This may help improve the appearance of your lawn. Also, examine the coverage chart on the grass seed label to determine how much seed you should spread per square foot. Compare this to the drop rate of your broadcast or hand spreader to ensure you lay down the right amount of seed. Got mosquitoes? We know professionals who can help!
Did you know? The Grounds Guys is a Neighborly brand. Discover an entire network of professionals to assist with any of your home service needs at GetNeighborly. Improving Your Outdoor Space. Health Benefits of Power Washing. Dethatching Your Lawn Most lawns experience areas where the grass dies just above the soil.
How to Dethatch Your Lawn Dethatching is a mechanical process that removes the inhibiting layer of dead grass for a healthier, greener lawn. General dethatching tips: Water your lawn the day before you plan to dethatch. Mow your grass to half its normal height. Flag sprinkler heads and other hidden objects to prevent damaging them.
Dethatch in two directions at a degree angle from one another. If thatching leaves bare spots, reseed your lawn. Water the lawn well to help the grass recover. Aerate regularly in the future to prevent thatch build-up. Dethatching your lawn with a convex rake: If you only have a small patch of affected grass, a convex rake is an adequate dethatching tool. Aerating Your Lawn As time goes on, soil naturally compacts. How to Aerate Your Lawn You have two main tools to choose from for the job: a spike aerator and a plug aerator.
A very important part of dethatching or power raking your lawn is cleaning up the debris. When aerating, you leave the thatch plugs on your lawn while you will need to remove the debris of dead grass from your lawn when dethatching. So should you dethatch or aerate? Core aerating not only breaks up thatch buildup but also relieves compacted soil. Dethatching mostly loosens the top layer of soil and also removes the layer of debris dead grass from the soil.
Dethatching can really help when overseeding your lawn. Both aerating and dethatching are recommended before overseeding because they improve grass-to-soil contact for proper germination. However, if you have compacted soil in your lawn, you may want to aerate the core to allow deeper penetration of water into the soil. Deeply and well-watered soil promotes healthy and deeper root development of the new grass seed. After overseeding, topdress the area with about 1 yard of compost per square feet to increase the rate of grass seed germination in your lawn.
Most dethatchers are simple tools such as lawn rake. Depending on the type, you can use it to dethatch your lawn if it is not heavily compacted. However, using a mechanical aerator often produces better results compared to a dethatcher or a rake.
Hi, Alex Kuritz. Growing up I remember that my family had one of the best lawns in the neighborhood. Richly green and lush. I can say I have years of experience, and I am here to share it with you. Please leave your comments below as I try to respond to everyone that has questions. I can see if parts start to die off then u want to remove and replace.
I might not have needed to use the Scarifier but I did get rid of a ton of dead grass and thatch. Hi Matt, thanks for the comment and sorry for the delay in replying. Great article. I would say its probably too late in the season for you now to aerate but you can probably still get it in. You should scarify before overseeding for sure. You want the seeds to sit nicely in the ruts and then you can lightly cover over. For seeding make sure you are keeping the ground moist for at least 14 days for proper germination and growth.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Table of Contents show. Should I aerate or dethatch first? Dethatcher vs Aerator. How much thatch is too much?
Lawn Aeration When and how often to aerate your lawn. Lawn Dethatching Is it better to dethatch or aerate? Dethatch or aerate before overseeding? Does a Dethatcher aerate? Check Latest Price.
Sun Joe AJE 13 in. Never dethatch when your lawn is dormant or stressed; you can damage it beyond recovery. Lawn aeration and dethatching are two different processes, but they can work together to help your lawn. Aeration removes cores of soil, including their thatch layer, and creates paths for water and nutrient to penetrate thatch and compacted soil. This helps prepare thatch for removal and speeds the breakdown of existing thatch. Dethatching helps slice through thatch into soil and remove the barrier of thick, accumulated organic matter.
How to Dethatch Your Lawn If your thatch is over 2 inches thick, you may want to consider hiring a professional for the job. If DIY is more your style , you can dethatch your lawn in three ways: Manual dethatching rakes are heavy, short-tined rakes with curved blades designed to dig into your lawn and pull up thatch as you rake.
Dethatching rakes are good for light thatch and general thatch maintenance on small lawn areas. Power rakes are mower-like devices with rotating, rake-like tines that dig into thatch at the soil level and pull it up. Power rakes work well for lawns with thinner thatch layers and grass that can withstand intense raking.
Vertical mowers , also called verticutters, have vertical blades that slice down through the thatch layer and into soil, pulling thatch—and often grass roots—to the surface as they go. Verticutters are best for thick thatch layers on lawns in need of renovation. Blades adjust to control how much thatch you remove at once. What to Do After Dethatching With dethatching done, it's an ideal time to overseed your lawn and get it back on track for thick, lush, green beauty.
By choosing premium grass seed such as water-conserving Pennington Smart Seed , you improve your lawn's sustainability as you overcome thatch. For a quick, easy fix to thin grass, turn to Pennington Lawn Booster; this all-in-one product combines Smart Seed, professional-grade fertilizer and soil enhancers, all in a single, easy-to-use package. To prevent future thatch problems, test your lawn soil every 3—4 years and follow soil test recommendations to keep soil pH and nutrients at optimal levels for thick, healthy grass growth.
Your lawn may need lime to restore soil pH balance, which also promotes beneficial activity of thatch-reducing microorganisms. Aerate heavy or compacted lawns annually and amend with gypsum to help loosen soil and encourage root growth. Fertilize your lawn, according to soil test recommendations, with the best lawn fertilizers to ensure it gets nitrogen it needs without over-fertilizing, and follow best practices for mowing and wise watering.
By learning why, when and how to dethatch your lawn properly and taking steps to prevent thatch, you can keep your lawn on track for healthy, thick, lush growth. Pennington is committed to providing you with the finest in grass seed and lawn care products so you can enjoy a beautiful, healthy lawn you're proud to own.
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