How to dethatch a lawn: and how to prevent thatch forming
Thatch is a natural part of a lawn and generally a sign of a healthy lawn. However, excessive thatch can stun your grass growth and even lead to dieback.
Knowing how to scarify a lawn is an essential part of lawn care advice that every gardener should know. Thankfully, it’s not hard to know when the best time to scarify your lawn is, as you will probably discover Signs your lawn is in trouble. If you notice that your lawn feels spongy as if you are walking on a carpet, or if you are looking from the side of the lawn at a thick layer of brown spongy material, then you may have a straw problem.
“While a little thatch is normal and healthy, too much can harm your lawn and prevent it from receiving enough moisture, light and nutrients to fully recover back into that lush green lawn we all love,” explains lawn care expert David Truby, Managing Director of green sleeve (opens in new tab). “Straw can also provide the perfect breeding ground for various diseases and pests. Scarifying your lawn is also a great way to solve this problem.”
Here experts have explained how to get rid of excessive thatch so you can restore your lawn.
How to scarify a lawn
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“Scarifying can be very easy Lawn care in the fall Give up when the straw isn’t more than two inches deep,” says Rachel Crow, gardening editor for Houses & Gardens. “Any thatch over two inches deep should be tended by a professional to avoid damaging the grass roots and destroying your lawn.
“Straw is destroyed by naturally occurring fungi. If you have a healthy lawn with the right balance of natural soil fungi, your lawn should be resistant to thatch,” says Rolawn’s Jonathan Hill (opens in new tab). “However, if a lawn is struggling to grow well or you can’t reintroduce the fungi, you may need to scarify the lawn,” he suggests.
“Scarifying is the traditional method of scarifying a lawn and can be done in three ways: First, you can manually use a spring tine rake (or a similar alternative) to scarify the lawn by pulling it through the turf. For a larger piece of land, rent or buy a power rake or scarifier from a local garden center or power tool supply store.”
You can also buy lawn scarifiers and scarifiers on Amazon (opens in new tab).
1. Scarify your lawn manually
Hand scarifying your lawn is one of the more tedious ways to tackle a thatched lawn, but uses tools you likely already have in your garden shed.
‘Use a Scarifiers like this one on Amazon (opens in new tab) works best for light straw and general straw care,” suggests Rachel Crow. “Push the rake tines through the grass until it penetrates the layer of straw underneath. Rake the grass as you would rake leaves to loosen the straw and tear it apart.’
You can use a regular leaf rake for this, but it may not have the same effect. However, any raking is better than no raking, especially if done annually.
2. Scarify your lawn with a power rake
Power rakes look similar to a mower with rotating rake-like tines that dig into the straw level with less effort than a manual rake. Power rakes, despite their efficiency, should only be used on hard grass with light straw that can withstand intense raking.
3. For extreme cases, use a vertical mower
“If your lawn is suffering from a very thick layer of thatch, you may need a vertical mower to break through and tear up the thatch,” he says H&Gis Rachel Crow. “These mowers have vertical blades that reach deep into the soil layer to effortlessly pull thatch to the surface.”
It’s worth noting that these devices can also pull up grass roots, which means you have to overseed your lawn or learn how to plant grass seed to rejuvenate your lawn afterwards. These machines are best used on lawns that need a major makeover.
What to do after scarifying a lawn?
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“Scarifying a lawn should be done in the spring or fall so you can replant grass seed to get your lawn ready for summer,” recommends Rachel. ‘After you’ve scarified your lawn, reseed the soil to repair damaged grass roots.’
It is also recommended that you study how to aerate a lawn after scarifying to restore nutrients, water drainage and airflow to the damaged soil. Although many ask why aerate a lawn After scarifying, since the soil has already been distributed, gutting or scarifying your soil helps air and water reach even deeper layers of compacted soil—something that is likely to be badly needed after the layer of straw has starved the lower layers of vital nutrients .
What is straw?
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“Thatch is a natural part of living turf and is generally desirable in small amounts,” explains Rolawn’s Jonathan Hill. “A thin layer of straw improves the overall health of the lawn, but too thick a layer of straw can prevent water and air from entering your lawn, which can make the lawn look tired and old.”
Straw is a layer of organic debris composed of dead and living plant and animal matter. It forms around the base of the grass where the stems meet the ground and while some matter breaks down quickly and easily, other matter takes time to break down and slowly builds up over time until it sometimes breaks the grass roots suffocate and prevent water and air from penetrating the soil and roots. Most grass lawns have a layer of thatch that is less than half an inch thick, however, a layer of thatch an inch or more will begin to damage your grass.
Not knowing how to fertilize a lawn can lead to an excessive thatch problem, adds Jonathan: “Thatch is a layer of dead turf material and is not formed from the grass blades that fall into the lawn after mowing as some believe. Straw forms for a number of reasons, but the main one is improper fertilization. When grass grows properly, it forms new roots, stems, and leaves while the old ones die off. If new grass is formed at about the same rate as the old is dying, there will be no accumulation of thatch. When the grass grows faster than the old material can be destroyed, thatch builds up.”
Layering too much fertilizer or the wrong fertilizer on a lawn, as well as fertilizing too frequently, can quickly build up matter on the surface of the soil and damage your grass if you think you’re helping it.
How to prevent lawn thatch
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“To avoid a thatch problem, avoid gardening practices that can lead to organic matter build-up, such as: B. watering too often, using the wrong fertilizer, z removed,” says Gardens Editor Rachel Crow. “Fostering some garden creatures, such as worms, can also help prevent excessive thatch as they aid in the breakdown of thatch. Avoid using pesticides whenever possible to give your lawn a better chance of survival.’
Is it better to scarify or aerate your lawn?
Scarifying and aerating a lawn should be done together for optimal lawn care. Scarifying your lawn before aerating it allows for better air, nutrient and water penetration – especially during the winter months