How Does a Power Rake Work?
Other People Are Reading
-
Uses
-
During the year a lawn can get choked and stunted from old grass and leaves getting caught up and entwined in the old grass roots. This turns into an unsightly lawn of half-dead grass with just a few pieces of green poking through. In addition to being unsightly thatch can be damaging to the soil and lawn. Also, the thick layer of dead roots and grasses prevents fertilizer and rain from reaching the lawn's soil. This in turn prevents the new, healthy growth of grass and other plants. It is possible to remove this thatch with the use of a power rake. The power rake is designed to dig out the old grass thatch to make room for the new grass to grow in its place.
Thatch Removal
-
A power rake, sometimes called a lawn dethatcher, looks like an ordinary rake with a few exceptions. A power rake has more than one row of blades, and they are much sharper than ordinary rake blades. Your metal rake may be able to eliminate some thatch, but usually the metal is too thin and weak to be very effective. This is where the power rake comes into play. The blades on the power rake are slightly curved to provide the user with the ability to pull and cut the thatch out of the way. There are both hand operated power rakes and power rake attachments that can be pushed over the lawn like a push mower. The push power rakes are better for large areas, but the hand operated versions are better for precision removal of deep thatch. If the thatch is very deep, then it may pull up some of the existing roots of the live grass, but they will easily grow back without the hindrance of the thatch in the way.
-
Raking Tips
-
The best time to use a power rake on a lawn or flower bed is during early spring. In the spring the ground is soft and slightly wet making it easier to cut through the roots and dead leaves and grass of the thatch. It is usually necessary to re-rake the ground after dethatching for final removal of the thatch. According to Blades Lawn Care it is necessary to dethatch a lawn at least every 4 to 5 years. Some lawns may require a yearly pass with a power rake. Although the first application of a power rake will take a long time and the thatch will be difficult to remove, any use after that should be much easier.
-
