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Lawn De-thatching

What exactly is “thatch”? It is the layer of debris, organic matter, that accumulates above the soil and below the blades of grass. Excessive thatch most often happens when it is fertilized too often, grass is regularly cut too short or too long, and there are not enough of the micro-organisms that can digest the thatch present. When the thatch layer is too deep, the lawn will begin to thin and literally starve or suffocate. Lawns with heavy thatch tend to have a shallower root system, making the grass harder to maintain. Thatch can keep water, air and essential nutrients from getting to the roots. And if that isn't enough, lawns with excessive thatch are also more likely to have problems with diseases.

Why is too much Thatch bad?

 Prevents water and nutrients from reaching the plant roots.
  Absorbs pesticide/fungicide, preventing them from doing their job.
  Reduces space available for new grass. When crowded by thatch, new grass tends to grow rapidly as they seek light   and space.
 Grass root systems can grow into the thatch rather than into the soil.
 Harbors diseases such as leaf spot, summer patch, and dollar spot.
 What are the Indications that your lawn needs De-thatching?
 Lawn feels spongy under your foot when you walk on your lawn
 Greater than average incidence of disease and Insect problems.
 Grass dries out and dies during hot, dry weather.

What Is Dethatching

Dethatching your lawn is simply removing the thatch that has built up over time. This is done using a hand rake, a tine dethatcher or a power rake. To know whether or not your lawn needs dethatching, see if your lawn has stopped responding or slowed down responding to fertilize applications and waterings. It may be that your lawn just doesn't have the same lush look it had in years past. This basically means that the proper nutrients are not getting into the soil and root system of the grass because the thatch layer is too thick and dense and won't allow air, nutrients and water to penetrate the soil.

Even if your lawn has excessive thatch not everyone needs to go about lawn dethatching. Some lawns only require core aeration or to do regular proper lawn maintenance. Eventually, though, almost everyone will have to do some type of lawn dethatching , but there really is no routine that each lawn needs. Some thatch is a good thing, that helps provide nutrients for the soil, as well as providing protection from sunlight and low or high moisture levels or rainfall.

Using Power Dethatching Machines

Lawn dethatching machines, come in 2 varieties: the tine/knife models or the "power rakes" and slit-seeders. The powered machines can be rented from a local lawn and garden store or landscaping company. A dethatcher, whether it is the hand rake or a machine, will help to "rake" up the debris and thatch that has settles in your lawn. Power dethatching machines are really only necessary for yards that have an excess of thatch more than 1 inch. Power rakes or rented dethatching machines tend to be a more stressful on the lawn and should definitely only be done when the weather is cool and when there will be plenty of opportunity for rain to replenish the thatched areas, usually in the early spring months. If you have a small to normal sized yard, you can simply go about manually dethatching with a leaf rake or a specialty dethatching rake.