A lush , green lawn gets luck of love for both its mantrap and as a magnet forfamily playfulness . However , it also provides a innkeeper of other benefits . It traps junk and debris your family might track into the home , releases oxygen into the air , and controls stormwater overflow . But there are times when a jumble of clippings , grass stem , roots , and junk — or thatch — takes over and it might be time to dethatch it .

A thin layer of thatch is n’t a cause for concern , but a thick bed will steal your lawn ’s lustre and power to perform those all - of import functions . If dethatching is in order , the good time to tackle it is in late summertime or early fall , periods when the supergrass is in full ontogenesis mode .

WHAT YOU NEED

STEP ONE: ASSESS THE THATCH

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It ’s good to measure out how thick the layer of Blackbeard is before you start to dethatch . A fragile stratum of Edward Thatch can in reality benefit your lawn , protect it from estrus and helping to hold moisture . If the thatch layer is thicker than 0.75 to 1 in , it ’s time to off it .

Use a trowel or reach spade to dig up a patch of thatched roof . If you do n’t have one William Christopher Handy , put on a pair of gloves and seek to pull it up with your hands . Gauge the thickness by looking at it or by assess it with a swayer .

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STEP TWO: MOW YOUR LAWN

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For the undecomposed results when you dethatch your lawn , the gage should be curt . However , because you will be dethatching when your lawn ’s increment is at its peak , odds are it will be standing marvellous and majestic and you will necessitate to mow it .

Mowingenables the dethatcher to savvy down deeply and also helps to separate up some of the Edward Thatch , which will make your job easier . Using a manual or power mower , accompany the directions for the lowest summit setting for your lawn ’s dope variety , and then start mowing .

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STEP THREE: WATER YOUR LAWN

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Thatch can be tough and tolerant to efforts to remove it . But weewee softens the Edward Thatch and makes it more prepped and pliable for the dethatcher . Also , moisture lessens the stress on the pot .

Water the lawn with a hosiery or sprinkler just enough for it to be wet , not soaked . Then wait for a day or two before you commence to dethatch your lawn . Naturally , if it has rain down during that period , you will need to hold back again .

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STEP FOUR: IT’S TIME TO DETHATCH

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Put on your gardening gloves to foreclose blister . If you are using a thatching slant — or dethatching rake , the two terms are used interchangeably — start to rake up the Edward Teach by pulling toward you . Be thrifty not to comprehend too deeply into the lawn and filth . Use just enough force to remove the Blackbeard . To release the thatched roof from the rake , bear on away from you .

A office dethatcher is a good selection for midsized and large lawns . Before you practice it , place it on a hard surface such as a stone paseo or concrete . Make certain the tines are just nuzzling the soil or are just a little above it . You do n’t need it digging too profoundly into the weed and grime .

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Once it is set to the right pinnacle , work it in the same manner you would a lawn lawn mower , push in straight lines . Stop the mower after you have completed each line to rake and transfer debris so you ’re not going over them again .

STEP FIVE: CLEAN UP

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Whether you apply a thatching rake or a mightiness dethatcher , there will be a mint of detritus left behind . Use a standard garden slant to collect it into piles and then invest them in a wheelbarrow .

you could lend the thatch to compost but be aware that it takes longer than other garden dissipation to violate down . Alternatively , place the debris in eco - friendly garden bags and discard it .

Lawn and Twigs with other debris

STEP SIX: AERATE, IF NECESSARY

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After you have dethatched your lawn , you might also need toaerate it . Some telltale signs that aeration is needed let in pack soil , water pooling in spots , and browned or pallid blades of grass .

A assortment of aeration tools are at your disposal . They include lawn coring and rollingaeratorsand aerator shoes with spike . apply any of these tool to bore holes into your lawn to create a stronger root organisation and make it well-off for your lawn to absorb nutrient and water .

mowing lawn

STEP SEVEN: FERTILIZE, RESEED, AND WATER

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Right after you dethatch your lawn it will be stressed and weakened . So , give it a upright feed with lawn food and starter fertilizer . If you notice fragile patches throughout your lawn , take the opportunity toseed itafter feed , never before .

Wait a solar day after fertilizing and add up seeds to irrigate your lawn . Moisture feed the lawn ’s stem and new source . It also breaks down the plant food so it ’s more easily usable to your lawn . Keep sess moist for several day afterward .

Sprinkler watering the lawn in a park

DON’T BE DAUNTED WHEN IT’S TIME TO DETHATCH

While dethatching your lawn can be a time - consume and exhausting Book of Job , the good news is that it ’s improbable you ’ll need to do it more than once a year . It look on what type of supergrass your lawn is . Thatch builds up faster in warm - season dope such as Bermuda and zoysia , but slower in coolheaded - time of year grasses such as bluegrass and ryegrass . So , have you dethatched your lawn before ? countenance us get laid how it went .

Dethatching Rake lying on top of thatch debris

Wheelbarrow with debris on lawn

Rolling aerator lying on lawn

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