In order to keep your lawn beautiful and healthy, you will sometimes need to dethatch it. As your grass grows, plant material will build up in between the green part and the roots. This is called thatch. Thatch is necessary for your grass to grow because it provides a shield against potential harm for the roots. However, if too much thatch builds up, it can be harmful to your lawn by blocking oxygen, water, and other nutrients from the roots, so you will need to dethatch it. This article will teach you how to dethatch lawns. If you mow your lawn regularly, leaving only small clippings off grass on your lawn, you should only have to detach your lawn once every 2-3 years.
How to Dethatch Lawns
If you suspect your lawn has acquired an excessive build-up of thatch, you can figure out if this is true through the following method.
1. Take a tuft of grass from your lawn.
2. Measure the length of the thatch layer, starting at the end of the roots and finishing at the beginning of the green grass.
3. If the thatch layer is greater than 1/2 inch you will need to dethatch your lawn.
In order to dethatch your lawn, you will need to cut through the thatch layer. You cannot successfully dethatch your lawn with a normal metal rake. You will have to purchase a special thatching rake (usually around $30) or some other thatching equipment in order to detach your lawn.
Do not dethatch your lawn in the spring as this is when the grass is in between dormancy and growth and the grass roots are lowest in energy and nutrients.
Dethatching your lawn can cause stress to your lawn, so you you make sure to fertilize it and water it before your dethatch it in order to prevent damage. Also, give your lawn a break and do not do all of the dethatching in one day. This will also help to prevent damage.
Additional Help
If you do not wish to dethatch your lawn yourself, you can contact a landscaping professional to do it for you. With the help of TalkLocal, you can be on the phone in minutes with up to three high quality landscaping professionals in your area that are available to help you when you need them.
