You think you’re doing everything right with your lawn. You’re feeding, weeding, watering, mowing, and it’s still struggling. The problem could lie unseen just beneath the surface — thatch.
Knowing how to dethatch your lawn allows you to rid it of dead material, improve air flow, prevent soil compaction, and increase water absorption.
And it’s not difficult. Simply pick the right dethatching tool, trim your grass short, and use your tool to loosen and rake out the thatch.
Why should you remove thatch?
A layer of organic material, thatch is excess grass clippings and decaying leaves that build up between your soil surface and the grass blades. While a half inch of thatch can protect the roots and preserve moisture, too much can spell trouble.
“A thatch layer becomes a waterproof blanket on the soil surface,” warn the experts at Missouri Botanical Gardens. “Roots and rhizomes of turf grass grow in the thatch layer rather than in the soil where they belong. Grass roots become shallow, and your lawn becomes more prone to drought stress. Thatch makes it difficult to get water, nutrients, and oxygen to the soil and to the roots of the grass.”
If dethatching is too much work for you, hire a local lawn care professional to do the job without any hassle.
Read More:
Before you dethatch
Dethatching works best during your lawn’s active growing season. That’s early spring or late summer to early fall for cool-season grasses, and late spring to early summer for warm-season grasses.
One or two days before dethatching, mow your lawn to around half its usual height. This lets you reach the thatch without harming healthy grass. Be careful not to scalp the lawn. After you mow, bag the grass clippings. The cleaner the canvas, the easier dethatching will be.
If the soil is dry, finish up with some light watering the day before dethatching. One inch of water should be enough to soften the ground and make the process easier.
Methods to dethatch your lawn
Dethatching rake
| Skill Level: Beginner Best For: Small areas and light thatch build-up Average Cost: $20 to $35 |
Dethatching rakes have short, curved blades designed to slash into the thatch and pull it up. They cost the least of the dethatching tools but require the most physical effort.
Manual dethatchers have different blade angle settings, so you can choose how deeply the rake penetrates your lawn (depending on the depth of your thatch).
How to use a dethatching rake:
- Move the rake across the lawn in a back-and-forth motion.
- As with a normal rake, apply firm pressure to ensure proper thatch penetration.
- Use long, steady strokes to pull up the thatch.
Electric dethatcher
| Skill Level: Advanced Best For: Medium-sized lawns with mild to moderate thatch problems Average Cost: $127 to $190 |
Electric dethatchers are lightweight, compact, easy to use, and look like miniature lawnmowers. They have spiny rotating tines that you can set to different levels. The tines penetrate the thatch and pull it to the surface, allowing air, nutrients, and water to reach the soil and grass roots again.
How to use an electric dethatcher:
- Refer to the instruction manual to set the electric dethatcher to the appropriate depth for your lawn. You’ll want to start with a shallow setting and test out a small area, adjusting the depth gradually to grab more thatch.
- Like a lawn mower, push the dethatchers across the lawn in long, even rows. This will create a checkerboard effect.
- Empty the thatch collection bin regularly.
Power rake
| Skill Level: Advanced Best For: Larger areas with severe thatch problems and dense grass that can withstand tougher treatment Average Cost: $750 to $2,100 |
Power rakes are similar to lawn mowers. They have steel, knife-like tines on the underside that cut through the thatch layer and pull it up to the surface for easy removal. You can adjust their height to ensure proper thatch penetration without damaging healthy grass or soil.
Power rakes are generally heavier and more robust than electric dethatchers and can run on gasoline or electricity. They cut thatch more aggressively and can remove a row of thatch in a single pass, which is why they’re also suitable for commercial use.
How to use a power rake:
- Make two or three passes (perpendicular to each other) across your lawn to dethatch the area thoroughly. Do this in straight lines, overlapping each pass slightly.
- On your first pass, set the blades at the highest level to prevent accidental damage to your lawn as you learn to use it.
Vertical mower
| Skill Level: Advanced Best For: Large lawns with severe thatch problems that could benefit from overseeding Average Cost: $250 to $900 |
Vertical mowers — also known as verticutters — have flat, vertical discs that slice through the thatch and soil, creating grooves. The blades dig deep, uprooting thatch to give roots an extra dose of air, water, and nutrients from the soil surface. This is also called verticutting.
If your lawn is newly seeded or delicate, a verticutter may not be the right tool for you.
How to use a vertical mower:
- Set the blades to the proper spacing (2 inches or more) and depth (based on your thatch level).
- Move the tool across the lawn in straight lines, much like mowing.
- Overlap each pass slightly for even coverage and switch directions for added aeration.
Tow-behind dethatcher
| Skill Level: Advanced Best for: Medium to large lawns with a severe thatch problem Cost: $109 to $199 |
Tow-behind dethatchers connect to lawn tractors or riding mowers to remove thatch from larger areas effortlessly.
They feature flexible metal tines or blades that penetrate the soil and pull up thatch as they move across the surface. Many tow-behind dethatchers include a weight tray, allowing you to add bricks or other weights for deeper thatch penetration if needed.
How to use a tow-behind dethatcher:
- Attach the dethatcher to your riding mower or lawn tractor following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Set the tines to the appropriate depth depending on the thatch level in your lawn.
- Drive your mower or tractor across the lawn in straight lines, overlapping them slightly to ensure even coverage. Maintain a consistent speed to reach all areas.
- Once in a while, stop and check the tines for accumulated debris. If it’s substantial, clear it before continuing.
- Make gentle turns to avoid damaging the dethatcher or the grass.
FAQ about how to dethatch your lawn
If your lawn is due for dethatching, you’ll notice signs such as:
● Grass that is spongy and springy to the touch
● Grass blades that are weak, thin, or dull
● Weeds that grow in the grass
● Runoff that happens when the soil isn’t absorbing much water
● Minimal grass growth
To assess the thickness of thatch, cut out a 2-inch-thick piece of lawn and measure the thatch layer with a ruler or measuring tape. You should see three layers: the grass on top, the thatch layer in the middle, and the soil and grass roots at the bottom. Measure in several places to get an average.
Yes, you can dethatch and aerate at the same time. In fact, it’s generally preferred – given the right circumstances: your soil must be healthy, and it must be peak growing season for your grass type. During this time, your grass can better handle invasive processes such as dethatching and aeration and recover faster afterward.
Read More:
● Can You Dethatch and Aerate at the Same Time?
● Difference Between Dethatching and Aeration
According to the University of Idaho, “Spreading type grasses like Kentucky bluegrass are more prone to thatch accumulation because of their vigorous rhizomes, whereas bunch-type grass like perennial ryegrass and tall fescue are not as prone to thatch accumulation.”
Other grasses prone to thatch include:
● St. Augustinegrass (spreads by stolons)
● Creeping bentgrass (spreads by stolons)
● Bermudagrass (spreads by both rhizomes and stolons)
● Zoysiagrass (spreads by both rhizomes and stolons)
A pro can handle the heavy lifting
Dethatching can greatly improve your lawn’s health, but it takes time and effort. To achieve a standout lawn, you have to combine dethatching with good lawn care practices.
If you have a lot of thatch or a large yard, Lawn Love can put you in touch with a local lawn care professional. We save you time, effort, and equipment costs while helping your lawn thrive long-term.
Main Image Credit: AUFORT Jérome | Adobe Stock | License
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