Important Things To Know About Dethatching A Lawn
Dethatching a lawn means the mechanical removal of the thick thatch layer formed at the base of grass plants. In fact, dethatching is not as important as mowing when lawn maintenance is considered. In fact, some homeowners may never have the need to dethatch their lawn. Some types of grass are not just as susceptible to thatch build-up as others.
Thatch consists of living and dead material that accumulates naturally at the base of grass where the blades meet the soil. Short grass clippings and mulched leaves get decomposed very fast. The issue arrives when the buildup of these materials leave to decompose and this leads to thickening of the thatch layer. The thicker the layer, the lawn suffers as it gets difficult for air, water, and nutrients to reach grass roots. When this happens, you know it’s time to dethatch. This article explores the important things you should know about dethatching your lawn.
1. Right dethatching tools for best results
Choosing the best dethatching tool for the task depends on the size of your lawn and how much work is required. You can get manual thatching rakes at most lawn and garden stores; they are common for light thatch, smaller lawns, and general thatch maintenance throughout the growing season.
Power rakes are the best for larger areas consisting of thinner thatch layers with grass that can put up with intense raking. They are apt for homeowners with big yards or constant thatch issues. Vertical mowers are aggressive that work best for thick thatch layers. These machines are often better rented instead of purchasing, considering the scarcity with which they are used.
2. Dethatcher vs. aerator and use of correct tool for each
People often get confused between dethatching and aerating a lawn since both activities improve the condition of your grass by providing the roots its nutrients to help them grow better.
A dethatcher or dethatching tool helps to remove layers of natural debris between the soil and the base of the grass. This process is needed when the thatch layer becomes more than half inch thick. Dethatching helps to remove the barrier that prevents fertilizer, air, water, and other nutrients from reaching the grass roots.
On the other hand, aerating is a process of poking holes into the lawn and pulling out plugs of soil and turf, specifically those that are left to decompose on the lawn. The holes help nutrients to get deeper into the soil by creating small waterways. Aerating your lawn is required when foot traffic, watering, mowing, and other activities cause the soil to compact, hindering nutrients from reaching the grass roots.
3. Look for signs of distressed grass before dethatching
Weak growth, thin blades, and pale color indicates that your grass is struggling. To confirm whether this is due to thatch, you will have to do a little digging. Use a spade or sharp trowel to dig up a small section of grass.
You may probably observe a layer of brown matter where the soil meets the base of the grass blades. That’s the layer of thatch, and it’s normal to happen. However, if the thatch layer is more than an inch thick, it’s blocking much-needed nutrients and water from reaching the roots. Moreover, lawns with a thick thatch layer might feel spongy below your foot or be hard to penetrate with your finger as you try to reach the soil surface.
4. Dethatch a lawn every 2-3 years only
Unlike mowing the lawn, dethatching is an occasional lawn chore. Rather, you might have to do it every 2-3 years, depending on your growing conditions and the type of grass. Some fast-growing grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and St. Augustine grass are prone to thatch to a greater extent than other varieties, especially when grown in heavy clay or compacted soil. Timing should match your lawn’s peak growth period and differs based on the type of grass you have.
5. Keep in mind to dethatch your lawn only when it’s healthy
Dethatching is demanding for your lawn, so doing it when your lawn is at its best during the year will help in its recovery. Early spring and early fall are suitable periods for cool-season grasses like perennial Ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass. Your indication to dethatch warm-season grasses, such as Zoysia and Bermuda grass occurs in spring or early summer after they have fully turned green. If your lawn is stressed by drought or dormant, don’t dethatch that will lead to irreparable damage to your lawn.
6. Without thatch hindrance, your lawn will grow stronger
If unchecked, thatch forms an impassable obstruction that doesn’t allow air, water, and nutrients from reaching roots. A thatch layer of an inch or more forms a breeding ground for fungal diseases and mosquitoes that favor wet, and humid conditions where water can’t penetrate into the soil. Furthermore, grass roots become entangled in thick thatch in place of knitting into the soil, making them susceptible to damage in extended periods of hot, dry weather. Dethatching, not only is beneficial and necessary to the lawn, but also leaves the lawn looking considerably lush. After dethatching lawn, grass roots will stretch out and fill in the bare spots. It’s also an ideal time to spread grass seed.
7. The process of dethatching your lawn is straightforward but laborious
Use a dethatching rake for small lawns to work across it using the same motion as for raking leaves. Along with helping your lawn, you get a workout too! Power rakes are suitable for larger spaces and work like a lawn mower. They are available for rent at several hardware and home improvement stores. As you push it to and fro across the lawn, the rake lifts and deposits thatch on top of the grass. Both methods leave a considerable amount of debris behind.
Now, you need to dispose of the lawn debris. You have a few options available for its disposal.
- Collect it in a bag for garbage pickup.
- Contact your municipality to know if they have a composting program.
- You can use it to compost your garden. Avoid this if your lawn is full of weeds or chemically treated at the time of dethatching.
8. Hire a professional lawn dethatching service if your lawn is in poor condition
Having a professional lawn dethatching service come to your home is sometimes the best option for you and the health of your lawn. For thick patches of thatch removal, big thatch removal jobs, or if you just don’t have the time, a service company like Edenapp is a great option. Edenapp’s lawn care specialists will fulfill this service professionally by removing the thick layer of thatch that builds up on your lawn.
Professional lawn dethatching services have trained experts to rake and remove thatch from a lawn with perfection. They arrive with all the tools needed, saving you from having to purchase them. Experts have complete knowledge about the tools the grass can bear with and which ones are too vigorous, leaving your lawn in a better state than you would have as a first-time DIYer, who may accidently remove healthy turf along with thatch.
9. After dethatching your lawn, aerate and fertilize it to help keep grass in optimal condition
After clearing your lawn of the debris, if required you can aerate the soil directly after dethatching. The best time to aerate your lawn is in spring, late summer, and even early fall. You have to aerate when the grass is prepared for growth.
Use a core aerator or hollow tine to remove plugs from the ground. You need to remove plugs as deeply as you can from the soil which is not wet but moist, as dry soil doesn’t allow the tines to dig deeply. After making a few passes of the lawn with the aerator, you can fertilize your lawn right away.
Turf should be aerated every one to five years, depending on the lawn. Grass with lots of foot traffic or heavy soil will benefit from being aerated more regularly.
Is it better to aerate or dethatch? Many homeowners have this question, and the answer is, it depends on your lawn specifically. Dethatching is only needed if your grass has formed a thatch layer, however, all lawns benefit from aeration.
Conclusion
Dethatching may not be required every year, but examine your lawn each year for thatch buildup. If you don’t see the signs that your grass is in distress and there is less than half inch of thatch, you can postpone the dethatching process.
If you are wondering when to dethatch a lawn, indeed you need to do it when it is required. The best time to dethatch is when the grass is preparing for growth, ideally in the spring, late summer, or early fall depending on the climate and grass variety. Make sure to use proper tools to ensure not to stress out your lawn more than is required, and accompany dethatching with aeration when needed.
Contact Edenapp today to get their professional dethatching services for your lawn. With appropriate tools used, they make sure your lawn is helped without getting distressed. Also, with Edenapp you can get any lawn care and landscaping services all year round.