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When is best time to dethatch lawn


When is the best time to dethatch your lawn? |

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(Image credit: Polly Eltes)

Thick thatch can affect the growth of the grass in your yard, but you might be asking when is the best time to dethatch a lawn to improve its health.

Thatch occurs in every lawn and a thin layer of the dead turf material forms as part of the natural growth process. If it’s less than half an inch (1.27cm) in depth, it’s beneficial to the lawn’s health. But a layer that’s thick isn’t good for the grass and needs attention at the right moment in the gardening calendar.

Here, we look at when you should dethatch a lawn to keep the grass included in your backyard landscaping ideas healthy and verdant.

When is the best time to dethatch a lawn?

The best time to dethatch a lawn is when it’s actively growing. The soil should also be moderately moist. Generally, it’s best to have mowed a couple of times before dethatching.

Cool season grasses need to be dethatched in early spring or early fall. Note, though, that the grass should still be growing if you take the latter option as it needs to re-establish before frost season.

Warm season grasses should be dethatched in late spring through early summer.

Be aware that while these are the timings, it’s not necessarily the case that you will need to dethatch your lawn each year. Ryegrass, for example, may only need to be dethatched at more than annual intervals. Warm season grasses like Zoysia or Bermuda, meanwhile, produce thatch faster and may need dethatching more often.

Never ignore the state of the lawn. ‘If the lawn is dormant or stressed, this is definitely not the right time to dethatch as it can cause permanent damage,’ says Lucy Searle, global editor in chief of Homes & Gardens.

Providing the other conditions are fulfilled and the grass will be actively growing after dethatching, the task should generally be undertaken around the end of March or beginning of April. You could alternatively dethatch towards the end of the growing season – around the end of September.

What to check to dethatch a lawn at the right time

While it’s important to understand the guidelines on when to dethatch grass, you should always check the layer of thatch before going ahead. 

‘A thin layer of thatch is part of a healthy lawn, keeping the soil moist and insulating against extreme temperatures,’ says Lucy Searle. ‘It’s only when thatch builds up so that air and moisture can’t reach the soil and the roots of the grass that it becomes a problem.’

To check the depth of the layer of thatch, use a trowel or spade to dig up a small amount of both grass and soil from the lawn.

Thatch layer greater than half an inch (1.27cm) in depth? Then it’s time for dethatching.

Can dethatching hurt your lawn?

Dethatching could hurt your lawn if you don’t get the timing right. Dethatching should always be done when the grass is growing, so never do it when it’s dormant if you want a lawn that grows green and thick. Note also that the depth of the layer of thatch is crucial. If the layer of thatch is thicker than half an inch (1.27cm), and the conditions are also right, dethatching can promote your lawn’s health.

Is it better to dethatch or aerate?

Dethatching and aerating can both help keep a lawn healthy, but they do so in different ways. Dethatching needs to be carried out when the layer of thatch becomes too thick. A lawn that needs dethatching will feel very bouncy, but it’s best to dig down and remove a small section of grass and soil so you can measure the thatch layer before deciding to go ahead.

A lawn needs aerating, on the other hand, when the soil has become compacted. You may find thin or bare patches in the lawn, or the grass may be growing poorly. Gardening expert and writer Monty Don recommends doing so in September. ‘Even if your lawn has come through this summer unscathed, it is always a good idea to aerate it at this time of year,’ he says on his site .

Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor. Previously executive editor of Ideal Home, she’s specialized in interiors, property and gardens for over 20 years, and covers interior design, house design, gardens, and cleaning and organizing a home for H&G. She’s written for websites, including Houzz, Channel 4’s flagship website, 4Homes, and Future’s T3; national newspapers, including The Guardian; and magazines including Future’s Country Homes & Interiors, Homebuilding & Renovating, Period Living, and Style at Home, as well as House Beautiful, Good Homes, Grand Designs, Homes & Antiques, LandLove and The English Home among others. It’s no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house renovator. 

Spring Dethatching Tips

Help the lawn wake up from its winter slumber

By

Kelly Burke

Kelly Burke

Kelly Burke is a professional turf manager who is accredited in organic land care and a licensed pesticide applicator.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 05/19/22

The Spruce / Michelle Becker

It's spring, which it means it's time to once again focus on that lawn of yours. One of the first things you can do for a lawn in the spring is thatch control.

Thinning out the thatch in the lawn clears out old, dead grass and other organic matter that has built up but not broken down over the fall and winter months. Dethatching opens up the lawn surface, allowing for improved nutrient and water intake. It also cuts through stolons and rhizomes, or lateral stems, which encourages new growth.

The Best Time to Dethatch

The period of active growth and warming temperatures of spring are ideal for dethatching, but exactly when in spring depends on the type of turf you have.

Both warm-season and cold-season turf types should be dethatched after they are actively growing. A general rule of thumb is to wait until they have been mowed a couple of times. For warm-season turf, this typically happens in late spring to early summer. For cold-season turf, the right time is usually early spring. Cold-season grasses can also be de-thatched in early fall while the grass is still growing, as it needs time to re-establish before the frost season.

Common warm-season grasses include Zoysia, St. Augustine, Bermuda, Bahia and Centipede. Common cold-season grasses include Kentucky bluegrass, rough bluegrass, fescue, and ryegrass.

Assessing Your Thatch Layer

To determine if your lawn has an excessive amount of thatch, look at, feel, and even measure the thatch layer. What you're looking for is a thatch layer that's thicker than 1/2- to 3/4-inch, which means it's time to dethatch.

Get down on your belly and comb your fingers through the grass. You should be able to see some soil through the grass blades. You should also be able to poke your fingers through the thatch layer and into the soil fairly easily. If the soil is very hard to see or get through, you probably have an excessive thatch layer. Also check how the turf feels underfoot; springy and spongy means too much thatch. Finally, you can take a "core sample" of your turf by opening a vertical slice of it with a shovel and measuring the thatch layer with a ruler.

Dethatching Equipment

If you determine that your lawn needs dethatching, you can hire out the job to a lawn care company or do it yourself with your own equipment or a rental.

Dethatchers are available in many forms and may be gas-powered, electric or manual. A powered unit, which can be tractor-mounted or a walk-behind, gets its power from an engine, a PTO, or hydraulically. It either uses a series of vertical discs to cut the rhizomes and stolons and bring the thatch to the surface or a series of spring-loaded fingers to achieve similar results. Powered dethatching is sometimes referred to as vertical mowing, verti-cutting, or power raking.

A non-powered dethatcher is more reasonably priced and is usually dragged behind a lawn tractor or operated manually. A pull-behind unit tears rhizomes and stolons and pulls up thatch with a series of wire fingers that scratch the surface to various depths, depending on the weight applied to it. Dethatching manually is hard work and less effective but is nothing more than vigorously raking the lawn with a hard-tooth rake.

How to mow the lawn: 10 basic rules

Creating the perfect lawn is not easy. You need to know how to mow the lawn at the beginning and end of the season; with what frequency to carry out mowing; what time to do it; how high to leave the grass and much more.

If these nuances are not taken into account, the grass may turn brown or dry out altogether, moss will appear on the lawn, diseases may strike the grass - in a word, problems will arise that could have been avoided.

Rule 1. When to mow the lawn for the first time

The beauty and longevity of your lawn depends on the care you give it. And here care is especially important in the first years after planting the lawn: removing weeds, watering, fertilizing and mowing.

When you mow your lawn for the first time after planting, the grass itself will tell you. If its height has reached 8-10 cm, it's time to take on the lawn mower. However, at this point it is important not to overdo it, because at the first haircut, experts recommend removing no more than 1.5 cm, i.e. cut off only the tips of the blades of grass. As a result of this procedure, the grass begins to bush better, becomes thicker and more magnificent, the root system of plants is strengthened. After work, be sure to remove the cut grass, and water the lawn.

Further mowing depends on the type of lawn you have. However, in the first 2 years, while it has not yet fully formed, the height of the grass should be 1-2 cm more than it should be.

In the future, start the first mowing in the spring when the grass reaches a height of at least 8 cm. In the middle lane, this usually happens closer to mid-May.

Rule 2: How to prepare for lawn mowing

Mowing the lawn should be preceded by a preparatory step:

  1. Walk the lawn and remove all objects that may impede work: toys, furniture, garden sculptures, etc.
  2. To avoid injury, clear the area of ​​debris, branches and stones. Remember that lawnmower blades rotating at high speed turn any branch or pebble into a weapon that can lead to dire consequences.
  3. Remove weeds by hand or, if there are many, with herbicides.
  4. "Comb" the lawn surface with a fan rake or stiff broom. This procedure must be carried out before the first haircut of the season and before the last, on the eve of winter. During combing, dry grass and moss are removed. In addition, the dense earthen cover is destroyed, which did not allow oxygen to penetrate to the roots. Thanks to this, aeration improves and the grass begins to grow better.
  5. Inspect mower blades, sharpen mower blades if necessary.
  6. Use lawn clippers to cut grass in hard to reach places such as flowerbeds, trees, borders, fences and more. Scissors will also help to clear the edges of the lawn.

Rule 3: What to do with the cut grass after mowing the lawn

The first question that comes up after mowing the lawn, is it necessary to clean the cut grass? There is no single answer to it. Leave the grass or remove - depends on the situation.

In dry and hot summers, it is better not to remove the grass after mowing. It will act as a mulch, keep moisture in the soil and protect it from overheating. A mulch layer will help the grass to more easily endure adverse weather conditions.

But in a normal summer, especially in rainy weather, it is recommended to immediately rake the grass from the lawn after mowing. Otherwise, it will prevent evaporation, which will lead to the formation of moss and contribute to the appearance of mold.

Rule 4. How often to mow the lawn

The frequency of mowing depends on many factors:

The following lawn mowing frequency is recommended:

If the grass reaches a height of more than 10 cm between mowing, cut more frequently. However, this procedure should not be abused, because too frequent removal of tops injures plants: they experience stress, lose a large amount of moisture, and spend energy on recovery. It is worth starting mowing only when the grass is 1.5-2 cm longer than the length required for this type of lawn.

Rule 5. How high to mow the lawn

The height of the grass depends on the type of your lawn:

During dry periods, the height of the lawn is increased by a few centimeters to prevent the grass from drying out.

Rule 6. What time of day is best to mow the lawn

Rule 7. Is it possible to mow the lawn after rain

Can I mow my lawn after it rains? This question worries many gardeners. Here the answer is unequivocal - you should not do this. There are several reasons for this:

Rule 8. How to mow the lawn

To keep your lawn looking its best for many years, you should follow certain rules for every mowing:

  1. Mow the lawn only with a sharp tool. Otherwise, you will not be able to get an even cut at the tips of the grass - they will be wrinkled, which will give the lawn an untidy look. In addition, the use of a blunt tool will cause brown tips.
  2. Change the direction of the mower every time you mow: mow along the lawn, then across it. This will help you achieve a level area.
  3. Do not remove more than 1/3 of the height of the grass in one mowing, otherwise it will be difficult for it to recover after mowing. If you missed the time and the grass has overgrown, mow the lawn in several stages, removing no more than a third of the height each time.

Rule 9. Better lawn mowing

The list of tools that are used for mowing the lawn is quite long. Which one do you prefer? It depends on many factors:

Let's list the main devices and their advantages:

  1. Trimmer - suitable for working on areas with difficult terrain; they can remove grass even in hard-to-reach places; low price. However, it is almost impossible to achieve an ideal lawn, where all the blades of grass are of the same height, with a trimmer.
  2. Lawnmower - easy to use; does not require great physical strength; suitable for creating a "lawn from the cover".
  3. Rider or mini tractor – ideal for large areas; able to remove not only low, but also tough overgrown grass.

Rule 10. Last time to mow the lawn

How to winterize your lawn? The list of pre-winter activities that are mandatory for lawn care includes mowing. If the grass is left tall for the winter, it will lie down and in the spring will prevent the growth of young vegetation. In addition, due to the resulting cover, the risk of diseases increases.

The last time to mow the lawn in autumn depends on the air temperature. If the autumn is early, cold, then they do it in the middle - the end of September. If the temperature does not drop below 10 ° C and the grass continues to grow, then the last mowing is postponed to a later date - approximately in mid-October.

Work should be carried out on a warm, calm day. If the cut ends are small, then after cutting the mowed grass from the lawn can not be removed: in winter it will protect the soil from freezing. The height of the grass for the winter is left 1-2 cm higher than that established for this type of lawn.

One of the main conditions for a smooth emerald lawn is the right mowing. We hope our tips will help you in this matter.

Lawn mowing: 9 key questions

A neatly trimmed lawn keeps the yard neat and tidy. But in order for the lawn grass to become a thick emerald carpet, some effort must be made.

One of the main procedures, which cannot be dispensed with when maintaining a lawn, is regular mowing of the grass. It is important to know when the procedure should be carried out, how and under what conditions. About everything in order.

1. Why mow the lawn?

Of course, the lawn is mowed for aesthetic reasons, but this is just one of the reasons. The fact is that many varieties of lawn grasses are of "wild" origin. And this means that they are adapted to a quick recovery. That is why the grass cut once begins to actively grow lateral shoots, bushes and compacts. Therefore, you need to cut it regularly. But the compaction of the turf that occurs as a result is not a bad thing at all. Thick grass cover and does not allow weeds to break through.

2. How high should the lawn be cut?

As with any plant, pruning is a real stress. Of course, the grass recovers quickly, but you need to understand that after shearing, it quickly loses moisture and weakens, which is why it risks getting sick. To prevent this from happening, at a time it should be shortened by no more than 1/3 of the length, and after the procedure - watered and fed.

If the grass is not cut regularly and very low, weeds and mosses can grow on the lawn.

The height of the grass depends largely on the purpose of the lawn. For example, to create parterre lawn (front lawn for open areas) in our climate, you cannot cut the grass too low (up to 1-2 cm), as is done, say, in England. This will cause the lawn to become very hard and dry out quickly. So the most acceptable lawn mowing height in this case is 3-4 cm.

Decorative lawn (landscape) can be mowed to a height of 4-7 cm. These parameters are also suitable for functional lawn - where they relax, play outdoor games, have picnics.

There are also sports turfs which are not too typical for home gardens. They are designed for playgrounds where team games are played: football, field hockey or golf. Such sites are sown mainly with cereal grasses, as they are more resistant to trampling, and the lawn is cut to a height of 3-4 cm.

Lawn view

Cutting height

Parterre lawn

3-4 cm

Decorative garden lawn

4-7 cm

Functional lawn

4-7 cm

Sports turf

3-4 cm

If the weather is hot and dry during the summer, the grass can be cut a little higher than stated to protect it from drying out.

3. When is the first lawn mowing?

The first lawn mowing should be gentle. Usually it is carried out according to the following scheme: when the grass reaches a height of 12-14 cm, it is cut to 8-10 cm. Then, for 2 years, grass can be mowed to a height of 4-5 cm on parterre lawns, and 5 cm on functional and garden lawns. -7 cm. Usually the time of the first haircut falls on the end of April - mid-May.

4. How often should the lawn be mowed during the season?

It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously, because the intensity of grass regrowth after cutting depends on many conditions: the type of grass sown, soil conditions, weather conditions, top dressing and season. Therefore, you should focus on the height of the grass. As soon as the length of the blades of grass begins to exceed the established for a certain type of lawn by 1.5-2 cm, it's time to mow the lawn.

In the spring, when the grass is actively growing, it has to be mowed on average 1-2 times a week, in the summer - 1 time in 7-10 days. Closer to autumn, the grass is mowed 1 time in 2 weeks.

If for some reason you have not mowed the lawn for a long time, and the height of the grass has significantly exceeded the norm, you need to bring it to the required level in several steps. Because, as you remember, grass can only be shortened by 1/3.

5. How to mow the lawn?

6. How to mow the lawn?

The choice of implement depends on the area of ​​lawn, the effect you want to achieve and the composition of the lawn mixture you have sown.

Lawn mowers

The choice of lawn mowers in gardening stores today is quite large. You can find both the simplest ones and more complex ones, quite cheap and quite expensive.

The simplest - mechanical lawn mowers . They consist of a drum with a cutting element, wheels and a handle. They can be adjusted to cut the grass, they are quite silent and are much cheaper than other lawn mowers. And the quality of the haircut, provided that the knives are well sharpened, can be even higher than that of other types of lawn mowers. Although this device also has a significant disadvantage: it is quite difficult to work with it, especially on a large area.

Electric lawn mowers are good in that they are mostly light and compact. Not only a man can cope with them, but also a woman or a teenager. The only drawback of such a mower is its dependence on a power source.

The cordless mowers are a type of electric mower. But they are not very convenient and economical, so they are not in great demand and are quite rare on sale.

Petrol lawnmowers are independent of an external power source, which is their undoubted advantage. They are also suitable for processing a large area. However, they are heavier, create a lot of noise and are not cheap.

Trimmers

The trimmer is an efficient lawn mowing tool. The device is equipped with a motor that rotates the nylon fishing line at such a speed that it is able to cut grass. Trimmers are divided into 2 main groups depending on the method of power: electric and gasoline.

Lawn mowing with a trimmer is used to cut grass along the edges of the site or in places inaccessible to the lawn mower. But you can mow with this tool and the entire lawn completely.

The electric trimmers, like electric lawn mowers, need a power outlet and their long cord can snag trees and shrubs. But they are lightweight and great for small areas.

The petrol trimmers are more mobile, but also noisier and heavier. They cost more than electric ones, but they mow well and are able to cover large areas.

Lawn clippers

Lawn shears are the simplest tool for cutting grass. They are used to trim the lawn along the edges of the site or around benches and shrubs, as well as along fences. That's just a large area they can not process.

7. What to do with the cut grass?

Generally, grass clippings should be removed from the mowed lawn immediately. Usually this is done with a rake. But during the hot season, when the lawn is not cut too short, the cut grass can be evenly spread over the area and left as a mulch, which will help retain moisture in the soil.

8. When and how should the last lawn mowing be done?

In autumn, it is important to properly prepare the lawn for winter, including pre-winter mowing. If this is not done, during a cold snap, tall grass will fall to the ground, and in the spring it will interfere with the germination of young growth. In addition, such a lawn is more vulnerable to many diseases.

The last mowing should be done about 2 weeks before the first frost, on a warm and calm day. In this case, the grass should be mowed 1-2 cm above the norm. The cut grass should be removed.

9. What kind of lawn does not need mowing?

If you want a problem-free lawn, you can sow shoot-forming (shoot-bearing) bent grass in plot . This is a low cereal plant that grows no higher than 15 cm in height. The bent spreads along the ground and forms medium-sized bushes. The result is a light green "mat". It looks very neat and quite unusual, because the grass grows in several tiers, and you get a lawn that does not require mowing. The bent grows quickly, therefore, in a very short period, it occupies the entire territory allotted for the lawn. At the same time, lawn care is quite simple, because the plant is unpretentious to the composition of the soil and other growing conditions. However, bentgrass will grow best on well-drained, fertilized land.

Another lawn option that does not need regular mowing is Moorish Lawn . To create it, it is enough to buy a special mixture of seeds. When choosing it in the store, try to choose mixtures with herbs that grow well in your area. For the Mauritanian lawn, a lot of different types of plants are used: daisies, calendula, poppies, flax, cornflowers, delphinium and others.

What do you think about creating a meadow in your backyard? Meadow lawn , although it is afraid of trampling, it should be mowed no more than once a month, or even less often.

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