Frequently asked questions for Liquid Gypsum (lawn drainage)

❓ Can Liquid Gypsum be applied to Astroturf (artificial grass)?
Yes, Liquid Gypsum can be used on artificial turf as long as the surface and any base layers are permeable. Apply once the soil below is able to absorb diluted product. Wash product off the plastic grass after application.

❓ Can Liquid Gypsum be applied to gravel and mulched areas?
Yes, Liquid Gypsum can be used on gravelled areas as long as any membrane below is permiable to water. Apply once the soil below is able to absorb diluted product.

❓ Is Liquid Gypsum safe for use in paddocks?

Yes, Liquid Gypsum is safe for use in paddocks and on farmland. It is classified as a non-hazardous, biodegradable product often used in agriculture to improve crop establishment and soil structure without tillage. It can also be used around gates where compaction issues are often most apparent.

For added peace of mind, you can apply Liquid Gypsum just before a rain shower to ensure it is knocked off the leaves, but this is not a necessity.

❓ Is Liquid Gypsum safe for use around dogs?

Yes, Liquid Gypsum is classified as non-hazardous to animals and humans. It is recommended to keep pets off the treated area while you are spraying to prevent them from tracking it indoors where it could leave chalky paw prints due to the calcium in the product (these can be washed off easily though).

❓ Is Liquid Gypsum safe for use around children?
Yes, Liquid Gypsum is formulated to be non-hazardous to humans and the environment. Standard precautions (keep out of reach of children) are advised, but there’s no inherent toxicity that would prohibit use on lawns where children play once diluted into the soil.

❓How do I apply Liquid Gypsum?

You can apply Liquid Gypsum using a watering can or a garden sprayer. The standard dilution rate for lawns and gardens is to mix 250ml of Liquid Gypsum with 5 litres of water to treat approximately 6 square metres of area. For larger areas, a 5-litre bottle typically treats up to 125m². Apply evenly over the surface, and ensure it is watered in (either by rain or a hose) to help it penetrate the soil profile.

❓ Will Liquid Gypsum work in my garden on my soil?

Liquid Gypsum will only work if your drainage issue is due to compacted clay soil. It will not be able to solve a high water table. Nearly every soil contains at least some clay. The only way to know for certain is to run a trial. The good news is that Eutrema Liquid Gypsum is a fraction of the cost of French drains (<1%), and so the financial risk of running a trial is not as significant a gamble as installing drains!

❓ How do I tell if my soil contains clay?

Almost every soil in the UK contains at least some clay. Exceptions being sandy soils near the coast, or peat bogs.

As you can see from the ‘soil texture triangle’ below, even soils described as sandy, loamy, or silty, still contain at least some clay. And it is this portion of your soil that Liquid Gypsum will be acting on when you apply it.

❓ Can I apply Liquid Gypsum to soil that is still wet/waterlogged/flooded, or do I need to wait for it to dry out first?

You should wait for the soil to dry out slightly. Do not apply it to soil that is currently flooded, saturated, or “squelchy,” as the product will simply run off or be too diluted to work effectively. The ideal time to apply Liquid Gypsum is when the soil is moist but not sodden, allowing the solution to soak down into the clay structure. We recommend you purchase a bottle and then keep an eye on the weather for a period with a week or two without rain. This could be in spring, summer, autumn or winter.

❓ How long until I will see noticeable effects of Liquid Gypsum treatment?

Liquid Gypsum works on the day of application. However, because you do not apply to soil when it is still saturated (see question above), you will see effects the next time there is a downpour.

❓ Can Liquid Gypsum be applied in winter?

Yes, just make sure you follow the instructions in the answer above about applying to moist, but not waterlogged, soil.

❓ How does Liquid Gypsum compare to geo-injection, aeration, or hollow-tining (coring)?
Liquid Gypsum works chemically to improve soil structure by flocculating clay, whereas geo-injection and physical aeration/tining mechanically create pathways for water and air. As such, Liquid Gypsum complement physical methods: aeration or geo-injection can significantly help, especially when paired with Liquid Gypsum to enhance deeper soil access.

❓ Should I aerate before I apply Liquid Gypsum?
Yes if the clay causing the issue is further down in the top soil. In this situation aerating first can improve the effectiveness of Liquid Gypsum by helping the diluted solution penetrate deeper into the soil profile. On new build lawns where the clay is at the surface aeration is not necissary.

❓ Should I apply Liquid Gypsum before or after seeding or laying turf?
Liquid Gypsum can be applied before or after seeding/laying turf; applying it beforehand can help improve the underlying soil structure to support seed germination and turf establishment. It’s also suitable for newly laid turf as long as it’s applied at the right dilution and the soil isn’t saturated at the time. When applying after seeding wait until two weeks after you first see germination before applying the diluted Liquid Gypsum.

❓ Is Liquid Gypsum a permanent solution to soil compaction and poor drainage?
No, we recommend an application of Liquid Gypsum once or twice a year to maintain the effect. Soils naturally weather, and compact; not least due to the actions of you walking and playing on your lawn. Anybody offering you a permanent solution is probably over-selling their services and products.

❓ Can I buy Liquid Gypsum on Amazon or Ebay?
No, we are the inventors and only manufacturer of Liquid Gypsum and have chosen not to sell on these platforms. Not least because we don’t want to be beholden to their terms and conditions. We also do not sell through distributors, so if it doesn’t have Eutrema on the label, it isn’t the real deal! We have a lot of bottom feeder companies riding our coat tails….

❓ Your website will not accept my address; do you not ship to my area?

We ship to every area of the UK, including Northern Ireland. If you are struggling to get your address to be recognised it is normally due to the space in your post code. To solve this either add or remove a space in the middle between the two sections.

❓ Your application instructions for applying Liquid Gypsum mean applying a lot of water. Can I reduce the water volume?

Yes, but remember the water is in there to ensure the Liquid Gypsum is able to soak into the clay causing the issue. Without sufficient water this may not happen. Options include reducing the dilution rate but then immediately putting on sprinklers to drive the product into the soil. Alternatively apply just before a rain shower to get the rain to drive it into the soil.

❓ Can I apply Liquid Gypsum with a backpack sprayer instead of a watering can?

Yes, but remember Liquid Gypsum is a soil treatment, not a foliar feed. As such, you don’t need to worry about creating a fine mist. Instead just getting the product coverage over the soil is all that is required. This means that applying four x 5L watering cans can actually be a quicker job that filling a 20L backpack sprayer that takes a long time to dispense the diluted product through a single spray nozzle.

❓ I read Gypsum only works in sodic (salty) soils, is this true?

No. This misunderstanding has arisen due to some amateur gardening bloggers reading that ‘gypsum is extremely effective at treating problems on sodic (salty) soils’. They have then wrongfully concluded that it only works on sodic soils on the websites and Youtube videos. This is incorrect, and Eutrema’s Liquid Gypsum works very well at flocculating compacted clay soil, regardless of the salt levels. So if you have compacted clay soils causing drainage issues, we strongly recommend a trial of Liquid Gypsum.