The Best Way to Dethatch

Thatch should be removed in late summer or early fall to allow the lawn to dry before the first snow.

Having a perfectly smooth, emerald green lawn has long been a pursuit of homeowners. As with any project, achieving perfection takes time and effort --- grass must be watered and cut regularly. However, despite regular maintenance, your lawn might develop a thick layer of thatch that must be removed to stimulate proper growth. Thatch is essentially a layer of partially decomposed plant matter that forms on the surface of the soil. The best way to remove thatch, according to Nutri-Lawn, is to use a dethatching machine in combination with over-seeding.

Things You'll Need

• Dethatching machine or lawn mower with attachment
• Rake
• Grass seed

Instructions

1. Rent or purchase a dethatching machine from your local garden and lawn supply store. Many lawn mowers can be equipped with a dethatching attachment for this purpose.

2. Set your machine to the dethatch setting and mow your lawn as you regularly would. Focus on the areas that have a particularly thick layer of thatch.

3. Collect the thatch using a rake if your machine doesn't have a collecting bag attached to it. The thatch can be disposed of in your compost pile.

4. Reseed the lawn. Dethatching your lawn can be particularly harmful to the grass because it involves ripping out the grass and thatch from the lawn. Over-seeding will help fill in the holes caused by dethatching and ensure that you get a nice, full covering of grass.

References

• Nutri Lawn: Dethatching and Power Raking Your Lawn
• Youtube: How to Dethatch a Lawn