How to Dethatch Lawns

Thatch is the buildup of decomposing blades of grass. It’s the grass your lawn mower cuts off. A regular lawn mower cuts a blade of grass off in one cut. A mulcher-mower cuts the blade of grass many times, to help speed up the decomposition of the cut grass, or “thatch”. It is good to leave the cut grass on the lawn, as it returns valuable nutrients, most notably nitrogen.

A problem occurs when there is too much decomposing grass in your lawn. Thatch builds up when the decomposition process is too slow in decomposing the grass. Excess thatch is most common in spring to early summer, when lawns are growing the fastest. Thatch then builds up into a thick, stifling layer. Heavy thatch impedes the movement of nutrients and water to the roots of the grass. Secondly, it can prevent the emergence and growth of new blades of grass. It also can harbor plant disease that is harmful to your lawn.  

De-thatching lawns help in overall lawn growth and health when thatch buildup is excessive. De-thatching is the process of removing the cut, decaying layer of dead grass. It’s accomplished by simply raking out the thatch. If the task of raking your lawn seems overwhelming, lawn care services can do it for you.

In most cases, de-thatching need not be a regular lawn care chore. It only needs to be done when thatch build-up is excessive.