Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
The Best Time of the Year to Dethatch My Lawn
The Best Time of the Year to Dethatch My Lawn. A common myth of lawn care is that leaving grass clippings on your lawn will contribute to the problem of thatch--the unsightly web of brown stems and apparently dead grass that weaves close to the soil. Thatch is actually a normal part of grass growth for two reasons. Firstly, the grass reproduces...
A common myth of lawn care is that leaving grass clippings on your lawn will contribute to the problem of thatch--the unsightly web of brown stems and apparently dead grass that weaves close to the soil. Thatch is actually a normal part of grass growth for two reasons. Firstly, the grass reproduces through sending out rhizomes and stems. Secondly, thatch consists of visible roots. Many homeowners choose to rid the lawn of thatch by removing it with special machines.
Reasons to Dethatch
Too much thatch--more than 1 inch--keeps water and nutrients from getting to the soil. The thatch stays moist which makes it an ideal breeding ground for fungus that can ruin a lawn. Once it is removed it works well as composting material or a temporary mulch as long as it has not be treated with herbicide.
Machine Dethatching
Dethatching is best done in the spring when the lawn is dry, and on a regular basis every two years or so. If it is left too long it may build up and create a larger job removing it. Many home and hardware stores rent dethatching machines that are simple to use. Guided over the lawn much like a lawnmower, they use metal fingers to reach down into the grass and pull the thatch up to deposit into a bag.
Other Dethatching
Manual dethaching is possible with a special rake but the work is hard unless it is a small lawn. The thatch can be difficult to pull up. Special dethatching attachments are sold for converting lawnmowers to a dethatcher but Tom Cook, turf grass specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service, does not recommend them as they are rough on a lawnmower.
After Dethatching
Some homeowners do not like to dethatch their lawn because it makes the lawn look ragged and beat up for several weeks. However, with the thatch gone it is an ideal time to put fertilizer and new grass seed down. There will be much better soil contact and any holes left behind by the dethatcher will quickly fill in. The existing grass will also have an opportunity to grow more efficiently.
