A beautiful lawn is enjoyed not only by the homeowner but by neighbors and everyone who passes by. A beautiful lawn can be the envy of the neighborhood. Many people have cut back on lawn services to cut expenses in this poor economy and are doing it themselves. Learning how to properly care for a lawn requires understanding terms like dethatching. Experts say that dethatching your lawn is a necessary task if you want to have a beautiful lawn.
Thatch is the layer of plant material both living and dead that can include grass clippings, leaves, dead stems and roots which reside between the roots of grass plants and the green grass. Thatch can develop quickly if you don't mow your lawn regularly and leave the large grass clippings for mulch. These large grass clippings decompose slowly and can create a thick layer of thatch. It's best to mow the lawn frequently so that the grass clippings are small and will decompose quickly. Thatch develops naturally also as the grass throws off roots, leaves, etc.. Some thatch is good because it protects the roots. Too much thatch stops the moisture, air and many nutrients from going into the soil. Lawns with too much thatch dry out quicker which makes the lawn turn brown particularly during a drought.
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How do you know if the thatch on your lawn is too thick? You can tell by looking at it but the thatch shouldn't be more than 1 inch deep on the lawn. If it is thicker than this it is a good idea to dethatch the lawn. Once this is done you should only have to dethatch every 2 or 3 years if you maintain your lawn regularly.
If you have a small lawn you can use a thatching rake. This rake slices into the lawn vertically and brings up all the dead material. It is best to rake in one direction to minimize damage to the grass roots. Once you have the dead thatch material on the surface you can use a leaf rake to rake it all up. The thatch makes great compost which can be reapplied to the lawn after it has decomposed.
If you have a large lawn you can rent a power rake, also called a vertical mower, from a equipment rental store. This machine has blades that spin vertically and pull the thatch to the surface as they cut into the layer of thatch.
The best time of year to dethatch a lawn is in the summer, fall or early spring. It shouldn't be done once growth has started in the spring because the grass needs the nutrients and energy stored in the roots.
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