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Thatch is a layer between the grass and the soil made up of interwoven accumulated dead and living grass shoots, stems, crowns, and roots. It creates a barrier between the soil and the green grass you so adore. A thin layer of thatch is good—about a half-inch. It helps maintain steady soil moisture and temperature.
What does dethatching do for your lawn?
Dethatching helps slice through thatch into soil and remove the barrier of thick, accumulated organic matter.
When should I thatch my lawn?
Dethatch the Lawn For northern grass the best time to dethatch your entire lawn is in late summer to early fall when the grass is actively growing. For southern grasses, dethatch in late spring. In early spring, and for small areas, use a thatching rake, which is a sharp-tined rake that rips the thatch out of the lawn.
Is it bad to dethatch your lawn?
Dethatching in the spring is a bad procedure for several reasons. If your lawn does have an excessive thatch layer, over ½”, then dethatching is warranted, but do it in the fall when you don’t have to worry about damaging vulnerable spring grass or causing crabgrass and other weed seeds to germinate.
Does dethatching promote growth?
Dethatching helps to circulate air deep down into the roots and provide the necessary carbon dioxide, stimulating existing roots while encouraging new root growth. Fertilizer Will Become More Effective- Removing thatch helps fertilizer to blend more properly with the soil and spread throughout the lawn.
Is it better to dethatch or aerate?
A dethatcher works well when you have a lot of dead grass on top of the soil, making the lawn feel spongy. An aerator is best used when the core has a thick layer of thatch, usually more than 0.5 inches.
Should I aerate or dethatch first?
Excess thatch blocks out air, light and water from reaching root zones. Dethatching and aeration services go hand in hand. Dethatch first, then aerate.
Should I fertilize my lawn after dethatching?
Because you fertilize your yard immediately after dethatching, it is best to wait until your yard has “greened” up before applying nitrogen. If you fertilize while your grass is still dormant, you encourage weeds to compete with your grass. Too much nitrogen will exacerbate your thatch problem in the future.
Should I mow after dethatching?
After dethatching, rake up the newly exposed thatch. Mowing your lawn will also help to clean things up. Fertilizing at this time is also important. This will help your lawn recover and fill in any bare spots.
Should I seed after dethatching?
After dethatching, thatch should be removed and put in the compost pile. If you do not already have a compost pile, then you should seriously consider adding one. After this has been done, high-quality grass seed. This helps the seeds remain moist, and it provides essential nutrients, which enhances germination.
Is dethatching necessary?
Thatch builds up over time, so it’s not necessary to dethatch every year. Plan on dethatching every five years or so if your lawn needs it. You might want to give your lawn a quick check every year just to see how much thatch has accumulated.
Does dethatching get rid of weeds?
The first step to lawn restoration is to remove any thatch buildup. The best time to dethatch is when your lawn is thriving in the spring or fall. You must expose the soil between the old grass plants and remove weed colonies using a grape (grubbing) hoe or you will have poor results.
What is aerating a lawn?
Core aeration is a mechanical process, which extracts cores of soil, thatch and grass from the surface of the lawn to increase nutrient availability, water penetration, soil air exchange and reduce compaction. This improves the effectiveness of your TruGreen services and ongoing watering, leading to a healthier lawn.
Should you dethatch before overseeding?
To get high germination rates when overseeding, not only is it important to water the seeds, but also make sure the seeds and soil have good contact. Two of the recommended processes to achieve this are dethatching and aerating.
How much does dethatching cost?
Most homeowners pay between $180 and $250 for dethatching. However, there are lots of services that your lawn care specialist will recommend to get your yard looking its best. Hydroseeding costs $400 to $500 and is a way to increase grass growth.
Should I mow my lawn before dethatching?
Mow your lawn to half its normal height before you begin dethatching. Use a dethatching rake like you would a regular rake. Dig the tines into the thatch and pull it upward, helping to loosen and remove the buildup. While you rake, you should feel and see the thatch separating from the soil.
How do you get rid of thatch naturally?
Here are some other factors and tips to help you get rid of thatch through decomposition: You need to keep the soil moist underneath the thatch layer. Collect your clippings until the thatch problem is handled. Test the pH and add Lime as needed. Increase thatch degrading bioactivity with our Biological Dethatcher.
What is the difference between thatching and dethatching?
Dethatching Process – Thatch is the natural organic matter that falls on the soil surface. The dethatching process removes the excess thatch and ensures that only a healthy layer remains on the surface.
