What is Dethatch?
Over a period of time, pieces of grass die and gather above the lawn surface. This is called thatch. A small layer of up to half an inch of thatch is beneficial for the lawn.
It is organic material broken down by microbes present in the soil. Sometimes thatch collects at a higher rate than the process to break it.
It forms a thick layer, which acts as a barrier, obstructing air, water, and nutrients penetrating the soil and reaching where the grass needs it.
A thatch layer of more than one inch can weaken the grass, and hence should be removed to ensure a thick, green and healthy lawn. This process of removing thatch from the surface of the lawn is called dethatching the lawn.
If you feel that your lawn is not growing as well as it should, even though you water and fertilize it regularly, it is because of this thick layer of thatch.
The grass is suffering because water, air, and nutrients are not reaching the roots through the soil. When thatch is too thick, your lawn appears to be spongy. You need to take timely action. You need to dethatch your lawn.
How To Dethatch A Lawn
Lawn Needs Dethatching
If water does not penetrate the soil and it runs off, then it is time to dethatch the lawn. Check the grass for a layer of thatch.
It resembles a greyish-brown matting of stems of grass grown together. A thin layer of up to half an inch is beneficial for the lawn as it insulates against extreme temperatures and variations in the moisture in the soil.
If the lawn has a thick layer of more than one inch of thatch above the soil surface, the lawn has to be detached. The main cause of thatch building is too high mowing, excess watering, and over-fertilizing.
How To Dethatch A Lawn With A Rake
Small lawns are detached by using a specialized dethatching rake. For large lawns, one can rent a dethatcher known as a vertical cutter or power rake.
The working of the power rake and the regular rake is similar. The tines dig in the thatch and pull it up to loosen and remove thatch. This is the best way to dethatch a lawn.
What To Do After Dethatching The Lawn
When the dethatching is finished, your lawn will look in a terrible state. But don’t afraid, it is assumed to look that way. Use a leaf rake to pick up the debris and loose thatch and put it in the compost pile.
If you see some bare spots after dethatching, use some patching product to repair them. Now water the lawn. After then fertilize the lawn. A lawn will take about 3-4 weeks to recover and to show new growth.
Do not fertilize before starting the dethatching process. The lawn should be kept in a state of well-watered after dethatching so that the grass recovers and starts growing.
How To Dethatch A Lawn With A Mower Attachment
There are some special machines and rakes that can remove the thatch layer easily, but also there are special lawn mower blades that are used to attack the thatch.
They mostly look like a regular lawn mowing blade but have plastic tines or metal springs that hang down and whip the thatch out of the yard.
Easy Way To Dethatch The Lawn
If you need your lawn to dethatch, you have few options. The easy way to dethatch lawn, in early spring, and for small lawns is by removing thatch manually with a thatching rake, which is a sharp-tined rake that pulls the thatch out of the lawn surface.
Rake the lawn by digging deep to rip and loosen the thatch. Collect the brown matter under the grass and dispose of it. In early spring, the best way to dethatch lawn is by raking, helping your lawn new growth.
When To Dethatch Your Lawn
The best time to dethatch the lawn is when the soil is moist and the grass is growing vigorously i.e. peak growing season, so it can recover quickly.
The best time of the year for dethatching is early spring for cool-season grasses and late spring for warm-season grasses. It is the time when the grass is growing most actively.