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The Tell-Tale Signs It's Time To Dethatch Your Lawn
By ROBYN HUNT
A lush and healthy lawn can accumulate a layer of dead grass, roots, and debris, better known as thatch. You’ll want to eliminate thatch during your lawn’s active growing season.
Cool-season grasses should be dethatched during their active growth in early spring or early fall, while warm-season grasses should be dethatched in late spring.
You can easily dethatch your yard by using a lawn mower and a special dethatching rake. Start by mowing your lawn a little shorter than usual.
Cutting it shorter will make it easier for the dethatching rake to penetrate the thatch. Use your rake to remove the buildup by pulling it through the grass in a backward motion.
For larger lawns, it’s best to consider renting a vertical mower or a power rake, also known as a dethatching machine.
Adjust the dethatching machine to about ¼ to ½ inch above the soil level. The machine’s rotating blades will pull up the thatch and spit it onto the lawn’s surface.
Once you’ve removed the thatch, you can pick it up by hand or rake it, but you’ll want to dispose of it properly by composting it or putting it into the green waste bin.
Over-dethatching should be avoided. It’s generally recommended to dethatch once every one to three years, depending on the level of thatch buildup.