Thatch is a intermixed layer of dead and living roots, leaves, and stems that accumulate between actively growing grass and the soil underneath. Removing excess thatch is necessary, but only do so in the fall. If done too early in the year, the turf may struggle to recover before the demanding summer sun rolls in and dries it.
If dethatching is done in the fall, lawns have the proper amount of resources and time to recover before winter. Finally, dethatching only needs to be done every once in a while. Keep in mind, there is a difference between dethatching and power raking your lawn , which we cover in another blog. When you seed in the spring, seedlings are likely to grow.
Just keep in mind that small areas are still subject to the same stressful conditions noted above. Because of this, we suggest setting your expectations low and understanding that you may have to reseed in autumn. Bluegrass, common in sodded lawns, is an aggressive thatch maker. If dethatching is necessary, then fall is a better time frame.
See next paragraph for why dethatching in the spring is strongly not advised. Dethatching Damage Dethatching in the spring is a bad procedure for several reasons. First, it tears and rips turf that is often still dormant and therefore will be unable to recover after winter injury, snow mold and ice damage.
Spring dethatching hits a lawn hard when it is already in a precarious condition. You really need to cut through the thatch with sharp blades. I recommend a professional machine for this, which you can probably rent, or have done professionally. I dethstched and mowed short this week in spots lawn looks very brown.
Should I seed? I Am in South Dakota. My wife thinks the lawn is dead there is much green but a lot of brown down low. I live in the Norteast,NH, and have always gone back and forth on spring thatching…. It is not useless — it provides an important aesthetic feature for gardens and is the best plant for making walking areas. If everyone was a gardener — then we could get rid of the lawn — but they are not.
I have been looking at lawn alternatives and have yet to find one that meets the requirements provided by a lawn and takes less chemicals to control. It is a common battle cry from environmentalists — but they have not provided an alternative. Should the remaining lawn be dethatched at this time of year?
Dethatching has nothing to do with climate or dead lawns. How much thatch do you have? If you have too much then you should dethatch. Early fall is a good time to dethatch so the grass roots can heal themselves in the coming cool months. I have small leaves and flower pedals that collect in my lawn. Can I seed over it or do I need to de thatch before seeding. Not sure if the seed will reach the soul. Will seed that falls onto leaves germinate? If you are going to over seed you need to remove the leaves.
But this has nothing to do with dethatching. Consider this — most over seeding does not work. Unless the seed reaches the soil, and is covered with a bit of soil it will probably not grow. Seed bigger patches where you can rake seed into the soil, but forget over seeding the whole lawn. When it needs it.
If it never gets more than this — you never dethatch. At first we have to decide that if the lawn needs dethatching or not. And if you think that lawn needs dethatching than it should be done in the early days of the corresponding season. If it is done during cool season than it will be done during early spring. If the lawns are big than power dethatcher is being used that covers the lawn area once. Do you have a reference that confirms dethatching for cool season grass should be done in spring?
So if you try to dethatch, you will pull lots of grass plants up out of the ground. Robert, is there evidence about how tall grass is allowed to grow and how that correlates to build up of thatch? Does mowing height affect thatch? I could find no reference to indicate that longer grass would increase or decrease the amount of thatch.
When grass grows better, it does form more thatch. For example, if you fertilize you will make the grass grow better, which in turn increases the amount of rhizomes and roots, which in turn increases the thatch. Mowing higher does make the lawn grow better, so I suspect it will also increase thatch. But I suspect the benefits of longer grass outweigh the downside of more thatch. Press here to subscribe. Garden Myths - Learn the truth about gardening.
Keeping short grass before winter comes is also known to reduce vole damage to your plants. They are less likely to nest in the short grass where they are more visible to predators.
Fall is a great time to aerate your lawn. Aeration is a mechanical process that involves pulling out soil cores to reduce soil compaction and allow for air, water and nutrients to penetrate the grass roots.
Aerating your lawn helps the grass roots grow deeply and produce a stronger, healthier lawn and provides better seed-to-soil contact when combined with overseeding.
The optimal time for aeration is late August to mid October because most weeds are not actively germinating. Spring is the second best time for aerating your lawn, but you may encounter more weed pressure as weed seeds are exposed to light.
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