How to Remove Thatch From St. Augustine Grass
Thatch is a soil condition where semi-decomposed organic matter, such a grass clippings or leaves, builds up under the surface of the soil, creating a spongy layer. A thatch layer of more than 1/2 inch deep restricts air and water from reaching the roots of St. Augustine grass, resulting in poor growth. Removing thatch buildup from lawns is a labor-intensive task, but will improve the health of the lawn and make it easier to maintain. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Set the mowing height of a lawn mower to no more than 1 inch. Cut the entire surface of the St. Augustine grass, which will make it easier to remove thatch.
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2
Adjust the horizontal distance between the vertical mower blades to 3 inches apart for St. Augustine grass.
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Run the vertical mower over the entire surface of the St. Augustine grass.
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4
Place the vertical mower so that it is perpendicular to the previous angle and run it over the entire surface of the grass again.
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5
Rake the surface of the lawn thoroughly to remove all grass clippings and thatch from the surface. Leaving the thatch clippings will only result in the development of more thatch in the future.
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Apply an all-purpose grass fertilizer to encourage root development.
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Tips & Warnings
Verticle mowers are available for rent at garden supply centers or home improvement stores. A vertical mower looks like a push mower with vertical blades attached to the front of it.
St. Augustine grass is usually not susceptible to thatch development unless it is not mowed frequently enough. To prevent future development of thatch, mow the grass at least once per week during the summer.
You can also use a manual thatching rake instead of a vertical mower, but the work is more labor-intensive.
If the thatch layer is deeper than 1 inch, perform the procedure twice with a resting period of two weeks in between.
References
- Photo Credit grass image by Brett Bouwer from Fotolia.com
