came across your presentation, afterwards, I realized, through YOUR confirmation, that I am so happy that I didn't fall for expensive soap, with that said, may I use your presentation on our website in the hopes of properly educating others? Thank you! Please do let me know if I may use your video on our site.
Scott
Matt great video with good information. I would also like to see more about other liquid fertilizer products and do the work over granules.
If reduced surface tension from a surfactant entering the soil and processing over time through the soil profile it could cause a loss of nutrient bonding to soil particles depleting inherent soil nutrient holding capacity, and polluting the water table or precipitating out in a compaction pan.
UC isn't the only university to chime in and emphatically state that liquid aeration is a myth. I believe Nebraska and others have commented as well.
What is amazing to me is that a person can have the science explained to them on a very elementary level and still choose to remain ignorant. Or better yet, accuse you of being disingenuous.
Keep doing the good work, my friend.
Too bad we can’t watch Matt’s famous whiteboard on liquid aeration.
This has been very helpful. More to support the need for core aeration as I’ve never cared for liquid aeration. But definitely changing my outlook on lawn care as a whole as I go through this channel
A wetting agent isn’t an Aerator per say but it does help water get down in things we used it in oil wells to get chemicals down thru wells with high water levels
About time somebody spoke up! 💪🏾💯
Over the last 2 years, I estimate 400 of the 51k views have been me. Nuclear Engineering Technologist by day amateur agronomist by night, in the off chance this gets read I would like to contribute my $0.02. Preface: I really focus on soil it’s therapeutic for me and my lawn is treated better than most bosi trees and looks better than most golf courses (at least in north east ohio). With that being said, I’ve core aerated up till about 3 years ago and here’s why. I’ve switched to manual reel mowing with my Hudson star for black tie events and my Clipper USA for charity, run-of-the-mill 2 a days. Soil compaction from equipment is not an issue, my heels do more damage. As I focus on soil, core aeration and backfilling with sand always kind of hurt me. Never felt right. Like I was cheating on it, or punishing my lawn as if it wasn’t good enough. All of the above has pushed me to practice liquid aeration. 3 years ago I decided I was most comfortable with Air8. Some of my personal nonprofessional findings and analysis: over time, as the soap washes into the soil (I spoon feed this heavy handed) the water is able to penetrate very deep, hoping past my roots some day. As water can then penetrate, my assessment is that there is small erosion channel effects that go waaay down. The water in these channels are eventually sucked up or evaporate leaving voids. The voids would either create fractures and the dirt would be cyclically breathing, or a vacuum where air would be sucked in, or water would eventually displace the air voids and entrain air and nutrients thru these channels. again, in cycles as it rains and dries. It’s not fast or a cure for heavy machinery/high traffic but I really believe for my uncommon but more common that I probably realize scenario, it’s better than core.
Sorry this was on my phone and hard to proof read.
I have to agree to this video.....I have done both, liquid lawn aeration by Simple and have also aerated my lawn 3 times this last season and that Simple lawn liquid aeration did not do anything.....LOL I gave it away after trying to double the dose per 1K sqft and still did nothing. If you have to water in your lawn 1 inch after you apply, of course the soil is going to be softer the next day.....
Keep these truth videos coming. The amount of crap being shilled left and right on RUclips is out of hand. Newbies are dropping HUNDREDS on N-ext and yard mastery BS. Quarantine got these guys rich with everyone stuck at home watching RUclips videos.
Matt himself used to shill liquid aeration, but he deleted the evidence.
I can’t believe he opens the video with “I’m going to show you how bad it was handed to you” when he was one of the hands...
Dude-- thank you. I almost bought a hundred bucks worth of some specialty product from an "influencer" but some yellow flags like HOW the humic acid works brought me here. I would read FAQ and labels and see things like potash and humic acid and kelp and I'm sitting here wondering how the heck this is supposed to a.) help my lawn more than some specialty organic fert, and more importantly, b.) how in the WORLD does this REPLACE AS EQUAL or even remotely NEAR accomplish the goals and outcomes assumed from the baseline of core aeration. All I imagined this doing is sitting on top with my poor, slowly improving clay-laid sod and messing with my other known effective plans. Appreciate your actual presentation of the research greatly.
I have heavily compacted clay soil and would like to Improve drainage/porosity. In addition to core aeration and soil amendment, would simple lawn solutions aerator be a benefit to the physical movement of water being an anionic surfactant?
Matt, you are awesome, your videos have helped me a lot over the years. I really appreciate you man. I hope you and your family are well and that you are having a great week. Stay encouraged and keep making great content 👍🏻
Cody is alive and that is no scam....
This is GOLD.
Good video with a lot of information. I do think liquid ariation products have their place though. They may not change bulk density or gas exchange but it does help with water infiltration, and that’s what most people buy the products for. Getting water from the surface of the soil down deep into the roots is still a giant benefit, that may make the products worth buying.
I am not a scientist, but I agree. If you can get water deeper, the roots will follow.
The roots will add organic matter as they die off.
It isn't fast.
I used a liquid soil loosener, and I could tell a difference after one application.
Better water penitration in my clay soil.
"Liquid fert price is a scam" should be your next video
Part of that video will be explaining that price breakout, even from a manufacturing perspective
@@TheGrassFactor Cody's alive!!!
@@TheGrassFactor Stripes cause compaction/soil density.....
@@stevewilley5185 not if the stripes are from a stiff rubber flap hanging off the back of your mower deck that doesn't touch the ground.
@@fusfea any force strong enough to lay grass down sideways is force/ compaction...even the slightest. Lol
John Perry Just produce the results from the study that was done on air8. The study showed that his product worked increasing the absorption of water and nutrients into the root system and reduced the density of the soil. I'm not saying all products work. But the study that was done on his shows that it works
Is the data publicly available or just someone's interpretation of the data?
Supposedly he's going to post it on his site
I don’t know I had a lot of clay in my yard started using liquid aeration it was night and day grass grows better as I can dig a hole without breaking my back to plant stuff
What did you use?
Yea what did you use????
Could you tell us what you used?
Liquid aeration got it on Amazon
Good to see not everyone is bought and paid for out there..... they fert companies are only making it tough on themselves nobody did it to them.
I think John Perry is gonna want to fight you after this one. lol
Very cool. Love when you expand my knowledge base. Thanks!
But GCI Pete sticks that long probe in his clay lawn and says it’s cause of repeated humic acid.
Or it could be that he had multiple dump trucks of topsoil delivered to his property when he did his renovation back when he purchased his home. The humic may be helping but...
He also aeravate's the crap out of it. No shortage of mechanical aeration on that lawn. I wish I could find someone with one around me.
And this year when he now has random compaction problems he turned to a wetting agent as a fix. Not humic acid
Those probes go down deep. No amount of topsoil can cause that. Matt is correct that none of these liquid products can change soil density. That can only be done through removal and/or substitution. But as far as I know the products don’t claim to affect soil density.
One thing John Perry recently mentioned that is tough to argue against is that it would take a ridiculous amount of top soil to raise the amount of organic matter in a yard (and OM is very beneficial to loosening clay). Root growth and cycling is the best way to do that. I hope Matt discusses again the various ways of stimulating grass root growth.
Pete mechanical aerates his soil every year. He has every piece of lawn equipment known to man.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS PUTTING INTO MY LAWN! and yes.. all caps was necessary.
Now that you've made your case in theory. Time for real life controlled A/B testing.
Using the word "SCAM" is a scam. Stop doing it.
Matt, I'm a big fan for years. Your video speaks for itself - they all do. Your pursuit of the truth speaks for itself. Don't undermine all of your good work by using a fake title or intro. How about a 100% accurate title / intro to represent 100% of the truth?
I gave my comments how I see it. I think the use of "aeration" as a label is that. It meets 1 out if 3 generalized criteria. Is it effective as a wetting agent? Yep. Will it produce results as a wetting agent? Yep. Is it an aeration? No.
"Scam" means there's an intent to defraud.
I think your video makes a great argument for the inaccurate use of the word "aeration", and I believe it may be the first of it's kind on RUclips (query: "liquid aeration scam"). I applaud what you've done.
But a Scam? There's no proof or evidence of one. There's also many other possibilities such as ignorance or irresponsible marketing ideas, for examples. But intent? Not until you make a good case for that too.
(Plus, "SCAM" is one the most overused, diluted, cliche shock terms on the internet. I don't believe that's you.)
@@TheGrassFactorMatt, first thanks for your awesome jam-packed, quality content!
Could you just place a question mark after the word "SCAM" in future titles (to read "SCAM?")? I think this would clear up a lot of confusion for everybody.
Thanks!
@@beee2727 you don't think marketing these products to replace mechanical aeration isn't intending to defraud? They know it can't replace and doesn't replace mechanical aeration, yet they tell people that the products do. To me that's the definition of intent to defraud.
@@TheGrassFactor it's the definition of a scam and the biggest reason is they're trying to take advantage of an undereducated crowd of homeowners. They would never try to market these products to those of us in the golf course industry in this way but because homeowners don't have the knowledge base they believe they can trick them. To me, that's a scam.
Can you also post links to the studies you reference in your video? Love to read more on the work others have done + look at other studies they have
Wouldn’t be cheaper to use Dawn on my lawn then a liquid aeration? So happy your back at the white board. As a DIY, Everything I know about lawn care came from your tutorials.
I use baby shampoo... Seems to work well for my lawn
@@cjohnson18711ify how many oz per 1000? When to put it down? How often? And what brand?
I mean John Perry has even stated that Air8 is not going to solve severe soil compaction. I have witnessed how something like Air8 has helped my lawn and no, it's not a replacement for Mechanical Aeration but even John Perry has said this,
It’s called the placebo effect.
so... I guess one study I saw and my own observations of my lawn show for me at least, a combination really provided great results. core aeration, followed by an application of liquid aeration product, over seeding, and then backfill wiht a sand/peatmoss/coffee grounds mix, provided long lasting soil improvement to the point that a screwdriver that could not penetrate have an inch, now can penetrate 8+ inches with ease. Plus the grass recovery and new growth is greatly improved over the test plots... so... no its not a silver bullet, but perhaps still has a place as part of the process
What if you used a wetting agent in lieu of a "liquid aeration product" and got the same result?
What if you left out the wetting agent or liquid aeration product and got the same result?
@@TheGrassFactor Sure, lots of what ifs, but the results of leaving those out are the same as no doing anything. so if I am getting results from DOING them then they have some value. perhaps it is just using a wetting agent like baby shampoo. but I think the actual tests that are being done show a cumilitive possitive result from doing the combination of manual and a liquid product. it is shown in the studies that the compaction meters after 180 days show 20% improvement when using both manual and liquid combined vs the controls and just manual
Thanks for explaining Air-8. My intuition was telling me the potassium based lye was acting with the oils in the humates/shale to make a soap and sure enough.... you nailed it here.
I KNEW IT! Even though I didn’t 😄 Keep it comin Matt! 🙌🏻 How bout a humic acid ( is a scam/or not ) video? Can’t wait to see the others
He actually has an amazing video about that I have to go find it to get you a link
You should have added one more point when you said liquid aeration doesn't increase soil water holding capacity, which is true on the maximum weight of water a pound of soil can hold. As an example, a sponge can only hold so much water, but if you wrap it in plastic that water holding capacity hasn't changed, but it's ability to soak up that water has. The point you missed telling everyone directly is that more water is held in the soil and available for the lawn if it infiltrates better. If water runs off or evaporates off, grass roots can't readily use it and it is wasted. While mechanical aeration is overall better for the soil, the average homeowner is less likely to pay for a lawn service to have it done and even less likelier to rent/buy a unit and use it themselves due to the effort and time. So if water infiltration of liquid aeration matches mechanical then it is not a scam if that helps the lawn, one just has to know what benefit they are getting for their money which your video did do.
Great point! I hope I made clear wetting agents/soil surfactants are effective tools, but they're not an equivalent to aeration
I think people glossed over that point they are effective tools Matt? Once they saw the word “SCAM” the gloves came off and they got defensive. I’ve used both at different times in different years both with great and desired outcomes! Keep up the good work and educate!
Good I just bought a Six thousand dollar core error so I looked for instant gratificaution and look for the negatives on liquid erration
Ok so I can see how calling something liquid aeration would be a false statement but can you explain why there are so many videos, pictures and product reviews showing a positive outcome from using these products? Such as myself. I’m in the Pacific NW my soil has very little clay or sand. Water didn’t penetrate the ground but after using this my lawn became more even, thicker and accepted water easily.
Wetting agents are effective. But to answer your question, why are there so many more thousands of acres that look good without these products? These are all tools in the tool box, not unicorns. Taking the relatively small amount of time to deduce why you have a problem and purchasing accordingly is a more pragmatic approach than buying something because "Joe said" it's a sprayable aeration. And it keeps colleges, like Colorado State, from writing hit pieces against the pros of the industry. Google colorado state liquid aeration.
🔥🔥🔥 Shots fired.Thanks for saving me some Money next year. Go after dethatch products next?
Great video,
did you find any information on Yucca extract as a soil conditioner or as ingredient in any of products you researched ???
Well, looks like I have been using a surfactant correctly... as a wetting agent and water penetrator. I would argue that consistent use of wetting agents in soils with hydrophobic tendencies (many clay soils after loss of water and/or compaction) will lead to deeper water infiltration and penetration, which will eventually result in healthier soil. Most of these products use "aerate" as an incorrect descriptor (perhaps through lack of knowledge, or because it is easier to convey to a consumer), the products probably have beneficial effects but they are not bulk density related. I will say that having performed a screwdriver penetration test both before and after using a surfactant, I can see why they might believe the process is equivalent to aeration. I have built a quarterly surfactant application (1 gal 80/20 surfactant per 2,000sqft) into my lawn care regimen after seeing immediate results this year.
Why are all these comments focusing on one particular youtube product? Matt describes more than one product in this video. Cmon people.
The University of Colorado said they did not do a study. Then they said it doesn't work. How would they know if they did not do a study.
The University statement should not have been taken as proof that no liquid "aeration" products work. It literally states that the products have not been scientifically evaluated - this includes by the university itself. The rest of the statement should have then been written off as speculation and intuition developed by other knowledge (common sense). It is not proof that they do not work.
To continue with the speculation however: assume some of these liquid aerators increase liquid penetration as stated by the university and claimed by many users of liquid aerators. Increased penetration by liquids is likely to be associated with increased penetration by gases through channels the liquid used/eroded. Also, it decreases the resistance with which roots spread (highly likely as shown by many reviews claiming decreased resistance to shovels, soil probes, etc). Improved oxygen levels, water penetration and resistance to the spread/establishment of grass through the soil is really all anyone is looking to accomplish by "core aeration" and many liquid "aerators" appear to do just that.
Unlike core aeration, it doesn't disturb the soil (something that soil scientists recognize is important to minimize in order to allow any plant to thrive) and make the lawn look subjectively worse.
Arguably, they both have their place but we are reaching a point where mechanical aeration and mechanical dethatching are only needed for extreme cases. As opposed to a high traffic golf course or sports field, a residential lawn (especially if more sandy or has any other feauture that would make it more resistant to compaction) may never need "aeration" or dethatching.
Edit: It is known and somewhat common for people to use some kinds of soap/shampoo to decrease compaction.
I was a victim. Now i look back and kick myself. How is 6,8 10 oz etc of liquid diluted in gallons of water sprayed of a few thousand square feet of earth going to affect literally hundreds of thousands of lbs of soil?
Great demonstration professor!!! I will not waste my money on those products next year. Thanks for all you do it is very helpful!!
That's not what he's saying. He's just debunking some myths, clarifying labels, and explaining the products actual uses as wetting agents and what a wetting agent is.
You can say what u want I use N-EXT Air 8 and JG Love your soil and my soil is soft and nice. I will never use a mechanical aerator on my lawn. The holes just come back after a while. I trust nature.I believe in feeding the microbes and let them do the work. You have to trust the process. The only downside is the moles who like to feed on the microbes. I dont let that bother me though. No mechanical aeration or dethaching for me.
Great video Matt, I love the retro white board throwback. Following the science is never popular but those who want to learn appreciate it. Thanks for the help over the years, my neighbors jokingly ask me where I got my artificial turf yard ... #domination
I’m going back to what worked for me, Hybrid plan of Milorganite and Lebanon Pro fertilizer, Lime in the fall and dimension in the Spring. All this stuff had gotten too complicated and expensive.
Awesome video, i love the technical whiteboard videos.
So confused lol. New to diy lawn care and kind of on a budget and have pretty dense clay in Iowa. So I shouldn’t bother with mechanic or liquid aeration and just let root cycling do its thing? I’ve got grass growing on it, on a fert program, and going to start the pre/post emergent program next spring. Thanks Matt
You should absolutely mechanically aerate once a year. Matt would agree entirely. You can also use something like humic acid over a period of time to help loosen the soil over time.
This should have way more views, excellent research, explanation, and citation.
Go Bio-Char!
Oh wait. They bankrupt.
Great explanation. Makes sense . I had my suspicions it was a scam. I fell for it once. Followed directions the outcome was less than favorable.
Wonder what those companies that were mentioned in this video have to say about this.
if humic helps drive water in the soil what happens when that water trough capilarity /evapotranspiration is not there anymore? whe do not have a micro-fissure as stated on the benefits? (sry for writting mistakes, i am not english native).
Very interesting, thanks
Maaaaaannn… even RUclips “experts” are just commercials for products. Keep it simple, Detach-core aerate-over-seed-water water water-fertilizer-weed control-mow mow mow… mow more.
Thanks for posting. I’ve missed your vids
Great class professor! Sounds like I will be switching to the tradition core aeration next fall since I already reseeded for the year.
I don't much about all the conflict my self I used carbon earth products with the next products and my yard is really green I think they both put out great products and myself I can
tell a huge difference the way it looks versus using big box products and I will continue to use them together
Oh man. That's oil in the fire! I love it. It is a war on the 3lbs per week weight loss cookies! More please. Wondering what @Lawncology will do with his 'no fert' super green lawn programme lol
The last video you showed by science, how air 8 created micro fractures in the soil. So does that not actually happen?
My first video was me guessing. And then I consulted with a real Ph. D. Chemist and deleted that video, about a year ago. Saponified material does not create microfissures. I was wrong.
So why did you wait an entire year to tell us this... You have an obligation to tell your community what you discovered!! You waited an entire year to put this video out... I am not a lawn care pro, just a homeowner who trusted you because of who you are and what you do... I spend my hard earned money on your products, and your recommendations... I think an apology or something along those lines are warranted... What other information have you put out there that you were just “guessing” at???
@@morgankaufman2679 your right he is so full of it
@@TheGrassFactor
@Morgan Kaufman
Your right!
I can appreciate Matt admitting that he was wrong because a lot of people would double down or either twist their way out of it with their words........
But now I'm also not sure what else you have put out as fact and it was not.😕
I get it if you were told wrong and believed that, but just guessing and throwing it out as a fact is not good.
@@xepiloguex I think you'll notice in later videos, I have additional turf professionals in videos as well as studies/cited sources.
Liquid aeration works really well but should be used in conjunction with mechanical aeration. Mechanical aeration as well should be used with liquid aeration. They are incredible partners they are not exclusive to each other. I am surprised to hear what this report says
Making me use my Brain 🤯 Love It 👌🏾🌱
If "liquid aeration" is pretty much just a wetting agent by another name, it's still a useful tool right? Tesla has "Full Self Driving" which is a wildly overstated marketing term for probably the best level 2+ autonomy system on the market... a very impressive and useful tool. Over-hyped, it is. Scam, it is not. Though I don't know if "Liquid aeration - not exactly..." is as clickable of a video title.
Buy a 'real' wetting agent at 1/3 price.
OH YEAH....Whiteboard training is BACK!!! Lets roll. Im looking forward to the series. Can we add Hydretain to the list. From watching this video, if we combined an application of Hydretain AND a liquid Air-8, we would increase water infiltration AND water holding capability if there is any truth to the Hydretain claims. I have a core aerator so I guess the ole fashion way (which requires the most work) is still the real winner here.
Love this I need lots more of this pulleeez
Bottom line is these liquid air8 things do not work Ive tried 2 off amazon at 5x times ratio and my dirt is hard as ever, Im getting a refund