Don't Make These Mistakes Everyone Makes When Dethatching Your Lawn

When's the last time you checked under the "hood" of your lawn? Thatch, the layer of organic debris under the lawn's surface, is a normal component of a healthy lawn, but if it gets too thick, it can cause issues. That's when it's time to dethatch your lawn — and when you do it, it's important to do it right. According to Bryan Clayton, CEO of GreenPal, common mistakes to avoid include dethatching at the wrong time, neglecting to clean up the thatch, or dethatching when you're better off doing something else instead.

Some lawns never once see a dethatcher — and that's perfectly fine, since it's not always necessary. But if the thatch is not able to decompose quickly enough, it may reach a level of thickness that blocks water and oxygen from reaching the roots. This also encourages insects and pests. Dethatching your lawn involves cutting and removing the thatch with a rake-like machine. Since it's not as common of a lawn chore, though, many people are unfamiliar with proper protocol. "I've overseen thousands of lawn projects, and when it comes to dethatching, I've seen homeowners make the same mistakes over and over," Clayton told House Digest in an exclusive interview.

One mistake that Clayton highlighted is dethatching when it's not really needed. "If you don't have at least a half-inch of thatch, you're wasting time," Clayton said. "A lot of people are better off just core aerating." Core aeration involves using a tool to remove plugs of soil from the lawn; it increases the flow of water and air and reduces soil compaction. According to Clayton, you can determine whether dethatching is truly in order by digging a small slice out of the lawn and measuring it.

If you've found that the thatch layer is greater than half an inch and are eager to fix the problem, hold your horses and check the calendar first. Proper timing is key with dethatching, because it stresses the lawn. "I've seen folks rip up their yard in July and wonder why their lawn looks worse," Clayton told House Digest in his exclusive interview. "The best time is early fall, late August to mid-September. That way the grass has time to bounce back and the seed can germinate before winter."

Lastly, don't forget to actually remove the thatch when you're done dethatching, or it will just sit on top of the lawn and create more problems. "Dethatching makes a disaster out of your yard," Clayton said. "If you're not ready to rake and bag all that dead junk, don't bother. Leaving it chokes out the grass all over again." You can put the thatch in your compost pile or use it in a mulch.

Dethatching is quite simple: "Mow the grass short first, make one pass, then rake it all up and seed right after," Clayton explained in his exclusive House Digest interview. "Water daily 'til it sprouts." You can get your hands on a dethatcher rental at your local home improvement store. Or, if your yard is small, Clayton recommended using a "hard-tine rake and some elbow grease" instead. "Just scratch out the yellow stuff and seed in between the green blades," he said.

If that seems like too much work or expense, dethatching isn't your only option. According to Clayton, you can also use a core aeration to reduce the amount of thatch in the lawn. "It breaks up the thatch and opens the soil, and there's not a ton to clean up. You can run it twice and get great results," Clayton said. "Most people don't know it, but it basically dethatches too." It's also less destructive to the lawn, and since there are manual core aerators available, you can even fix a patchy lawn without using expensive tools.