Thatch is a layer of organic material that builds up between the soil and grass in your lawn. A thin layer of thatch is beneficial to the grass, providing nutrients, preserving moisture in the soil, and insulating the roots from extreme temperatures. But when that layer of thatch becomes too thick, it will choke your lawn, preventing vital nutrients, oxygen, and water from reaching the roots. When that happens, you’ll need to dethatch your lawn. Ahead, we’ll break down what tools you need to complete this job and take you step by step through how to dethatch your lawn.
What Is Dethatching?
Over time, grass clippings, leaves, and other debris left on your lawn form a thick spongy layer known as thatch. The process of dethatching involves removing that layer of debris using a metal rake, special dethatching rake, tow behind dethatcher, or power dethatcher.
What Does Dethatching Do?
A thick layer of thatch on your lawn can block water, oxygen, and nutrients from reaching the soil and grass roots, killing your lawn. When you dethatch the lawn and remove that excess debris, you improve airflow to the lawn, allowing grass roots to receive oxygen, water and nutrients. Since excess thatch can also serve as a breeding ground for insects, dethatching makes your lawn less susceptible to pests.
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How to Dethatch Your Lawn
Step 1: Mow the lawn.
Before you can remove thatch, you need to be able to get to it. Mow your lawn to about half of its regular height, so you can reach the thatch layer.
Step 2: Choose your detaching tool.
You have a few options when it comes to choosing a dethatching tool.
Dethatching rake
A manual dethatching rake has curved sharp tines specially designed to bite into dense thatch, making it easier to pull up.
Power dethatcher
These walk-behind machines look similar to electric lawn mowers. But instead of a blade, they have a cylinder of spinning tines powered by an electric motor. The tines bite into the earth as you go, pulling up dead grass and other debris. These machines require less physical effort than dethatching rakes as they do the pulling for you. They also have the potential to do more damage to the healthy grass in your lawn, and they’re pricier than a manual rake.
Garden rake
A metal garden rake or bow rake has metal tines that dig into the earth to pull up thatch. They don’t work as well as dedicated dethatching rakes, but they’re a good option if you already own one and don’t want to purchase another tool, or if you have a smaller yard to dethatch.
Tow behind dethatcher
If you own a lawn tractor, you can purchase a tow behind dethatcher, which sits on two wheels and has metal tines that dig into the soil to pull out thatch as it rolls along. Since tow behind dethatchers can be up to four feet wide, they can cover a large area in a small amount of time.
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Step 3: Dethatch your lawn.
Whether you’re using a rake or a power thatcher, use a criss-cross checkerboard pattern to dethatch your lawn to get the best results. Start by dethatching your lawn in stripes until you’ve covered the entire area. Next, dethatch a second set of stripes that are perpendicular to the first set, again covering the entire yard.
If you’re using a dethatching rake or bow rake, apply downward pressure to push the tines into the thatch as you pull the handle toward you to tear up the thatch layer.
Step 4: Remove the debris.
The process of dethatching leaves a lot of debris on your lawn. Once you’re done dethatching, use a standard leaf rake to collect all the loose thatch. You can then dispose of it or use it for compost.
Step 5: Treat the lawn.
After dethatching your lawn, check for bare spots and add grass seed where needed. Since dethatching loosens up the top layer of soil, this is also an ideal time to overseed the entire lawn. If you do plan to overseed, aerate the lawn after dethatching and prior to overseeding. Lastly, water the lawn to help it recover from all the raking.
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What is the difference between dethatching and aeration?
Dethatching is a process that involves removing a dense layer of organic material, called thatch, from the surface of the soil using a rake, so your grass can receive the air, water and nutrients it needs to grow.
Aeration involves using an aerator to pull small plugs of soil out of your yard. This process allows oxygen to reach the grass roots, encouraging them to grow. Aeration is something you can do annually and typically precedes reseeding since the small holes created by aeration serve as a perfect place for new grass seedlings to grow.
How do I know if my lawn needs dethatching?
There are a few telltale signs that your lawn is in need of dethatching. Walk around your yard. If you notice sections that are yellow and bare and feel spongy when you walk across them, it’s likely time to dethatch. You can also remove a small section of turf using a shovel or trowel, then measure the thickness of the brown layer between the soil and the grass. If it’s more than 3/4 of an inch thick, it’s time to dethatch.
Be mindful before dethatching your lawn. The process stresses your lawn as there is no way to remove thatch without damaging healthy grass. Also keep in mind that a thin layer of thatch is actually beneficial as it keeps soil moist, naturally fertilizes the lawn as it breaks down, serves as a barrier for some pests, and protects the grass roots from extreme temperatures.
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What time of year should you dethatch your lawn?
Since dethatching stresses your lawn, you should only do it during the growing season when it’s better able to recover. Dethatch cool-season lawns in the early fall or early spring. For warmer-season grasses, dethatch in the late spring or early summer.
Avoid dethatching your grass during dormant periods, such as the mid-summer or winter, when the grass will have a harder time recovering. Also, avoid dethatching during droughts, extreme heat, or very wet weather.
What is the easiest way to dethatch your lawn?
Power dethatchers come with a steeper price tag, but they are by far the easiest way to dethatch your lawn. This dethatching machine has a motor with spinning tines that do the hard labor of pulling up the thatch. Some even have bagging attachments that will collect the thatch so you don’t have to rake it up manually afterwards. Just be mindful when using a power thatcher as it has greater potential to damage your lawn than a manual rake.
When should I hire a professional for dethatching?
While dethatching your lawn isn’t complicated, raking out thatch is labor intensive, especially for larger yards or those with a thick layer of thatch to remove. Some detaching jobs are simply too big to handle on your own. If you have a large yard or a thatch layer that’s an inch thick or more, it’s best to call in a professional. Professional lawn care companies have large power dethatching machines capable of covering larger lawns or pulling up thicker layers of thatch much more easily than a manual rake or an electric dethatcher.
