Keep your grass lush — tips on dealing with thatch ( it ’s inevitable ) and how to minimize it .
Thatch is a matted layer of grass stem , source , stolons , rhizomes , and other organic detritus that build up quicker than it can decompose . Dethatching lawns is the solution when it builds up more than ½ inch thick . Dead and aliveness plant life material accumulates immediatelybelow the unripened surface of the lawn — on top of the soil at the base of operations of the blades .
When Thatch is Good
A layer of thatch less than ½ in thick is normal and is n’t lawsuit for action . A thin layer of Teach is a good thing ; it reduce soil crush and increases tolerance for cold and oestrus by protecting the crest ( the point on the flora where grass growth originates ) . Thatch also trim water loss through dehydration .
If the thatch is more than ½ inch dense , it may get worry , and it might be fourth dimension to dethatch the lawn . Think of it as a stratum of formative wrap on top of the soil . Your grass wo n’t have access code to air , water , or nutrient because Edward Teach blocks them from reach the roots . A thick layer of thatch can harbordisease - do insectsand fungi , prolong high humidity that promotes disease , and bind or tie up pesticides . As thatch builds , grass root word rumple into the Edward Teach layer rather of the soil , where they easily yield to environmental stresses such as prolonged period of live , dry conditions .
What causes thatch?
There are legion causes for overly thick thatch . The most vernacular single are :
Grass Varieties
Somelawn eatage varietiesare more prone to developing thatch than others . For example , among the nerveless - season grass specie , Kentucky bluegrass is a premier wrongdoer for open aggressively and accumulating Teach . Tall Festuca elatior may be a well choice for avoid thatch . Bermudagrassis more likely to accumulate thatch thanzoysiagrassamong the warm - season pasture species . check up on with your local cooperative extension service to well empathise the grass mintage that ferment in your area .
Cool - season grasses are referred to as northern grass and conform well to cold climates . Warm - season grasses are often referred to as southerly grass that fly high in hot summers but are susceptible to cold weather .
Checking for Thatch
There are multiple ways to find if your lawn has a Teach job . The easiest is to learn to see if your lawn is green on top but brown below . The unspoiled fourth dimension to curb isafter you mowwhen you ’ve just cut off the top green growth . If you have Edward Thatch , thelawn will take care brownor all in .
To test for thatch , walk across your lawn . If it feels squashy , it may be due to thatch .
If you ’re still unsure , use a nigga or tongue to trim down several small sparking plug from the lawn . measure out the Edward Teach , which appear as a layer of spongelike brown material between the green goddess and the territory . Dethatching lawn is in parliamentary law if the thatch is more than ½ inch deeply .
Credit: Scott Little
When is the best time for dethatching lawns?
Dethatching lawns should only be done when conditions are best to promote speedy recovery of your sess type . The best clip to dethatch cool - time of year lawn is former August to former October , count on your location , when the grass spring up smartly and few pot seminal fluid are probable to germinate . A light app program of fertilizer(½ to ¾ punt actual nitrogen per 1,000 straight foot ) and regular , deep lachrymation will quicken the lawn ’s recuperation .
Dethatch warm - time of year lawns in late spring or early summer after they are completely green and grow rapidly .
How do I dethatch my lawn?
There are several way of dethatching lawn . For lawns with moderate level of Edward Thatch , air may do the trick . Or utilise a cavex rakehell ( also known as a thatching or lawn dethatcher rake ) with unusual semicircular tines . Those knifelike bladescut through the sodand displume out the Teach .
The most effective solution for dethatching lawns that are tumid and have serious thatch trouble is a vertical mower ( power rake ) . Resembling a weighed down - duty business leader mower but with a series of spinning erect knives , it cuts through the Blackbeard .
Discarding Thatch
Dethatching often creates a enceinte volume of debris that must be removed . If the debris is green goddess - free and you have not used weedkiller or pesticide on your lawn , compost it . you’re able to also check to see if your city has a composting programme for yard waste .
How do I reduce future thatch accumulation?
Edward Thatch is inevitable , but appropriate lawn tutelage practice will reduce the severity in the future tense .
How do I aerate my lawn?
The antecedent of all plants need airwave as much as water , which is whyaerating your lawnis so of import . It ’s a simple appendage of punch the soil ( and any thatched roof ) while removing plugs of lawn that provide behind small golf hole that allow piddle , aviation , and plant food to get to root . Aeration activate the beginning to grow deep , producing a more vigorous lawn .
Frequently Asked Questions
Mow the lawn a little shorter than common and irrigate it gently before dethatching . For the right results , dethatch when the grease is slimly moist , not juiceless . Do n’t attempt to dethatch wet territory though ; you ’ll end up creating undesirable bare fleck .
A Teach level prevents new seed from reaching the ground . Dethatch right before you manage to give seed the good chance to penetrate and grow .
Credit: Doug Hetherington
Credit: Jacob Fox
