How to Rid that Lawn of Thatch!

You know that brown patchy debris in a lawn that accumulates on top of the soil but below the grass line? That's thatch.

Thatch consist of grass clippings, grass stems, roots, and other debris that either decomposes or accumulates on a lawn over time.

A few reasons thatch can occur are

1) A lawn has never been aerated

2) Cutting high grass frequently and leaving the clippings on a lawn.

Thatch is not always a bad thing as it can hold moisture to protect the lawn from extreme heat and lack of water.

Questions to be asked before removing thatch(dethatching)

1) Is there enough thatch on the lawn to justify dethatching?

2) If so, what process should I use to dethatch the lawn?

Lawn business owners and homeowners need to measure the amount of thatch in a lawn to determine if dethatching needs to be done. I prefer to take a pencil and stick it in the thatch until it touches the ground.Mark the pencil with your fingernail where the thatch comes up to.

After doing this a few times you will be able to eye it and know whether or not to dethatch. The first couple of times you can measure with a ruler.

As a guide, anything over 1/2 inch should be dethatched as this prevents adequete nutrients, air, and water from reaching the soil. Excessive thatch can also encourage pests and lawn diseases.

Dethatching can be done in 3 ways depending on the size of the lawn and the amount of thatch accumulated.

1) Aeration- For lawns that have less than an inch of thatch. This is done with an aerator. Always use an aerator that pulls plugs from the ground as opposed to the ones that poke holes.

2) Rake the lawn manually- using a leaf rake, garden rake, or thatching rake. Raking is fine for small to medium size lawns with thatch less than 1 inch. Raking does take some time, but less stressful on the lawn than a Power Rake.

3) Power Rake- Also called a Power Dethatcher. Use this when there is more than 1 inch of thatch on the lawn. Power Rakes are a stout piece of equipment that uses an engine like a lawn mower to drive vertical blades or tines to cut the surface of the soil. These blades or tines can be adjusted to certain depths.

You can rent either a power rake or an aerator from Home Depot or another equipment rental store in your area.

If you decide to dethatch using a power rake mow the lawn to about half of its regular mowing height.

The blades of the power rake should be adjusted to cut about 1/2 inch into the soil to remove thatch. Always go over the yard twice and change direction of your paths. For example, (long ways and short ways) or (diagonal one way and diagonal the other way).

After dethatching, rake up all the debris and thatch.

If you would like to fertilize or reseed the lawn, this is a good time as roots are exposed.

Water when you are finished dethatching.

Since some power dethatching can make a yard look bad, remember to dethatch when a lawn can recover the best such as right before the prime growing seasons. Different types of grasses have best and worst times to dethatch because the growing seasons vary.

Having a healthy lawn can can definitely improve the look of the landscape and the curb appeal.

If you need any questions answered, please ask them at http://www.LawnForum.com so the other members can benefit.

I'm here to help,

Kevin Whiteside

Kevin Whiteside is the owner and editor of LawnForum.com Monthly, an online newsletter for lawn and landscape professionals. Get a FREE subscription here mailto:LawnForum@aweber.com

He is also the author of "Turn High Grass Into Cold Cash- How to Start the Ultimate Lawn Service" http://www.grasstocash.com/adtrackz/g o.php?c=areathatch

In The News:

---

Sign up for landscaping, garden classes now
Mirror, MI - Jan 4, 2009
Michael Saint, a certified master gardener and owner of Good Earth landscape Institute, will show you how to turn a neglected entrance, courtyard or side ...

Green stuff
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 16 hours ago
Aerin Moore discusses "How to Create a Beautiful Garden: Landscaping Techniques." 1 pm Tues. Public Safety Bldg., Alex Clark Room, 880 Tennent Ave., Pinole. ...

Gardening angel spruces up shop
Contra Costa Times, CA - Jan 6, 2009
That could have happened here, but thanks to a gardening angel, it didn't. Mitchell wrote to Kevin Davis of CLS Landscape Management Inc. in Chino and told ...

In the Garden: Resolutions for a gardening year
Peninsula Gateway, WA - 6 hours ago
30 for a seminar at the Tacoma Home and Garden Show (www.otshows.com/THS), “Edible landscaping with veggies and herbs.� In garden design, I see more yards ...

Santa Clara County Fairgrounds
San Jose Mercury News,  USA - Jan 3, 2009
Everything from design, home improvement, décor, home entertainment, landscaping, gardening, and much, much more will be on display at this event. ...
Seeds: Budding gardeners can take home a seedling Sacramento Bee
all 2 news articles

Last opportunity to join Master Gardener class
Blanco County News,  USA - 12 hours ago
Some of the volunteer projects have included: the support of the Bindseil Park, landscaping at Gem of the Hills, speaker at the Lavender festival with ...

Gardening Calendar, updated Jan 7
TCPalm, FL - 10 hours ago
"Florida Native Landscaping": University of Florida/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center; 2199 S. Rock Road, Fort Pierce; 4-7 pm, ...

January education opportunities
Examiner.com - 14 hours ago
Daugherty designed many garden and landscapes around the city of Atlanta. The exhibition runs through March 28 th . For full information check: ...

Ice on the shrubs is no reason to put off early spring cleaning
Reno Gazette Journal, NV - 17 hours ago
It's cold out there, so I have gathered up my past issues of some gardening books, and some of my older landscape books, and a sketch book. ...

Serenity Health Specials Let Consumers Plan Ahead For Garden Fountains
BigNews.biz (press release), MA - 5 minutes ago
These starter fountains come on sale in the off season to help people planning for their gardening and outdoor landscaping projects in the year ahead. ...

landscaping gardening - Google News

Lawn Moles and Proper Lawn Care

Are your making mountains out of your molehills? Although lawn moles are underground creatures, the benefits they add to your garden are clearly visible and far outweigh... Read More

Gardening Tips and Tricks for Late Autumn

Preparing for the Winter Months: Gardening in OctoberWhen you feel that first solid bite in the breeze and you see the songbirds winging their way south, and... Read More

Hydroponics Gardening verses Organic Gardening: Which Grows the Best Cannabis?

Copy-write 2005 Jan Money.Hydroponics gardening offers many advantages to the cannabis grower. In fact hydroponics gardening is probably the number one source all cannabis that is cultivated... Read More

Wild Flower Garden - Plan to Plant

In the previous article I discussed design for your new wild flower garden. The next stage is planning the planting. This is an exciting stage, we are... Read More

Taming Your Outdoors

Slapping yourself silly trying to keep mosquitoes from biting you? Besides causing irritating itching bites, mosquitoes can also carry and transmit several diseases including the West Nile... Read More

Cyclamen

Think of cyclamen and the chances are that Mothers Day immediately comes to mind, which is something of a pity. Now don't misinterpret me, there's nothing wrong... Read More

Fall Garden Planning - Garden Plans for Next Spring and Ordering by Mail

It's August, the weather has cooled a bit here and the summer monsoons where I live in New Mexico have begun. The kids are starting back to... Read More

Hills and Holes: Not Part of Your Landscaping Design?

Do pests 'gopher' your lawn? Chances are, if you have a lawn, you risk the chance of having pests, such as the gopher and his cousin the... Read More

Xeriscaping is Waterwise Gardening

What is xeriscaping? You may have heard of xeriscaping as a way of landscaping in the Southwestern United States. You may picture xeriscaping as a lot of... Read More

Gardening in Containers

Every Garden can benefit from the addition of container gardens. They add interst and variety, plus are easily moved around. If you live in an apartment or... Read More

Build A Simple Planter Box

Love flowers, but don't have the space -- or the desire -- to plant a garden? You may want to try making your own flower box, which... Read More

A Compost Primer

Most gardeners and landscapers will agree almost unanimously that the single best thing you can do for your lawn is to add compost. Good, organic compost can... Read More

Park Benches - Making the Right Choice

When most people hear the words, "park bench", they envision one of two things - someone sitting at the local park feeding the pigeons or Forest Gump.... Read More

9-11 Changed Everything for the Garden Tractor Business

While traveling the US and occasionally taking the back highways one might have seen an interesting trend. That is the proliferation of the Lawn Garden tractors. They... Read More

Amish Furniture on the Front Porch

While shopping on line the other day at www.stoveramishfurniture.com, I looked at the Amish Hickory Rocker. Now I have looked at this rocker many a time, but... Read More

Natural Garden Pest Control

No dig gardens essentially strive to be their own ecosystem. This is the sign of the best sort of garden, one that is in tune with itself... Read More

Planning Permission Tips UK - Landscaping Schemes - Do They Add Value-Is It The Chicken Or The Egg?

Have you noticed how everything looks great at the moment - in the garden and parks I mean. Everything seems in bloom, full of colour and life.... Read More

Planting Bare Root Roses

Before planting, the plants must be prepared. The following suggestions will help insure that your roses grow into healthy bushes, trees, etc.:1. Your new roses have probably... Read More

Tarragon: A Favourite of French Chefs

Long a favourite of French chefs, the herb Artemisia dracunculus, known as French tarragon or dragon herb is an essential ingredient in Béarnaise sauce, tarragon vinegar, and... Read More

Water Conservation in the Garden - Use a Rain Barrel to Harvest Rainwater

If you are a gardener you probably already do a bit composting to recycle yard and kitchen waste. This homemade "Black Gold" does wonders for your plants... Read More

Garden Makeover On A Budget

There's been a huge increase in the popularity of garden makeovers. Teams of people come in and transform your garden in less than a day. But how... Read More

Sunflowers

Hi there,I am Jhon Saunders and recently took up gardening as a hobby. i have managed to buy cheap gardening equipment and also items such as blubs,... Read More

What to Feed Your Fish During Colder Winter Months

With air and water temperatures dropping in most parts of the country, now is the time to greatly reduce the amount of food you are feeding your... Read More

The Swallowtail -- A Beautiful Butterfly

Swallowtail butterflies are some of the most beautiful butterflies found anywhere. The North American species are large, brightly colored butterflies with tailed, rear wings. There are more... Read More

Hummingbird Nesting Facts

Every spring the United States and Canada are blessed with the presence of humming birds migrating north to make a home for their coming young. They come... Read More

You Cant Beat Perennials For Glorious Color All Season Long

When you start gardening with perennials, it's easy to think that all you have to do is get your plants into the ground, and with the exception... Read More